Who says you can’t eat healthy on Christmas Day! This salad is brimming with nutrients and fibre, packs a punch with flavour and goes well with any protein that you’re planning on serving on Christmas Day. Plus it will help balance out the plum pudding! Its festive looking too with the greens and the red roasted vegies. Super healthy, super yummy and full of so much goodness. This is one of my fave salads ever. If you’re trying to reduce the carbs on Christmas Day, and leave room for some roast vegies, just leave the quinoa out. 

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups baby spinach or kale sliced into strips
• 1/2 bunch mint
• 1/2 bunch coriander
• 1 can lentils
• 1 cup quinoa (or brown rice)
• 2 x large beets, washed, peeled and sliced into chunks
• 2 x red capsicums, sliced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3/4 cup roasted nuts (I used pecans and walnuts, but you can use any nut)
• 3/4 cup cranberries
• 2 tbsp roasted pumpkin seeds.
• 3/4 cup Greek yogurt
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup
• 2 tbsp water
• Salt n pepper for seasoning

Cook quinoa in 2 cups boiling water. (I add a heaped teaspoon of Mama Megs Immortal Chicken Stock paste too for extra goodness and flavour).  Bring to the boil for a few minutes, then turn off and simmer until water is absorbed, which will take about 10-12 minutes. Fluff with a fork when the quinoa has finished cooking.

Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius. Peel and wash the beets and slice into chunks. Slice the capsicum into strips. Line an oiled baking tray with baking paper and add beets and red capsicum to tray; drizzle with olive oil and season with salt ‘n pepper. Place into the oven. The capsicum will take about 15 minutes to cook, whereas the beets take about 25 mins.

Line another tray with baking paper and place nuts and pumpkin seeds on the tray. Season with salt n pepper. Put these into the oven for the final 10 minutes of the beets cooking. Remove from oven with the beetroot and let them cool for 5-10 minutes.

When the quinoa has cooled slightly, mix through the baby spinach or sliced kale and chopped herbs, then place in a bowl or on a platter. Rinse the lentils thoroughly, then add to the platter with the nuts, pumpkin seeds and cranberries.  In a small bowl whisk together the yogurt, water, cumin and maple syrup. Add the roasted capsicum and beets to the platter, then drizzle with the dressing.