Nourishing Grains Recipe

Servings:

4 as a main

Time: 35 minutes

Frankie says: "This recipe is a fusion of a Latin grain with an Asian-inspired sauce, a retreat classic. I love the freshness of the nourishing green sauce, which can be used as a salad dressing too. If you want to make it into a raw dish, which is perfect for summer, keep the peppers, carrots and courgettes raw and leave out the quinoa. I add the quinoa in colder months."

What you'll need

Juliennne peeler (optional)
Spiraliser or mandolin (optional)
Saucepan
Frying pan
Blender

Ingredients

360g/12.oz/2 cups quinoa
1l/35fl oz/4¼ cups water
30g/1oz/¾ cups coriander leaves, chopped
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon coconut oil
2 red peppers, deseeded and sliced
6 carrots, julienned (either using a juliennne peeler or knife)
2 courgettes spiralised or thinly sliced lengthways (either using a mandolin or knife)
Salt
4 lime wedges, to serve

For the green sauce

250g/9oz/1 cup almond butter
1 tablespoon tamari
2 tablespoons grated root ginger
1 chilli (or use less if you're not into spice)
1 garlic clove, peeled
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon lime juice
300ml/10½fl oz/1¼ cups water
60g/2¼oz/1½ cups basil leaves
25g/1oz/scant 1 cup coriander leaves
2 tablespoons agave syrup
A pinch of salt

To garnish

A handful of crushed peanuts
1 tablespoon black sesame seeds
Edible flowers

Method

1. Put the quinoa, water and a pinch of salt into a saucepan over a medium-low heat. Cook for 15–20 minutes until all the water has been absorbed, then turn off the heat and put the lid on to allow the quinoa to steam for 5 minutes. Add the chopped coriander leaves, lemon juice and some salt to taste. Set aside.

2. Heat the coconut oil in a frying pan over a low heat, then add the red peppers, carrots and courgettes. Cook for roughly 7 minutes until the veggies soften but still have a bit of crunch. Add salt to taste.

3. Meanwhile, to make the green sauce, blitz all the ingredients in a blender until well combined. Pour half the sauce over the lightly cooked veggie noodles and stir until coated.

4. To assemble, divide the remaining sauce between 4 pasta bowls. Spoon 3 heaped tablespoons of the quinoa on top of the sauce in each bowl. Top with the vegetable noodles, then garnish with the peanuts, sesame seeds and edible flowers. Serve each bowl with a wedge of lime for squeezing over.

Extracted from Plant Feasts: Recipes for slow living in a fast-paced world by Frankie Paz. Published by Nourish Books. Photography: Hannah Bodsworth.

Read the Your Food articles archive here...