Broccoli, Craisin and Feta Salad

The weather’s starting to warm up and we’re thinking salads.  Especially for the warmer evenings where the kids love eating outside early enough before the crisp air sets in.  It's a great way to get the kids to quickly eat their dinner then run off their endless amount of energy before bedtime.  This salad is quite hearty and is great for lunch the next day when the flavour has continued to soak through and work it's magic on your tastebuds. 

Broccoli, Craisin and Feta Salad

When I make dressed salads like this I often whip up some mayonnaise from the Thermomix EDC and just leave enough in the bowl to coat the ingredients.  So simple and saves an extra bowl to wash up.  We served it along with my Sweet Potato, Chickpea and Millet burgers and some sliced potato chips cooked on the bbq.  Yum and fun!

Summer is ready to take the salad outside for dinner

 Broccoli, Craisin and Feta salad

1 head of Broccoli
1 Carrot
2 tbls mayonnaise
1 tbl craisins, raisins or even incaberries
Handful cherry tomatos halved
Tbls Pepitas
50g feta or goats cheese cubed or crumbled

• Bring a medium saucepan of water to the boil
• Chop broccoli into florets including stems and place in boiling water for about 1 minute then remove
• Add carrot to Thermomix bowl and chop for 3 seconds on speed 6 (or grate by hand without TM)
• Add broccoli, tomatos, craisins, pepitas and mayonnaise to bowl with carrot and mix on Reverse speed 2 for 3 seconds or until just combined (or mix by hand in a bowl)
• Transfer to serving bowl and top with feta

Enjoy!

Spinach, Pesto and Feta Scrolls

We love visiting family and friends on the weekends and I can’t help myself but to always take a yummy treat to share.  Today we were visiting close friends in their new home.  They wanted to see my Thermomix in action and had a beautiful home grown pumpkin to use so we planned to make my Morrocan Pumpkin and Red Lentil Soup followed by a Torta Caprese from the Thermomix EDC.  Too easy and a great way to inspire. 

Spinach, Pesto and Feta Scrolls

I decided to whip up my very popular Spinach, Pesto and Feta Scrolls to go with the soup and they were the best yet!  It’s basically a simple bread recipe shaped into a rectangle after the first rise, spread with a pesto of your choice, sprinkled with plenty of feta, and followed by a some fresh baby spinach leaves.  This is then rolled, sliced and baked and most importantly enjoyed fresh straight out of the oven.  While I usually cook these at home before venturing out to visit, today I left them to have a second rise during the car ride so they were super light and fluffy. 

The scrolls didn’t quite make it as a side for the soup.  More of a delicious entree and could easily be a lunch on their own.  I’ve also made these successfully with a tomato based pesto.  Yum!

 
100g wholemeal bread flour or other milled grain
400g unbleached white bread flour
300g lukewarm water
7g dry yeast
20g olive oil
½ - 1 tsp salt
¼ cup home made or store bought basil pesto
100g feta
Handful baby spinach leaves

• Add wholemeal flour to Thermomix bowl and further mill 5 seconds speed 6
• Add yeast and water and mix for 1 minute speed 2 to activate yeast
• Add remaining flour, oil and salt and knead for 2 min 30 sec on Interval Setting
• Wrap in Thermomat or other silicone mat and allow to rise in a warm place for an hour or until doubled in size (remember the longer the rise the better the final product)
• Gently stretch and shape to a long rectangle about 1.5cm thick on mat or floured surface
• Spread with pesto, sprinkle with crumbled pesto and spinach
• Carefully roll from long edge to form a long roll then using back of spatula cut into approximately 7 pieces
• Arrange in a springform tin lined with baking paper and allow to rise for a final 30  minutes
• Bake at 220° for 25-30 minutes until golden and hollow sounding when knocked

Best eaten straight from the oven

Enjoy!