Barley, quinoa and spelt with vegetables and basil oil
Ingredients
- 200 g uncooked barley
- 50 g uncooked quinoa
- 50 g uncooked spelt (optional)
- 2 ripe tomatoes
- 1 large leek
- 30 ml vegan butter
- 2 carrots, peeled and cubed
- 2 baby marrows, cubed
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 100 g young green beans
- vegetable stock
- 125 ml water
- 60 ml extra-virgin olive oil
- a handful of fresh basil leaves
- 1 x 410 g tin cooked lentils, drained
- 1 x 410 g tin butter beans, drained
- 250 ml cooked peas
- salt and ground black pepper
- extra basil leaves, to garnish
Instructions
- Cook the barley, quinoa and spelt separately, according to the instructions on the packets. Drain and set aside.
- Place the tomatoes in a bowl of boiling water for a few minutes, then slip off their skins, remove the seeds and cut into cubes. Set aside on a plate.
- Cut the leeks into long thin strips. Heat the butter in a pan and gently cook the leek strips for 2 minutes.
- Add the carrots and baby marrows and cook for 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute.
- Add the green beans, vegetable stock and 125ml water to the pan and cook, stirring, for a minute or two, or until the beans are bright green and the contents of the stock pot have dissolved. Remove the pan from the heat.
- Create a basil infusion by placing the olive oil and basil leaves in a blender and whizzing to create a smooth green oil.
- To assemble the dish, tip the cooked barley, quinoa and spelt into a large mixing bowl. Add the drained lentils and butter beans, and the cooked peas. Finally, add all the cooked vegetables and the reserved tomato cubes. Toss well to combine and season to taste with salt and black pepper.
- Transfer to a serving platter, drizzle with the basil oil and garnish with extra basil leaves.
Recipes we’re loving:
Chef Mokgadi Itsweng’s Dikgobe Bowl with Grilled Mushroom Skewers with Chimichurri Sauce
Dikgobe is a sorghum grain and cowpea risotto. This is the traditional way that sorghum and beans were once eaten. Over the years, sorghum was replaced by corn to create the now traditional samp and beans that we enjoy as a staple in our diet.
Superfood Protein Smoothie Bowl
This mood-boosting superfood protein smoothie bowl is not only super healthy and delicious, but also high in protein, rich in antioxidants and vegan friendly.
Chef Tamsin Snyman’s Cinnamon Roasted Pumpkin
Pumpkins were grown in Africa long before the Cape was colonized, and its popularity endures to this day. Rural communities cook pumpkin simply – sliced and boiled, or cooked with maize kernels, pap (maize meal) or beans. Early Dutch cooks mashed pumpkin with butter, sugar and cinnamon; this is an adaptation of that idea.
Avocado & Hummus Frozen Lollies
Plant-based iced treats have been predicted as the hottest (or coldest) food trend for 2023!
Discovering 4 Cape indigenous ingredients
Try this slaaitjie from Cape wild foods expert, Loubie Rusch. It contains deliciously juicy tart leaves from 3 succulent plants: sea pumpkin, sunrose and spekboom and the vegan ricotta balls are flavoured with fragrant wild rosemary.
Kelp Ravioli
Baked kelp ravioli filled with pesto on fresh tomato sauce with vegan parmesan and olive oil. Phil Mansergh of The Kelp Shack presents a completely unique method (developed by Phil) using the kelp frond as “nature’s ravioli”.
Cape Spice Soga Grapefruit & Rasberry Fiz
Sweet, sour, spicy and fizzy – and a gorgeous coral colour – try this delicious cocktail by renowned mixologist and cocktail specialist, Owen O’ Reilly.
Food that fuels your purpose
In this recipe certified Ayurvedic Nutritionist, Michele Mistry uses Ayurvedic Spices for flavour and health and to help counteract the destabilising extremes of Autumn – Vata season.
Thai Satay Sweet Potato Salad
Try this tasty Thai Satay Sweet Potato Salad for an exotic yet easy summer lunch. Sweet potatoes are wonderfully delicious and nutrient rich.
Coconut Bounties
Chocolate-covered coconut bars are so yummy and so simple to veganize. They are light, refreshing and a perfect edible gift idea!