Aubergine, bacon, rice & quinoa salad recipe
28th June 2015
AUBERGINE, BACON, RICE & QUINOA SALAD RECIPE
I have some news for you! We are
expecting our second child at the end of the year. I am already aware
that this pregnancy is very different from my first. Harder for a start chasing
after Alanna and not being able to put my feet up when I want to. We are over
the moon.
Morning sickness has luckily been and
gone but I had forgotten how frequently I needed to eat to keep the nausea at
bay! Several times I had to eat a cream
cracker in the middle of the night I felt so sick. I think that simple cracker
helped regulate my blood sugar levels letting me go back to sleep almost
immediately.
I know everybody craves different
foods: I am definitely into more savoury things this time. My favourite snacks are
chunks of cheese, smoked tofu pieces (Alanna
likes these too), cream crackers and fruit for a sweet fix. But don’t
worry I’m not shy of eating double chocolate chunk cookies as well! Apparently pregnant women only need to consume
an extra 200 calories a day. An example snack could be sandwich filled with
grated carrot and hummus.
I have also found some good advice
for expectant mums on the BBC Good Food website.
My recipe here is simply a jammed
packed healthy salad and perhaps best made at the weekend when you have a bit
more time The spinach is good for a well
needed boost of folic acid and I adored eating the salty crunchy pancetta.
Serves 2-3
Ingredients:
½ cup brown rice
½ cup quinoa
1 aubergine cut lengthways thinly
Season aubergine with:
Olive oil for frying
Pinch of oregano
Pinch of aromat
1 red onion sliced
100g pancetta chopped
250g spinach chopped
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1tsp sumac
Handful of pine nuts
Method:
Cut
the aubergine length ways as thin as you can. Fry in a medium sized pan with
olive oil and season with oregano and aromat
- you may have to do this in batches. Put the aubergine on
kitchen towel when cooked to get rid of excess oil.
Next
fry the onion until soft. Set aside. In same pan fry the pancetta until crispy.
Steam
the rinsed spinach and once cooked squeeze out all excess water.
In a
large bowl combine the onion, rice, quinoa, and spinach. Stir in the extra virgin olive oil and sumac. Mix well.
To
serve, spread the aubergine slices on a plate and top with the rice mixture adding
some pine nuts and the pancetta. Drizzle over a little more extra virgin olive
oil if you like.
Delicious
served with flat bread and hummus.
Total time (prep and cooking): 1 hour 30.
Suitable for: Gluten free.
Other meal ideas: Instead of spinach use brussel sprouts for an alternative taste.
Posts
0 comments