Pomegranate, streaky bacon, danish feta and quinoa salad

by | Jul 11, 2019 | Food and cooking, Lifestyle

Pomegranate, streaky bacon, danish feta and quinoa salad

by | Jul 11, 2019 | Food and cooking, Lifestyle

So I made this salad tonight and it surpassed even MY expectations!! I served it with a homemade beef brisket and vegetable pie with leftover pressure cooked BBQ brisket from the weekend. I’m sorry it has been so long between food blog posts, but I have just been so full on with finishing up uni work and trying to cope with work and being a “good enough mum” that the food blog posts have to be the least essential of my jobs to do each week (so they get axed).

The term “salad” is used a bit loosely in this case… with streaky bacon, Danish feta, almonds and the honey mustard dressing, it isn’t exactly low-calorie. But, what’s the fun in low calorie??? I love the feeling of eating healthy, but it’s got to taste good!

If you really wanted a lower calorie version of this salad, you could omit the cheese, bacon and decrease the oil content in the dressing (or make less of it). But I wouldn’t recommend it… this salad is pretty delish as is!

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cup dry tri-colour quinoa (made up per pack directions)
  • 1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley
  • 1/2 cup fresh chopped mint
  • 1/3 cup of toasted slivered almonds (I just microwave mine a minute at a time to avoid burning them)
  • 4-5 rashers of streaky bacon and fried in their own rendered fat
  • The arils of 1 fresh pomegranate
  • 100g crumbled Danish feta
  • 1/2 cup of sliced Kalamata olives
  • Dressing (these were all roughly measured and adjusted according to taste)
    • about 1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil
    • the juice of 4 lemons (about maybe 1/2 cup?)
    • pinch of salt
    • good few rounds of ground pepper
    • 1 tsp of Dijon mustard
    • 1 tsp whole seeded mustard
    • 2 tbs of Kewpie mayonnaise
    • 2-3 tbs honey
    • a shake of cinnamon

METHOD

To make the dressing, whisk all of the ingredients together in a jug or bowl – taste and adjust accordingly

Make the quinoa up to pack instructions. I did mine in the microwave – 1 cup of quinoa with 2 cups of water, microwaved on high for 5 minutes, taken out, stirred and then in again for a further 2 min. Leave the container covered until cooled (to allow the quinoa to cook and absorb all the water).

Fry the bacon by throwing it into a nonstick pan on low-medium flame and letting the fat render out until it is cooked.

Pile all of your other ingredients up in a big bowl, pour on your dressing right before serving and toss through well. Sooo delicious.

I will definitely be making this salad again… or some adjusted version of it!

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About Dr Megs

About Dr Megs

Megan is a Brisbane and Ipswich-based paediatrician in public and private practice, and mum to two small children. You can usually find her working hard in private practice at Paeds in a Pod North Lakes and Greenslopes, and in public practice at Ipswich Hospital.



PLEASE NOTE: This blog is written for the purpose of providing GENERAL advice about common children's health topics (and of course recipes). It is NOT a substitute for a proper medical assessment and examination by a qualified physician. If your child is unwell, seek medical and attention and advice in person.

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