Saturday

Raw Broccoli Salad with Beetroot Dip



Sometimes I feel like I’m in an episode of Ready Steady Cook. I had some broccoli, a beetroot, a tomato and some lemongrass along with other ingredients that I keep in my fridge and pantry.
Fortunately I found a Raw Broccoli Salad recipe that would fit the bill along with some raw beetroot dip made along the same lines as the beetroot hummus from earlier this month.

Recipe Ingredients:
30g pumpkin seeds
Lemon grass stalks
Small piece of ginger
Clove of garlic peeled
Sprigs of parsley and basil
2 cups broccoli florets
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tbsp olive oil
2 lemon ice cubes from freezer 
1/2 tsp salt (optional as the salad ended up tasting too salty)
65g peeled beetroot
60g tomato
 
Instructions:
Cover pumpkin seeds with water in a sprouting jar and set it aside.

To make the broccoli salad:-
Mill the lemon grass, ginger and garlic for 15 seconds on speed 9.
Add parsley and basil and chop for 2 seconds on speed 6.
Add broccoli florets, cumin seeds, olive oil, 1 lemon ice cube and 1/2 tsp salt and chop for 4 seconds on speed 4.
Place the mix in the fridge to allow the combined ingredients to soften the broccoli.


After an hour - to make the beetroot dip:-
Rinse the pumpkin seeds and place them along with 65g peeled beetroot, 60g tomato and the second lemon juice ice cube into the Thermomix bowl and process on speed 4 for 5 to 10 seconds. 
Blend again at speed 5 or 6 if it is too chunky.

I noticed the difference between chick peas and pumpkin seeds as the pumpkin seeds kept their shape while previously the chick peas had gracefully merged into the hummus. Perhaps I need to soak the pumpkin seeds overnight rather than just for 1 hour… After tasting the dip I knew that I was quite happy with the taste of it but blending again at speed 5 and then 6 gave me what I thought was a better looking dip.
When I tasted the broccoli salad I decided that it was too salty so I combined the salad and dip together very nicely for my lunch which didn’t end up being entirely raw as I added some cooked chick peas.
I think I could safely say I’m having difficulties in letting cooked grains, beans and chick peas go. I’d like to say I’m working on it, but in the meantime would you believe I have weighed what I eat over an average day which comes in roughly at 1 kg of food, and have worked out that I can safely call myself a raw foodist – who is someone that eats 75% or more raw food - if the only cooked items in my day are the cooked grain (100g) with my breakfast, 2 mini muffins (35g) for morning tea, some cooked beans or chick peas (50g) with my lunch, and some more of the cooked beans or chick peas (50g) with my dinner. I can’t see myself managing this when I’m out for lunch or dinner, or visiting family or friends, but this is certainly do-able for the much of the time. I suppose time will tell…

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