Pink Beetroot-stained Quinoa Salad with Crisp Haloumi

(serves 4)

So whilst i had some spare beetroot, another cool thing i realised you can do with it is use it to stain your food pink! Quite an old trick with beetroot really, but i think this makes for a great colourful summer salad, just a fun way to change up the quinoa recipes, and beetroot with haloumi turns out to be a winning combo! 

Prep time: 30 min (including boiling the beetroot)

Cooking time: 30 min

Ingredients:

3-4 Beetroot

1 bunch Asparagus

1x300g can of Corn
1 small Eggplant

1 C Quinoa

200-300g Haloumi

2 T plain flour

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180˚C.

2. Boil the beetroot for 20-25min. It’s ready when you can pierce it with a knife through the centre. Drain and leave in cold water for 2-3 minutes.

3. Put on plastic gloves and peel off the skin. Cut into bite-size pieces.

4. Dress the beetroot with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast for 20min until it looks slightly dry and crispy.

5. Meanwhile, cook the quinoa with 2 C boiling water for 15-20 minutes until all the water is absorbed. Stir to break it up then leave to stand off the heat to dry out for another 5min.

6. Cut the asparagus into thirds (approx 5cm lengths).

NB. You can keep them together by putting an elastic band around each segment.

7. Cut the eggplant into thin slices and pan-fry on medium heat with 0.5-1T olive oil and a few pinches of salt until soft.
8. Parboil the asparagus for 3 minutes with the corn, then drain.

9. Cut the asparagus stalks into thin circles. Toss the warm asparagus and corn with 10-15g butter and a few pinches of salt.

10. Cut the haloumi into small 1cm cubes. Put the flour in a small bowl and coat the haloumi with flour.

11. Heat a saucepan with 1T olive oil and pan fry the haloumi until golden and crisp.

12. Toss the quinoa, beetroot, asparagus and corn in a large salad bowl and serve with the crisp haloumi.