This time of year brings some potential challenges when it comes to eating well, Nicola Brown writes.
On one hand, you'd think it would be easy to make smart choices in the summer. We're spoilt for choice in terms of fresh produce: it's easy to grow and buy a wide range of tasty greens and herbs.
Salads become a whole lot more interesting to create, not to mention enticing, and we're about to be hit by a wave of beautiful summer fruit (fingers crossed that the weather fairies are kind to the produce growers this season!). It feels natural to lighten up our meals, and to throw together dishes which are simple and filled with fresh vegetables and fruits.
On the other hand, we're surrounded by temptation when the silly season hits! Christmas catch-ups, work drinks, barbecues, dinners out with friends, not to mention the fact that scorched almonds and chocolates seem to mysteriously jump into shopping trolleys in the lead-up to Christmas (presumably because we're all reeling from the fact that we circled for half an hour to find a car park).
Sometimes we want to be more indulgent: we're willing to go to some trouble for an event, or to show someone how much we appreciate them by creating something extraordinary.
I've decided to cover both bases with these recipes: a great stand-by salad, and a gorgeous festive treat to make for a celebration or gift.
Marinated rainbow salad
To balance out all of that end-of-year over-indulgence, this is a great big colourful bowl of goodness. It can be made at the weekend and it improves over the next couple of days as the vegetables continue to marinate and soften. Serve as a side dish, or add some protein and your lunch is sorted.
Salad
1 head of broccoli or broccoflower, cut into very small pieces (stems can be peeled and finely chopped)
2 medium beetroot (approximately 400g), peeled and grated
2 large carrots, grated
5-6 large leaves kale/cavolo nero, washed, stems removed and discarded, leaves shredded
1 yellow capsicum, finely chopped
1 apple or pear, grated
2 large sprigs of mint, leaves finely shredded
1/3 cup cranberries
Dressing
¼ cup olive oil
½ orange, juiced
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp coconut sugar or 1 tsp honey
1 tsp wholegrain mustard
Black pepper and sea salt, to taste
To garnish
1/3 cup pistachio nuts, roughly chopped
¼ cup pumpkin seeds
Microgreens
METHOD
Combine salad ingredients in a large bowl. Place dressing ingredients in a screw-top jar and shake until combined; pour over salad ingredients and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour. Garnish with pistachios, pumpkin seeds and microgreens just before serving.
Serves six as a side dish.
Christmas pudding bliss balls
These are particularly cute and make a wonderful gift, but they require a little TLC to make. I'll be honest: they're fiddly. Don't start making them late on Christmas Eve unless you're prepared to still be covered in white chocolate when reindeer hooves thunder across your roof.
For the purposes of this photo, I chopped each goji berry in three and rolled the pieces into teeny tiny balls to imitate berries; I'm the first to admit that this is probably taking things a step too far.
These aren't 100% plant-based because of the white chocolate: but if you wanted to make them dairy-free, you could top with a small amount of cashew cream (recipe on the website www.nibl.co.nz).
Bliss balls
1 cup raw almonds
1 cup mixed dried fruit, chopped (e.g., apricots, raisins, currants, cranberries)
1 heaped Tbsp candied citrus peel
1½ tsp mixed spice
½ orange, juiced
1½ Tbsp brandy or Drambuie (optional)
½ cup shredded coconut
½ cup cacao or cocoa powder
½ cup fresh dates, pitted
1 tsp vanilla extract
Icing and garnish
100g white chocolate
Dash of turmeric
¼ cup pumpkin seeds
2 Tbsp cranberries or goji berries, chopped
METHOD
Bliss balls
Soak the almonds in cold water overnight; drain and rinse well, discarding soaking water. Combine the dried fruit mix, candied peel and mixed spice in a bowl with the orange juice and brandy/Drambuie (if using); leave to soak overnight.
Pulse drained nuts and coconut in a food processor and grind into a coarse powder. Add marinated dried fruit mixture, cacao/cocoa powder, dates and vanilla. Process until mixture resembles fine biscuit crumbs and holds together when pressed. With damp hands, roll mixture into truffle-sized balls. Place on a tray lined with baking paper, pressing down a little so that the bases flatten slightly. Leave in fridge for at least an hour to set.
Icing and garnish
Melt white chocolate in a bowl over hot water. Add a dash of turmeric, enough to change the colour but not the flavour. Remove bliss balls from fridge and spread a small amount of chocolate on the top of each ball. Decorate each one with a few pumpkin seeds and a couple of berry pieces.
Makes 20-30. Store in fridge.
More from Nibl
Want more delicious plant-based recipes?
The snack recipe ebook, Feeling Peckish, is now available on the Nibl website. It contains 22 beautiful plant-based snack recipes, plus some variations - a mixture of sweet and savoury, some super-fast to make and some requiring a little effort, mostly gluten and dairy-free, and all delicious!
See http://nibl.co.nz/feeling-peckish-ebook/ for more information and to order.
