A family friend taught me how to make this Cypriot mixed grain salad based on a Hellenic Republic recipe and it's my go to every summer. This makes for the perfect summer salad to eat on its own or served with fish, chicken or a side for a barbecue. The grains are quinoa (a complete protein & wheat free alternative) , pearl barley (rich in fiber) and puy lentils (rich in complex carbohydrates, a nutrient that boosts metabolism helping the body burn fat). All three of these grains are brilliant for fertility as they are packed with nutrients including folic acid (essential pre-conception and throughout pregnancy), magnesium (which is often depleted in times of stress) and zinc (which benefits sperm health). These grains all digest slowly with a low-glycemic index making it easier for your body to break down and absorb all the nutritional goodness.
The herbs, nuts and berries accompanied with the yogurt dressing and pomegranate give this salad a wonderful texture, rich in flavour and nutrients. We have served the salad with trout and green vegetables (asparagus spears and broccoli) cooked in lemon, ginger and garlic. Trout is not the most popular fish of choice but the fillets are very similar in texture, appearance and taste to salmon. High in protein (21 g per 3 ounce serving) and low in fat (6g of total fat/1.4g saturated fat per 3 ounce serving). Brilliant for overall health improvement, trout is worth implementing as a good source of omega 3 fatty acids, vitamin b3, b12, d, phosphorus and selenium.
Cypriot Grain Salad
This recipe will generously serve up to 6 people. If cooking for two, make a big batch and keep in the fridge, it tastes wonderful for leftovers and will keep for 3-5 days.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup puy lentils
- 1/2 cup pearl barley
- 60g black, red & white quinoa
- 1/2 cup goji berries, currants & cranberries
- 1 bunch coriander chopped
- 1/2 bunch parsley chopped
- 2 sprigs of mint chopped
- 1/2 red onion chopped
- 2 tbsp toasted pumpkin seeds
- 2tbsp toasted pinenuts
- 2 tbsp whole almonds (crushed)
- 2 tbsp baby capers
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Himalayan salt to taste
Dressing
- 1 pomegranate deseeded
- 1 cup of natural or greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp cumin seeds (toasted & ground)
Method 1) Measure the grains and cook each grain separately. Add the quinoa in one pan to 180ml of cold water and the pearl barley to cold water and blanch. The quinoa will need approx 20 minutes and the lentils 25 minutes. For the lentils, boil a saucepan of water and add once boiled for 25 minutes. It is very important you do not overcook the grains as we do not want them to be mushy and this salad is all about texture.
2) Whilst the grains are cooking, wash the herbs and finely chop the coriander, parsley and mint with the stems included to get a real crunch. I have used just 2 springs of the mint for a subtle undertone. Finely chop the red onion for the salad.
3) Once the grains are cooked, pop the quinoa in a sieve rinse in cold water, give a shake, put back in pan with no heat for 5 minutes. Repeat with the lentils and pearl barley. This will allow the grains to separate as apposed to being mushy.
4) Next up the nuts, firstly crush the almonds. Toast the pumpkin seeds, almonds and pine nuts in a dry pan for several minutes and leave aside (this is of course if they are not already toasted). Toast the cumin seeds separately and once toasted crush to a ground like consistency with a pestle and mortar leave aside on its own.
5) Measure the cranberries, goji berries, currants and put aside.
6) For the dressing, mix the yogurt with honey and ground cumin in a bowl. Keep cool in the fridge.
7) In a bowl, mix the grains, herbs, red onion, currants, toasted nuts and add the capers & lemon juice.
Dress with olive oil 5 minutes before serving and season.
8) Add a few large dollops of yogurt and pomegranate and voila! If your vegetarian or opting to eat the salad solo then no need to read any further.
Trout
Ingredients: 2 sustainably sourced trout fillets (make sure they are boneless), 1 tbsp coconut oil & a pinch of Himalayan salt - serves 2 people.
Firstly prepare the fish - wash and pat dry the fillets prior to cooking. Heat the coconut oil in a pan on a medium heat. Once melted, add the fillets skin side down and season with Himalayan salt. Turn the fillets after 3 minutes and cook for a further 5 minutes approx. Once cooked, let the fillets sit in the pan off the heat whilst you cook the greens.
Greens
You can use any greens to accompany the trout and grain salad, I have opted for broccoli and asparagus. Here's why - Broccoli is often labelled as a 'superfood' and one of the healthiest veggies as its rich in antioxidants to fight cancer, high in fiber content and vitamin c to aid in iron absorption. Asparagus is renowned for its de-bloating qualities, want a flat tummy for summer? Get eating! It also contains prebiotics to support the growth of ‘good bacteria’ and maintain a healthy digestive system.
Ingredients: 200g broccoli, 100g asparagus spears, 1 clove of garlic, knob of ginger, 1 tbsp fish sauce, 1 tbsp sesame oil, 1 tsp coconut oil, juice 1/2 lemon, 1 tsp sesame seeds - serves 2 people.
Blanch the greens in boiling water, remove after 1.5 minutes and drain in colander with cold water to stop the cooking process.
In a pan add the sesame and coconut oil, once melted add the roughly chopped garlic and roughly grated ginger. After a minute, add the greens and cook for a further few minutes before adding the fish sauce and lemon juice for several more minutes. Remove from the pan and serve immediately with the trout and Cypriot grain salad.
Happy cooking! This meal makes the perfect dinner for a summer's evening and is packed with healthy goodness.
Any feedback, email me on lisapenny.blog@gmail.com.
Until next time,
L.P. x