This salad is like an explosion flavours and tastes super fresh. My favourite part is my miso date puree…combining sweet and salty which as we know is a match made in heaven! It is a great party starter dish or even a good side salad!
Preparation time: 40 minutes (including cooking time)
Ingredients:
Date Puree:
- 10 Fresh Dates (stone removed)
- 10 Blanched Almonds
- 2 tbsp Miso Paste
- 2 tbsp Lemon Juice
- 4 tbsp Boiling Water
- 1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Black Pepper (a few grinds of a pepper mill)
Parsley Quinoa:
- 1 cup Quinoa
- 1 cup Flat Leaf Parsley
- 2 tbsp Lemon Juice
- 3 tsp Salt
- 1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Figs:
- 18 Figs
Spicy Yogurt:
- 4 tbsp Plain Soya Yogurt
- 1 Large Red Chilli
- 1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Method:
- Place the dates and blanched almonds in a saucepan of boiling water to boil for 20 minutes
- Place the quinoa in a saucepan with boiling water and 3 tsp of salt to boil until cooked (follow the cooking time on the packet, usually approx.15-20 minutes)
- In a blender, grind the parsley until it is chopped very finely and then place in a large bowl
- Wash the figs and then using scissors cut the top woody stalks off, and then cut the figs in a cross about three-quaters the depth of the fig
- Using your fingers gently open the figs up into flower shapes and place in your serving dishes ready to be topped
- Strain the dates and almonds and place into a blender and blend for approx. 3 minutes
- After three minutes, gradually add the rest of the date puree ingredients whilst blending the mixture until a puree forms
- Drain the quinoa (but do not rinse) and check salt levels and adjust accordingly
- Mix the quinoa into the parsley and the rest of the quinoa ingredients using a fork to keep it light and fluffy and then allow to cool
- In a grinder, grind the red chilli and extra virgin olive oil until pureed and then mix into the soya yogurt
- Assembly time…first place a tablespoon of our quinoa into the fig, topped with half a teaspoon of date puree and 1 tablespoon of chilli yogurt…Finito!
- Enjoy my Little Peas!