Recipe: Freekah, pumpkin and goat's cheese earth bowl (with other good green stuff)



This is a great recipe to make in a big batch and keep in the fridge for the following days lunch or to whip out as an easy side dish at dinner.  You'll again see my favourite veggies in the mix but feel free to adapt them to suit yourself and your season.

Freekah is a grain I've been playing around with lately and I enjoy it's robust texture and nutty flavour.  It sits well with any dish you'd normally use brown rice or quinoa with and works with a combination of flavours.  But really this bowl is all about the Goat's Cheese, so creamy and tasty, and the oil I've used as the dressing - I can't believe I used to throw this part out!  It lifts any dish to a whole new level. 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups freekah

1 tbsp olive oil

1/4 butternut pumpkin, diced, skin on

1/2 cup liquid stock (chicken or veggie, water if you have neither)

1 tsp salt

1 zucchini

1/2 avocado

440g tin of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 bunch of asparagus, chopped

1/4 cup walnuts

2 handfuls of spinach leaves

1/4 cup goat's cheese

2-3 tbsp oil from goat's cheese jar

Directions:

Cook Freekah according to directions on the packet (I use the microwave and it works well) and set aside.

In a non-stick pan, add 1 tbsp of olive oil and lightly brown the pumpkin. Add 1/2 cup liquid stock or water to allow pumpkin to cook and soften. 

Add the rest of the veggies, retaining 1 handful of spinach leaves and saute for 2-3 minutes to soften veggies but not so much they lose their crispness and fresh colour.  Add chickpeas.  Season with salt.

Add cooked freekah to the veggies and combine.

Place retained fresh spinach leaves in a bowl, add the freekah mix and stir through the goat's cheese, walnuts, avocado and oil.

Enjoy!

I'm sending this to A Mummy Too - check out the other amazing recipes.

Keep smiling

Dani xx