"Free Foods - Festive Foods" -2

Mint, cucumber and avocado soup


I am re-posting this soup as part of my "Free Foods - Festive Foods" series for Sugarfree Sensations. 

Do visit their site for sugarfree and allergy friendly products this season.

Sunny day splash!

This cool soup is great for the Aussie scorchers. The combination is a natural – the water based, slightly astringent sensation of cucumber is effectively emulsified by the creamy smoothness of the avocado, and just as you are about to be lulled by an emollient spoonful, the mint unexpectedly spikes you. The cumin and tiny piece of green chilly provide the piquant quotient.

Interesting?

Try this soup with a brown rice salad. You can serve it in paper cups and even take it on a picnic!

Ingredients

4 Lebanese cucumbers, sliced into roundels

1 ripe avocado – pitted and flesh scooped out 

 ½ cup fresh mint leaves

Lemon juice to taste
A pinch of Splenda to round off the taste (optional)

½ tsp Roasted cumin powder

Salt pepper to taste

1 inch piece of green chilly (optional)

Cold water as required

Cherry tomatoes and mint leaves to garnish

Method

Process the cucumber, avocado, mint, chilly in a food processor until smooth. Add as much water as you like, starting with a little and then gradually adding more. Give it one last zap and then remove into a bowl. Add the salt, pepper, lemon juice and roasted cumin powder to taste.

Chill before serving with a garnish of mint and cherry tomatoes.

Free Foods- Festive Foods - Red Quinoa Salad

Dear Readers

I am very happy to post this series "Free Foods - Festive Foods" to support my dear brother Satyajit Rajurkar's online store Sugarfree Sensations . 

Sugarfree Sensations is a great venture that brings together the best of sugar free and allergy friendly products from all over the world for the convenience of the discerning customer.

I hope you enjoy some of these ideas that I endeavour to bring to you from Sugarfree Sensations!  Do visit www.sugarfreesensations.com.au to discover more about the world of allergy friendly and sugar free products.

Red Quinoa Salad

Christmas and other festive times are always on those with various allergies or dietary restrictions. Here’s a light beauty for the scorching season ahead. You can even serve it for your Christmas lunch. 

This salad is quick to make – it’s gluten –free, low-cal, vegan, dairy free and with no added sugar. You can make it fat free too, if you omit the olive oil!

What more, you can chop and change all the ingredients – quinoa is a very generous host and will accommodate most salad vegetables and a range of seasoning.

Ingredients

½ cup red quinoa, washed and soaked in cold water for 30 minutes

½ cup boiled and cubed beetroot

½ cup cubed Lebanese cucumber

½ cup freshly shelled peas

8 cherry tomatoes cut into halves

1 carrot, lightly peeled and cubed

2 tbsp pomegranate seeds

2-3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

2 tbsp chopped mint

1 tiny garlic clove, crushed

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

Juice of half lemon

A pinch of Splenda for sweetness

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Wash and cook the quinoa in lightly salted water in a pan. Fluff up the grains with a fork and let cool completely. (The soaking makes it easier to rinse off the bitter saponins that coat the seeds)

Prepare the rest of the ingredients and chill for a while.

Transfer the quinoa into a salad bowl and stir in the chilled chopped vegetables and herbs.

Season with the olive oil, lemon juice, crushed garlic and salt and pepper.

Toss well and serve.