Sunshine Salad

This looks beautiful and is the ultimate cheery salad. 

1 pack of cooked beetroot, in natural juices, NOT vinegar
2 eggs, hardboiled (boil for 5 mins, plunge into cold water for 10 mins then peel) and quartered
About 10 cherry tomatoes, halved
The rind of half an orange, grated or finely chopped
A handful of chopped mint leaves

Dressing:
Juice of half an orange (drink the rest!)
a glug of olive oil

Chope the beetroot into chunks and add the tomatoes and orange rind. Stir it about a bit.  Add the egg quarters. Pour over the dressing and sprinkle with the mint. The eggs get pink bits on and it's rather pretty!

Vitamin Wheat

This is fast, adaptable and good for using bits of veg up. Quantities here are for 2-3 meals.

2 mugs of bulgar wheat or couscous (or cooked rice)
1 small onion
1-2 cloves of garlic, sliced
A handful of chopped dried fruit (optional but things like cranberries, apricots, sultanas...)
About 10 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 apple, chopped
A slosh of cider (or water)

Other things you can add:
1 courgette, diced
1 pepper, diced
2 sticks of celery, chopped
3 handfuls Quorn chunks
a bit of cubed feta
Chickpeas

Dressing:
a glug of olive oil
juice of a lemon
handful of chopped parsley
half tsp cinnamon
half tsp cumin
half tsp sumac (optional)
half tsp advieh (optional)
chopped mint (optional)

Put the bulgar or couscous in a bowl and pour over boiling water until it is about a cm over the grains and cover with a plate for about 5-10 mins. If you are using dried fruit, add this too. Or cook the rice.

Meanwhile, cook the onions in a little oil until translucent. Add the quern here if using.

Add the garlic and other veg, a slosh of cider, and cook for about 10 mins or until they have softened and the veg (and quorn) has gone goldenish.

Tip it all into a big bowl with the grains and (add the feta now if using) and add the dressing stuff.  Stir it all up and cover for 5 mins then serve.

You can leave leftovers to go cold and have it for lunch the next day.

Tabbouleh

This is a classic salad that is also ideal for taking in a little box for lunch.

1 mug bulgar wheat (or cous cous if you don't have any)

A bunch of chopped parsley

A bunch of chopped mint

Half a cucumber, diced

2-3 tomatoes, diced ( squeeze out the seeds if you don't want the slushiness)

A squeeze of lemon juice

A drizzle of olive oil

Make the bulgur/cous cous according to the packet but it usually involves putting in a bowl, covering in boiling water to a cm above the grains, covering and leaving for about 5 mins or until all the water is absorbed and the grains are plump. Allow to cool.

Mix in all the other ingredients and chill. 

You can tart it up with avocado, nuts, radishes etc if you have them lurking and fancy it.