a warm salad that tastes just as good cold!
what you need
1/2 small Jap pumpkin, sliced (leave skin on)
3 cups cooked brown basmati rice
1 bunch kale, cut from the stems
2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp sweet paprika
1 tbsp + 1 tsp Ras El Hanout spice mixture (I used Herbies “Ras El Hanout”)
10 medjool dates, chopped
1 – 2 tsp fermented garlic paste (I used Kehoes Kitchen Fermented Garlic)
good quality sea salt flakes and black pepper, to taste
approx 1/2 cup good quality extra virgin olive oil (to taste, be generous)
what to do
Preheat oven to 180C. Place the pumpkin on a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil before sprinkling with salt, pepper and 1 tbsp Ras El Hanout spices , roast for 25-30 minutes until browned. Allow to cool before adding to the salad.
Cook the basmati rice as per the packet instructions.
Whilst the rice is cooking, chop the kale and place in a large bowl. Add the chopped dates, turmeric, paprika, fermented garlic and sea salt.
When the rice is cooked, spoon on top of the salad and carefully mix through, the warm rice will semi-cook your kale.
Pour over a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil (enough for the salad to be coated and the kale to look nice and glossy) and then gently mix the salad until combined.
For added nutritional benefit and flavour, sprinkle the salad with a mix of your favourite activated nuts or seeds.
notes
It is very easy to add other ingredients to this salad. Try adding some dried fruit, such as cranberries or apricots. Feta or goats cheese also works really well.
