Prep time: 30 minutes make time: 10 minutes serves: 4
INGREDIENTS
1 x 225g block of halloumi ~ sliced
120g baby spinach
140g/1 cup strawberries ~ sliced
200g/1 cup butternut squash ~ cubed and roasted
175g/1 cup broccoli ~ lightly steamed
140g/1 cup beluga lentils ~ pre cooked
1 avocado ~ sliced
½ cup walnuts ~ roughly chopped
Few sprigs of coriander ~ roughly chopped
1 Tbsp avocado oil (can also use olive oil)
For the tahini dressing
Juice of 1 lemon
2 Tbsp tahini
4 Tbsp filtered water
1 clove of garlic
½ Tsp Himalayan salt
Pinch of black pepper
METHOD
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas 4.
2. Toss the butternut squash in the avocado oil in a bowl and season with salt and black pepper. Arrange the squash on a baking tray and roast in a preheated oven for 25 minutes, until lightly brown and tender.
3. Lightly steam the broccoli florets for a few minutes until they start to turn bright green, remove from steamer and set to one side to cool slightly.
4. To make the dressing, place all the ingredients into a blender and pulse a few times until it reaches a smooth consistency. You can add more water here to loosen it up.
NOTE: steps 1-3 can all be done the day before for some pre prepping!
5. In a pan on medium heat, add a small amount of avocado (or olive oil), allow it to heat up a little and add the sliced halloumi. Fry on each side for a couple of minutes until they turn a golden brown colour. Remove and set aside.
6. Next you can start to layer up the salad. Take a large serving dish and add the spinach, lentils, broccoli, butternut squash, sliced strawberries, sliced avocado, halloumi. Drizzle over the tahini dressing and then add the walnuts and coriander. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve up and enjoy!
SKIN HEALTH BENEFITS
Broccoli, spinach and strawberries are all rich in vitamin c and in addition to it’s antioxidant properties, vitamin c is essential for collagen production in the body. Collagen is needed to keep our skin firm and well supported and overtime it can will breakdown and degrade so it’s important ensure we have optimal levels of vitamin c to provide extra support to synthesise more collagen.
Vitamin C also protects our skin cells from UV radiation and supports skin barrier function
Broccoli is also part of the cruciferous family and can aid in liver detoxification, helping to remove toxins more efficiently from the body. Our skin is also a route of elimination therefore if our liver is a little sluggish and we’re not providing it with the correct nutrients, our skin can pick up the slack!
Butternut squash, spinach and broccoli are rich in beta-carotene, a potent antioxidant and precurser to vitamin A. Beta-carotene has been widely studied for it’s skin protective properties such as:
~ It has photo-protective properties and has been shown to protect against sunburn development by inhibiting free radials and suppressing our cellular and tissue response to inflammation.
~ It also prevents premature aging of the skin. Studies have shown it to prevent wrinkle formation by decreasing the activity of the enzymes (MMP) responsible for collagen degradation.
~ In the epidermis (outer layer of skin), b-carotene is deposited and works to fight free radical damage caused by UV exposure. It is also protective against the development of skin cancer.
Walnuts are a great source of omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids. These essential fatty acids are incorporated in to the epidermal layer (skins outer layer) and help to lock in moisture and hydration. Omega 3 is also anti-inflammatory and can help with inflammatory skin conditions such as acne and eczema.
Omega 3 also has the ability to inhibit UV-induced skin inflammation and hyperpigmentation. It is protective against photosensitivity disorders and conditions in which abnormal reactions to UV exposure occur.
It can greatly improve skin barrier function and a deficiency in omega 3 can cause increased water loss through the skin causing it to become very dry so if you’re skin is feeling a little on the dry side, omega 3 can certainly help.
Avocado is also rich in fatty acids and vitamin E, which acts as an antioxidant and free radical scavenger, working to slow down aging of the skin.
So if all of the above does not provide you with a good enough reason to make this salad then I rest my case!
Erica x
Naturallynourished.co.uk
@naturallynourished
