Quinoa, barley and pickled vegetable salad

Despite appearances to the contrary, I don't eat fried food and sweet stuff all the time! My favourite food is actually soup which I love to cook (and eat) and I like making up recipes using what I have on hand. Ever since teaching preserving workshops, I'm a big fan of pickled vegetables. They are incredibly easy to make and great for gut health.

I'm a keen pickler. I love making kim chi, picalilli,  pickled beetroot and pickled cucumbers amongst other recipes. They go wonderfully with so many different snacks and meals and can also be enjoyed by the jar, standing in front of the fridge with a fork.

I can't eat a lot of wheat so I'm always on the look out for tasty grains. I finally found pearl barley at the supermarket here in Leipzig so I decided to knocked up a simple salad. Grains can be cooked in bulk and frozen in zip lock bags for easy meals, just add some veggies and seasoning and the food is on the table before you know it!

This is a salad where you can add veggies you like and omit those you don't. I would have used fresh parsley but was unable to find any in the supermarket so dried had to do. The dressing is light and can be flavoured with herbs or chilli if you like.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup pearl barley
• 1/2 cup quinoa
• 2 tomatoes 
• 2 spring onions 
• 1 cucumber, 
• 1/2 capsicum, 
• I kohlrabi
• 1 carrot
• 2 garlic cloves
• 6 large cucumber pickles
• 2 tablespoons Sauerkraut ( I used a homemade red cabbage one)

Dressing:

1. 1/4 cup of pickle juice
2. 1/4 cup of olive oils
3. 1 tablespoon lemon juice
4. Black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Boil barley and quinoa in 2 1/2 cups of water until tender and almost all water has evaporated. Turn off heat, place lid on saucepan and leave to cook from the steam. 
2. Leave to cool
3. Dice vegetables and pickles into small pieces. 
4. Add grains and vegetables to a serving bowl and mix to combine. 
5. Mix dressing in a jar and shake well.
6. Add to salad and serve

                        

Picalilli

Piccalilli is an interesting beast. It's an English relish which originates from trading times when the English travelled by sea to buy spices from India. Tumeric and mustard powder give it it's lovely yellow colour and it's worth noting from years of teaching preserving that tumeric stains light coloured countertops very easily so pop down a cutting board or some paper to save yourself any bother. You can use apple cider vinegar as an alternative to malt vinegar (or even just plain white vinegar). I used balsamic vinegar in my latest batch for a twist so it's brown rather than this lovely shade of yellow. Leave the relish as long as you can before eating (up to three months if it has been waterbathed and stored appropriately) for the flavours to meld. Even a week helps! 

Piccalilli

Ingredients

• 2.5kg of Vegetables (cauliflower, carrots, zucchini, green beans, onion) cut in small pieces
• 400ml Distilled Malt Vinegar
• 600ml White Vinegar
• 225g fine salt
• 40g Cornflour
• 3/4 cup Sugar 
• 20g English Mustard Powder
• 20g Grated fresh Root Ginger/powder
• 20g Turmeric 
• 2 pieces garlic

Instructions

1. Put all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix together with the salt. Cover and leave overnight.
2. Drain and rinse the vegetables under running cold water. Dry.
3. Put . of the vinegar in a large preserving pan and add the spices and vegetables. Bring to boil and simmer until tender.
4. Mix the cornflour with rest of the vinegar and add to the pan. Mix together and simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Turn into hot sterilised jars, seal by waterbathing and cool.
6. Store for up to 3 months in a cool space before eating.

Spicy pickled cucumbers

                   

It's quite difficult to find 'pickling' cucumbers in Australia where I lived. They are more of an heirloom speciality product to be found at a higher price at Farmer's Markets. I love the look of pickling cucumbers with all the little pimply prints on on the other skin. They taste great and are lovely and crisp, so of course, I simply had to make pickled cucumbers! I used to teach this recipe, it's one of my favourites. 

                      

Spicy pickled cucumbers

Ingredients

1 kg continental cucumbers thinly sliced

1 brown onion thinly sliced

1 chilli of choice per jar (optional)

1/4 cup salt

1/2 cup water

1 cup white sugar

2 cups white vinegar

1 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds

2 teaspoons freshly chopped dill

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Instructions 

1. Thinly slice the cucumbers and and layer place in a large bowl. Add salt and stir well. 
2. Leave for 10 minutes
3. Rinse cucumbers and drain well
4. Top and tail the chillies. Place one in each jar. 
5. Place all the remaining ingredients into a large saucepan and bring to a simmer.
6. Pile up cucumbers and chillies in the jars
7. Add hot liquid
8. Apply lids and process in a water bath for 10 mins or store in the fridge. Best eaten after 1 week.

                                 

Pickled beetroots and beetroot bread

I've been craving beetroot the last week or so. So I decided to get cooking my favourite pickled beetroot and some tasty bread to go with it. Here's my recipes.

Pickled beetroot
Ingredients:
• 4 large beetroot
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 1/2 cups white vinegar • 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon peppercorns
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds • 1/2 cinnamon stick
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions:
1. Wash your beetroot and cook in a boiling water until tender.
2. Take out and let cool. Remove the skin and cut the beetroot into slices or quarters.
3. All the other ingredients go in a saucepan and boil for 5 minutes.
4. Place your beetroot into hot sterilised jars and pour vinegar mixture over until all beetroot is covered.
5. Seal the pickled beetroot and store in a cool place. 

Beetroot Bread

Ingredients

• 3 cups plain flour
• 1 3/4 cups water from boiled beetroots
• 1/4 teaspoon dried yeast
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 grated beetroot

Instructions

1. Place flour, yeast and salt in a large bowl.
2. Add water and mix lightly until all ingredients are combined and sticky. 
3. Cover with plastic wrap or a tea towel and a rubber band (so it doesn't blow away). I pop mine in the warm sun for a bit if I make it during the day but you don't have to. It will bubble and expand and smell rather yeasty.

​Leave covered for 12-18 hours. 

The next day:

1. Flour a chopping board. 
2. Remove the dough and pop onto the board
3. Add the grated beetroot and knead lightly to disperse the beetroot.
4. Fold it into itself so it becomes a bit more ball like.
5. Cover slightly with plastic wrap or tea towel and leave for 15 mins. 
6. Remove and dust top and bottom with flour. 
7.  Heat your oven to it's highest temperature (250C) 
8. A little spray oil or olive oil to the bottom and sides of your baking pot
9. Transfer the dough into the pot with a lid.
10. Place in the oven for 30 mins. Be aware it will be VERY hot. Your oven mitts may not be thick enough so use layers to remove it at any stage
11. Remove the lid (CAREFULLY) and place back in the oven for 15 mins. 
12. Turn out (yes carefully) onto a wire rack until cool.

Variation: if you want your bread to be a true pink colour, then I would advise adding 1 cup of pureed beetroot instead of grated beetroot. Just add it with the liquid at the start of the recipe. I didn't want to lose out on my pickling beetroots so I used grated beetroot instead in this instance.