Warm crispy quinoa roast tomato tuna halloumi salad
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Prep Time
15 Minutes
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Cook Time
25 Minutes
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Yield
1
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Difficulty Level
Easy
Ingredients
- 1 x 425g can Safcol Tuna in Springwater, drained and flaked
- 10 mini Roma tomatoes, cut in half
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 2 cups cooked quinoa, any colour you like
- extra virgin olive oil
- 2 medium garlic cloves, 1 crushed and 1 finely sliced
- 1 medium red onion, peeled and cut in fine wedges
- 8 slices halloumi cheese
- 2 big handfuls baby spinach leaves, washed
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ½ a lemon, juiced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 190°C.
- Place the onion wedges and tomatoes halves on a small baking tray and top each tomato with a sliver of garlic and a few thyme leaves. Drizzle with a little olive oil. Season with salt & pepper and bake in the oven for about 15 minutes, until then just begin to soften.
- While the tomatoes and onion are in the oven. Place the cooked quinoa in a small bowl, add 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, to lightly moisten the grains, then stir in the crushed garlic and season generously with salt and pepper. Spread the garlic quinoa in a single layer onto a shallow baking tray and bake for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until some of the grains toast and turn crunchy. Some of the grains may still be soft, this is ok. Remove from the oven and keep warm.
- Drizzle more olive oil into either a small frying pan or griddle pan, on medium high. Fry the halloumi, turning once until light golden brown. Working fast, but only using half the toasted quinoa at this stage, arrange spinach leaves, roast tomatoes, onion and tuna on a large serving dish. Top with slices of golden halloumi, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and the lemon juice, then scatter the remaining quinoa over the top of the salad. Serve immediately.
| Servings: | 3-4 |
| Ready in: | 40 Minutes |
| Course: | Lunch, Entreè |
| Recipe Type: | Salad |
| Ingredient: | Tuna |
Warm crispy quinoa roast tomato tuna halloumi salad
This delicious warm crispy quinoa roast tomato tuna halloumi salad requires minimal effort and makes a great lunch or light dinner. A simple recipe for you to cook a tasty meal for family or friends that has it all – crunch, colour and flavour. Plus adding quinoa to this salad will add extra protein that is sure to fill you up.
No one likes a boring salad this salad is anything but boring!
Ashleigh Feltham (MNutrDiet)
Some key ingredients like Safcol Tuna in Springwater increases satiety and is a good source of protein. Your body needs around 20-40g of protein in a meal to keep your muscle cells fed and the combination of this fish, cheese and whole grains means this is a perfect meal to add to your week.
Roma tomatoes are a great source of the antioxidant lycopene which supports heart health, and for the men, it helps with prostate health and may even reduce your risk of some cancers. Extra virgin olive oil contains over 36 different antioxidants! It also contains a heart-healthy fat called monounsaturated fat. Lemon juice adds vitamin C which is needed to help support immune function and it is needed for creating the protein collagen.
Baby spinach contains the B vitamin folate which is essential for DNA repair and synthesis, as well as vitamin A and K. Vitamin A helps to keep your vision sharp and supports immune function. Vitamin K is needed for normal blood clotting function as well as playing a role in keeping your bones strong. Thyme leaves add flavour and have their own range of antioxidants. Onion and garlic are the immune optimising combo with their unique antioxidants called allicin and quercetin.
Halloumi cheese is a great source of protein and calcium as well as other nutrients like iodine and selenium for healthy thyroid function and B12 and choline required for optimal nervous system function. Quinoa will give your body a range of vitamins and minerals as well as fibre. Quinoa contains iron which functions to transport oxygen to the cells, zinc which supports the immune function and B vitamins needed to make energy from the food consumed. Move over boring salads this warm crispy quinoa roast tomato tuna halloumi salad has just stepped up the salad game.
