Chickpea , Butternut & Barley Autumn Salad ...

Brrrrr did you feel the sudden chill in the air lately ? We are definitely headed for some cooler weather and although the chill has set in the rain is still on it's way.

I love this time of the year as the temperature is perfect (for me anyway) and it's the ideal time to make comfort food which is still light but verging on the richer and more nourishing winter treats.

Overseas Autumn is called 'Fall' and whilst we don't have these colourful leafy displays on our trees, we sure do have some colourful and colour rich fruit and veg.
Today I want to share a favourite Autumn salad which you can either use as a side dish (both hot and cold) or as a salad for those last ditch braai's (barbeques) before our winter weather sets in.

Enjoy and keep warm ...

Preparation & Cooking time : 1hr cooking & 15 minutes preparation
Serves : 4

Difficulty : 2/10

You will need:
For the salad :
250gr cooked Pearl Barley
1 x Large Butternut (cut into fingers or strips)
1/2 Tin of Chickpeas
50gr Seed mix of pumpkin, sunflower and flax seeds (for crunch)

Spice Mix for coating the Butternut:
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1/2 Tsp Garlic Flakes
1/2 Tsp Mixed Herbs
50ml Olive Oil
1 pinch Salt
1 pinch Crushed Black Pepper

For the dressing :
50ml Olive Oil
50ml Balsamic Vinegar
1 tsp Honey
1 tsp Rosemary
1 tsp Garlic Flakes
1 pinch of Salt
1 pinch Crushed Black Pepper
** optional a pinch of Chilli Powder

Method:
For the salad:
- Boil the pearl barley in a pot of water on the stove for 30 - 45 mins (check regularly so that you do not overcook, it must be al dente or slightly crunchy)
- leave pearl barley to cool for half an hour
- cut butternut into strips/fingers, rinse and put in a large bowl
- mix the spices for the butternut together along with the olive oil and coat the butternut fingers
- spread the coated butternut fingers on a baking tray and bake on 180'c for 15 - 20 mins, or until the butternut is soft but firm and caramelising on the edges.
- drain and rinse the chickpeas and leave in a colander to let any additional liquids drain

For the Dressing :
Place all the dressing ingredients into a jug and blitz with a stick blender for 2 minutes , pour into a jug and set aside until just before serving.

To Assemble:
Plate the salad on a platter layering first the chickpeas, then the pearl barley, the butternut fingers (position these in a 'higgledy piggledy' way) , sprinkle over the seed mix and cover with a generous amount of dressing just prior to serving.

Et Voila!

I just love this autumn salad it is such comfort food with the firm fleshiness of the butternut , the crunchy pearl barley which adds texture and contrast and complimented by the dense chickpeas and slightly sweet dressing ...it's yum!

** cooks note - 
You can also add a sprinkling of feta if you want added flavour and colour.

Raspbery, Almond and Vanilla Protein Smoothie

I live a rather busy lifestyle and I find that if I don't plan my days meals in advance I tend to skip meals or grab the wrong things to eat on the run, purely because by that time I am ravenous.

At the end of last year I decided to make a change by putting the correct nutrition in my body , hoping to loose some weight and to get more energy.

I started with Herbalife and whilst I haven't had earth shattering weight loss , I have shed some kilo's and my body fat % is still dropping , whilst my muscle is building(as it should) ... which is awesome

Now all I need to do is exercise a little more *sheepish grin*.

So here is one of my current favourite smoothies  ...

Preparing & Cooking time - 5 mins
Serves: 1 smoothie

Ingredients:
6-8 raspberries ( fresh or frozen)
6-8 raw almonds
250ml milk / soy milk / rice milk / lactose free milk
2 Tbsp raw oats
1 Tsp honey
1 heaped Tbsp vanilla protein powder ( Herbalife shake vanilla)

Method:
Put all the ingredients into your blender and blitz until smooth.
Pour into a glass over ice , or pour into a shaker with 5 ice blocks and drink on the go (as I do).

Cooks notes -
** a great idea is buy extra berries at your local market when they are on special or in season and freeze them to use as/ when you desire.

Did you know?
- Berries are a great source of Vitamin C , form part of natures super foods and are great anti-oxidants.
- Oats are a slow release protein which prevents sugar spikes and cravings , oat fibre is great for both cholesterol and heart health.