WARM WINTER VEGGIE SALAD

COLLABORATION BETWEEN hayley dawson (recipe & words) and rosie henderson (photographs)

Winter is definitely in full swing here in Western Victoria with the fresh icy mornings and cold, howling wind! But I love winter for many reasons - the sound of rain on the tin roof as you go to sleep, the bright green grass extending across the rolling hills, baby lambs frolicking and the joy of rugging up in a coat and RM Williams boots to head to the local footy.

From the perspective of my background in Health, winter is also a time to be prepared for as colds and flus are lurking around every corner! It’s a time where you can be inclined to want to consume warm comfort foods and sometimes those healthy nourishing foods can be forgotten.

Did you know that consuming a healthy diet full of seasonal produce and lots of colour can help prevent illness and boost your immune system? We need to ensure that our digestive system is working correctly as 80% of our immune system steams from our gut. Warm foods in winter help to warm us up in the cold weather and they’re also kind to our digestive system as they can help improve the digestion of the foods we’re consuming helping us absorb maximum nutrients.

I’ve created a warming winter veggie salad recipe to share with you to allow you to get your salad fix and dually use seasonal ingredients to support your digestive system.  

Seasonal eating

As I advised in my autumn article, eating seasonal, local produce has so many benefits for our health, the environment and even our back pocket. I’m here to make eating seasonal easy for you!

I’ve provided a list of fruits and vegetables that are in season this winter. This can be your go-to-guide at the supermarket, helping you select what to purchase. Another little tip is to look at the prices, when fruits and vegetables are in season they will be a lot cheaper!

Warm Winter veggie salad: Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 large sweet potato

1 medium pumpkin

2 cups of broccoli

2 cups halved Brussel sprouts

2 cup of cauliflower

3 large handful of spinach

½ cut goats feta

Balsamic dressing

Chopped roasted cashews

This can be eaten as a meal on its own or can be accompanied by a steak or poached chicken breast.

Method:

1.     Preheat oven to 180 degrees.

2.     Chop vegetables into a similar size pieces.

3.     Place on a lined baking tray and drizzle with mixed herbs and olive oil.

4.     Bake in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes depending on the size of the vegetables.

5.     Place a handful of spinach on the bottom of the bowl.

6. Top with the mixed vegetables.

7.     Drizzle with balsamic dressing, sprinkle the cashews and enjoy!

This recipe is one of my go to recipes in any season because you can switch the veggies out for ones that are in season, you can serve it hot or cold and it’s always a crowd favourite at events.