Artichoke and Broccoli Salad with Beet Hummus & Moroccan Lamb Cutlets

 

Today we're very sad to say goodbye to our unofficial resident naturopath and clean-eating guru, Jacqueline Evans!  In an effort to demonstrate just how easy it is to turn an everyday meal into something cleansing and nutritious, Jacqueline's recipe today makes light work of the typical 'meat 'n two veg' family favourite.  The hero ingredient is artichoke - the ultimate liver detoxifying vegetable! Huge thanks to Jac, and also her sister Claire Larritt-Evans for styling this beautiful series!  - Lucy

Warm Chilli Artichoke and Broccoli Salad with Roasted Beet Hummus and Moroccan Cutlets. Recipe – Jacqueline Evans. Styling – Claire Larritt-Evans, styling assistant – Alison Turnbull. Photo – Eve Wilson. Props from top to bottom, left to right – pinch bowls from Pepperino, Tapas dining plate from Country Road, salt fork from Country Road. Surface – Elba Marble Tile by G-lux.

There is something familiar and comfortable about the classic ‘meat and three veg’ for dinner.  Most of us grew up eating this way, and by choosing a variety of seasonal vegetables and good quality meat, this meal does in fact provides all the necessary food groups. All fruits and vegetables are seasonal, and are at their best at a particular time of year. It makes sense that they are consumed at their peak, when their tastes, colours and textures are in full bloom and at their greatest nutritional value. Enter the Globe Artichoke. Have you ever tried one? I agree, they look complicated to prepare, but they are actually super easy once you know how. Promise. And here’s why you need to learn how! Artichokes come into season in Spring, and they are really (really!) good for you. Behind that prickly exterior, they are full of fibre. They are loaded with antioxidants, low in calories, packed with nutrients and, should you partake in anything that may not be beneficial to the liver (!!), the artichoke supports liver health due to their cynarin content. If you set aside a little time to prepare a globe artichoke from scratch, you’ll realise how easy it is to do, and how beautiful the process is of preparing such a stunning vegetable. The heart of the artichoke is the part that we are most familiar with to eat, but did you know that you can eat the outer layer of leaves also?  These leaves provides stacks of nutritional benefits, and are delicious dipped in melted garlic butter (don’t be afraid to eat good quality organic butter, which provides beneficial fats - but that’s another story!). However, if you are time poor, this meal can be prepared really quickly using marinated artichoke hearts from your local deli. I like to partner this salad with a really simple roasted beet hummus, inspired by a recipe from Stephanie Alexander.  Beets have such a beautiful rich colour, you just know they are full of goodness! The very powerful nutritional benefits of these foods combined will leave you satisfied minus that uncomfortable bloated feeling, as they work in tandem to support your digestion and liver.  As with all the delicious recipes we've shared this month, we hope you’ll be left wondering how something so yum can be so good for you! Note - If you’re vegetarian, you can turn this salad into a meal by eating the artichoke and broccoli with a big bowl of healthy pasta, such as a spelt pasta, served with a big dollop of roasted beet hummus on top.

Ingredients

Warm Chilli Artichoke and Broccoli Salad ingredients. Recipe – Jacqueline Evans. Styling – Claire Larritt-Evans, styling assistant – Alison Turnbull. Photo – Eve Wilson. Props from top to bottom, left to right – small marble bowls from Safari Living, Himalayan Salt Bowl available from Jacqueline Evans, Indeco Ned's  serving board from Safari Living, and bowl from Mud via Essential Ingredient. Surface – Elba Marble Tile by G-lux.

For the artichoke and broccoli salad 2 large globe artichokes (as a rule allow one artichoke per person) OR 200gm store bought artichoke hearts (drained and sliced) 1 head of broccoli, cut into florets 1 small red chilli, finely diced 1 onion, diced Juice of half a lemon Handful of almonds, chopped 1 tbsp fresh parsley Coconut oil for cooking For beetroot hummus 4 beetroots, washed ¼ cup cold pressed extra virgin olive oil 1 clove garlic, finely diced ½ fresh chilli, finely sliced 1 tsp roasted cumin seeds 1 tsp roasted coriander seeds ⅓ cup fresh coriander, chopped finely 1 tsp sea salt or more to taste For the Moroccan cutlets 4 lamb cutlets (organic grass fed if you can access it) Pinch sea salt Freshly ground black pepper 1 tsp mint 1 tsp paprika Juice and zest of one lemon Extra olive virgin oil Coconut oil for cooking

Method

For the artichoke and broccoli salad First, wash the artichoke thoroughly. Hold the artichoke under cold running water. Rinse in between the leaves without pulling on them. Turn the artichoke upside down (stem side up) and give a good shake. Dry the artichoke with a clean towel.
 Using a large knife, cut off the top third of the artichoke and the bottom third of the stem. Cut off the sharp points of the leaves with kitchen scissors. 
Rub lemon over the artichoke to prevent browning
. Place the artichoke in a saucepan of boiling water for about 40 minutes or until one of the leaves can be removed easily. Remove and scoop out the purple leaves and 'hairs' that cover the artichoke heart (this part is the ‘choke’ and is inedible). You will be left with the heart, the inner leaves, and the remaining stem. Once the artichoke has been prepared we can move forward with the remainder of the salad recipe. Coat a pan with coconut oil. Sauté onion and lemon juice until onion is soft. Add almonds to pan and toast until lightly browned (1-2 minutes). Add broccoli to pan and cook for 2-3 minutes - remember to never cook broccoli for longer than 3 minutes as you lose all its nutritional benefits! Remove from pan, and put into a serving bowl. Add prepared globe artichoke (if using store bought artichoke hearts, cook them in pan with broccoli first) to bowl and gently toss together. Serve in a bowl and garnish with fresh parsley and chilli. For the roasted beet hummus Preheat oven to 200 degrees celsius. Toss beetroots in a little bit of cold pressed olive oil and a pinch of sea salt and bake for about an hour or until tender Place the beetroot into the food processor with the cumin, coriander, salt, garlic, and chilli. Drizzle in half the olive oil and pulse until well combined. Add in the rest of the olive oil gradually to reach your desired consistency. This roasted beet hummus is the perfect addition to this meal and is great at any time with pita, veggies or as a spread.

Beetroot ready to go! Recipe – Jacqueline Evans. Styling – Claire Larritt-Evans, styling assistant – Alison Turnbull. Photo – Eve Wilson. Props from left to right – Elba marble paddle from Larritt-Evans in collaboration with G-Lux and Granite Planet, and Himalayan Salt Bowl available from Jacqueline Evans. Surface – Elba Marble Tile by G-lux.

For the Moroccan cutlets Marinate the lamb cutlets in salt and pepper, mint, paprika, lemon zest and lemon juice and drizzle with olive oil. Preheat a pan and cook the lamb over a high heat for 3 minutes on each side or until cooked to desired. Serve the chops in a pile with a bowl of the roast beet humus and artichoke and broccoli salad. In my home we love to dip the cutlets into the hummus, and then eat with the artichoke and broccoli salad! HUGE thanks to Jacqueline for sharing her healing meal ideas with us this month!  For more info on Jacqueline's naturopathy background and her beautiful locally made skincare range, do check out her website and Instagram. 

All finished! Recipe – Jacqueline Evans. Styling – Claire Larritt-Evans, styling assistant – Alison Turnbull. Photo – Eve Wilson. Props from top to bottom, left to right – Pinch Bowls from Pepperino, Tapas dining plate from Country Road, salt fork from Country Road. Surface – Elba Marble Tile by G-lux.