One of my biggest nutritional tips has to be “eat the rainbow”. Polyphenols are within all fruit and vegetables and they are fundamental to our health. They have both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. To ensure you eat a wide range of these polyphenols as well as wide variety of fibres you want to eat a wide variety of fruit and vegetables. This salad is brimming with colour and goodness and the mustard and maple dressing adds a gorgeous sweet taste. I serve this with either crumbles feta or leftover roast chicken but experiment. It is great just on its own.

Serves: 2
Prep: 20 mins
Cooking: 60 mins

Ingredients
Salad:
120g dried quinoa
Half a butternut squash
2 garlic cloves, peeled
2 raw beets
Handful of tenderstem broccoli
Handful of asparagus
Spinach and rocket (have as much as you like)
Handful of pumpkin seeds
Dressing:
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp maple syrup
2 tsp wholegrain mustard

Method

Pre heat oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Trim the stalks off the beets and scrub them under cold water then wrap in foil. Peel the butternut squash to remove skin and dice into 2cm squares. Place butternut along with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a two peeled garlic cloves in a roasting tray. Add the beets that are wrapped in foil and place in oven.

Remove butternut squash after about 30 mins once cooked through. Remove beets after 60 mins. Once cooled rub off the skins of the beets and chop, then place to one side.

Cook the quinoa according the packet instructions.

Steam the tenderstem broccoli and asparagus until cooked but still have a bite. Meanwhile lightly toast the pumpkin seeds in a small frying pan.

For the dressing mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl.

Now all you have to do is combine it all along with the spinach and rocket. Enjoy!