Toasted quinoa is an excellent thing to have kicking about. Scattered over salads, tossed through pasta, or whatever, it adds a great nutty crunch to food. This particular recipe makes more than you need - it seemed to me that if you're going to toast quinoa, you may as well do more than a single tablespoon. Store it in a jar.

Serves: 2
Preparation: 10 minutes
Cooking: 25 minutes

Ingredients

● 50g cup quinoa
● 2 courgettes, sliced thinly on the diagonal
● 2 tbsp olive oil
● 100g halloumi cheese, cut into chunks
● 2 tbsp vegetable oil
● Salt and pepper
● A good handful of rocket
● A few mint leaves, shredded
● 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
● Juice of ½ lemon

Method

● Boil the quinoa for 12 minutes, until tender. Drain and dry on kitchen paper as thoroughly as you can.

● Meanwhile, heat a griddle or frying pan over a high heat. Toss the courgettes in 1 tbsp of the olive oil and griddle for a couple of minutes on each side.

● Remove the courgettes, add a little more olive oil and the halloumi, and cook for a minute on each side.

● Heat the vegetable oil in a non-stick frying pan or sauté pan over a medium–high heat. Add the quinoa and a pinch of salt.
l Sauté, stirring occasionally, until golden, crisp and toasty, which should take 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.

● Toss together the courgettes, halloumi, rocket, mint, chilli and lemon juice, and add a handful of toasted quinoa.

● Store in Tupperware in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Recipe from Love your Lunchbox by James Ramsden, Pavilion.

The JC loves this new book, packed with delicious portable ideas for eating at your desk.