Happy Easter weekend friends! When holiday feasting time rolls around the vegetarian options can sometimes be a bit lacking (think Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter). Since I don’t eat turkey or ham and my family isn’t exactly too keen on testing out a nut roast recipe, although that does sound pretty good to me, I decided to come up with a fun and delicious recipe that everyone in my family, vegans and carnivores alike, can enjoy.

A few months back I got a package in the mail from a super cool Canadian food company based out of Montreal called Cha’s Organics. They have really interesting and exotic products such as young jackfruit and a huge array of spices. All of their products are fair-trade and organic, which is super awesome. The package that I received included coconut milk, canned coconut and moringa leaf powder. Now, I had never heard of moringa leaf powder before so I wasn’t quite sure what to do with it right off the hop. I had been pondering what to use it in for a little while, when I decided that it would add a really nice kick to pesto.

Since I had never worked with moringa leaf powder before, I did a bit of research on it. Here’s what I found out:

-The Moringa tree is native to North India

-It’s high in antioxidants which act against the free radicals in our bodies (hell yeah!)

-It can help to reduce inflammation

-It’s a good source of essential nutrients such as: vitamins B6, B2, C and A as well as iron and magnesium

So, to sumarize, moringa leaf is quite the nutritious powerhouse, which is pretty cool. The flavour of the powder is pretty mild so it would also probably make a nice addition to a green smoothie if you’re looking for other ways to use this exotic powder.

Well, I wish you all a very happy Easter, I hope you all have plans to spend the weekend with friends and family . Have fun and be safe!

Thanks Cha’s Organics for inspiring this post!

xx

-Ashley

Roasted Beet and Barley Salad with Pesto

V

Author: Ashley

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Ingredients

• 2 medium beets
• 2 medium carrots
• 1 large red bell pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 1 cup pearl barley

Pesto (Makes extra)

• 2 cups fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 cup pepitas
• 1 garlic clove
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 teaspoons moringa leaf powder (optional)
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• fresh black pepper

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Peel the beets and carrots and remove the seeds from the pepper. Cut the beets into wedges. Chop the carrots and pepper into chunks. 
• Transfer the veg to the baking sheet and toss with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Bake the veggies for 35-40 minutes, turning halfway.
• Meanwhile, rinse the barley, then add it to a medium saucepan along with 2-1/2 cups of water. Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes or until all the water has been absorbed. Give the barley a good rinse with cold water, drain it and set aside.

To Make the Pesto

• Add all the pesto ingredients to the bowl of a food processor. Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.

To Assemble the Salad

• Spoon the barley onto a serving dish, top it with roasted veggies and drizzle on 1/3 to 1/2 a cup of the pesto. Garnish with a bit of chopped fresh basil or parsley. Store the extra pesto in an air-tight jar in the fridge for up to a week to use for whatever your heart desires.

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