Super Spring Salad

I love Spring!!  The soft sun of Spring brings a sense of uplifting optimism with it.  Time to shed the layers of winter and lighten up a bit....Spring clean the house, the mind and the body and get rid of that stuff we no longer need.
It's a great time to lighten up our meals with more raw food, leafy greens, sprouts etc - which means salads!
I'm a huge fan of salads as complete meals - so they have carbs, complete protein and some good fats.  I love versatile salads that we can have for dinner, and then have pre-prepped for the next day's lunch (or dinner), in the fridge - ready to add the protein and dressing for a super quick and healthy meal.
Over the next few weeks I'll be adding plenty of ideas for salads as meals.  So look out here and on my instagram: Pachamama_nutrition

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If yIngredients:

• 1 medium sized fennel bulb - finely sliced,  stalks and fronds chopped 
• 200g baby rocket
• 1/2 bunch of parsley chopped (I use stalks as well)
• 1/2 cup quinoa - rinsed well, soaked (if you have time)  / or 1 cup of cooked quinoa (I often cook a bigger batch and freeze in portions to pull out to add to salads etc)
• 1/2 capsicum
• 1 avocado chopped
• 2 tablespoons of mixed seeds - sunflower, pepitas, pine nuts - lightly toasted
• 1 small piece wood smoked trout per person,  (you can also use fresh cooked ocean trout/salmon)  broken into bite size pieces or you could use chicken, lamb or beef.
• 2 tablespoons of capers
• 100g feta - crumbled (Optional)

Dressing:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• Mix dressing in a small jar until creamy looking

To Make:
Rinse quinoa well and add to 3/4 cup boiling water with a pinch of sea-salt. Turn down heat simmer, covered, for about 10-12 mins until just cooked - leave a little crunch. (check while cooking - you may need to add a little more water in the process)
Finely slice fennel and stalks (my $12 mandolin is perfect for this), I add the fennel raw, if you prefer you can saute sliced fennel  and stalks in a little olive oil until just soft.  Chop the fronds and add them to the greens below.
Add the rocket and parsley, roughly chopped fennel fronds, chopped capsicum and avocado* to the bowl.

Allow quinoa to cool if you prefer, or add it warm, then add the dressing *and give it all a mix through. Then sprinkle capers, crumbed feta, mixed seeds and trout. 

* If you are having the salad the next day for lunch, hold the avocado & dressing on what you won't be using right away.  Save your seeds, capers, some trout (or you could use chicken, beef, lamb, or extra nuts and seeds as your protein) and some dressing and add it all in when needed.