Red Chard and Oyster Mushroom Toast with Shaved Parmesan & Quinoa, Courgette & Feta Salad

The open faced sandwich is a popular lunch or snack item around the world and is believed to have originated  between the 6th and 16th centuries. As our tastes have evolved as well as the exotic ingredients that are available to us now in specialty shops and local farmer’s markets the combinations and creations have exploded. I’m always on the lookout for a quick and healthy weekend lunch option and these 2 recipes fit the bill. I couldn’t find Swiss Chard so I used baby spinach and should have sauteed a lot more than I did. I also added lightly sauteed red pepper to the sandwich for some crunch and color. I just love Quinoa and this salad is an easy, delicious and versatile way to add some protein to your vegetarian diet. Give these recipes a try or get creative with some ingredients in your kitchen and let me know what you come up with…

Red Chard and Oyster Mushroom Toast with Shaved Parmesan

(Recipe slightly modified from The Bite House)

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 2 large slices of bread, toasted
• Half a red pepper thinly sliced lengthwise
• 6 leaves red chard, roughly chopped (I substituted spinach)
• 150g oyster oyster mushrooms, roughly chopped
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon sunflower oil
• 1 tablespoon heavy cream
• shaved Parmesan
• salt + black pepper

Sauté the chard in two tablespoons of butter for about 2 minutes or until it’s soft. Near the very end, add the garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside in a bowl.

In the same pan, heat the oil and sauté the mushrooms on medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper while cooking. Remove from heat, add the cream, and give it a stir.

Put the chard and mushrooms on your toasted bread, top with shaved parmesan and a drizzle with olive oil.

Quinoa, Courgette & Feta Salad

(Recipe From BBC Good Food)

Ingredients

• 75gquinoa
• 1 large courgette
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• olive oil
• 4spring onions , finely sliced
• 100gcherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 red chilli , finely chopped
• 100g feta cheese , crumbled
• small bunchparsley , chopped

Cook the quinoa following the pack instructions then drain and rinse under cold water. Drain again. Cut the ends off the courgette then cut into ribbons using a potato peeler. Whisk together the vinegar and 2 tbsp oil and season.

Put the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl, then pour over the dressing and toss everything together.

Bon Appétit!