Fresh. Easy. Chunky. Filling.

***

Food painting artwork

30 x 30cm oil on linen. Inspired by that feeling of thinking everything is grey and barren and the same and then suddenly realising there's a super tasty option that you've been overlooking. That's how I feel about salads in winter. All this focus on creamy starchyness, which is great, but gets a bit monotonous after a while, and then the realisation that a fireworks of freshness would be perfect.

By the way, all the food painting artwork is available to own in the Official Art Store. A very limited edition reproduction print is available right now. If you want to get your hands on the original, then either keep a close eye on the store yourself, or sign up to my newsletter for collectors to conveniently have a note drop into your inbox when it's available to own. It's the yellow box, top left.

***

The meatless meals recipe

We all crave a break from the starch routine in the depths of winter. Well most people do anyhow. Actually if I’m honest even I do, noodle queen that I am. It’s not easy to make a filling warm salad from winter ingredients, which is why  a recipe like this one is so welcome. Eat some fresh stuff, get a load of vitamins, warm up on a roast, feel satisfied. All rolled into one.

500g pumpkin

50g snowpeas, sliced

½ cup roughly chopped nuts (walnut and almond work well)

1 avocado, sliced

1 cup cooked chickpeas

2 spring onions, sliced finely

50g rocket

½ apple, diced finely

parmesan cheese (optional)

Dressing:

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

juice of half a lemon

3 tablespoons olive oil

Chop pumpkin into roughly one inch cubes, season with salt and pepper and roast for 45 minutes at 180 C.

Prepare the remaining ingredients and the dressing. Remember that apple and avocado will go brown if left to sit for too long so leave these until the last minute.

When the pumpkin is nicely roasted, divide it into two serving bowls.

Mix the rest of the salad ingredients and top onto the pumpkin.

Finish with the dressing and a sprinkling of parmesan if you want.

A meal for 2.