Every day I go through this cycle of racking my brain trying to think about what to make for dinner. I like to cook and I like to follow recipes, but there are so many recipes out there and sometimes I feel like I have so little time that the idea of following a recipe is just overwhelming, so then I get into this thought process of WHAT DO I MAKE? I never know what to make, yet I have been feeding myself for a good 10 years now, so apparently, I am making something. I have found, however, that the best recipes are the ones that I don’t plan- the ones that I open the pantry or refrigerator and think “I want to make something with THIS” and the rest follows suit. That’s how this delicious wheatberry and roasted vegetable salad came to be – wanting to center dinner around wheatberries and a few vegetables I had.
Wheatberry and Roasted Vegetable Dinner Salad
This salad is hearty and filling, and can be adapted to whatever vegetables you have on hand. I do recommend using the wheatberries, since they add a really nice “chew”, but everything else can be adapted.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup wheatberries, cooked beforehand
- 1 cup brown rice, cooked beforehand (I used cold brown rice from the fridge)
- 1/2 sweet potato, cut into cubes
- 1/2 eggplant, cut into cubes
- 1/2 zucchini, cut into cubes
- handful of arugula
- 1/4 pack of cubed feta
- 1/2 an apple, cut into cubes
- 1 handful of almonds
- 1 handful of chopped pecans
- 1/2 avocado (optional)
- 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil
- grilled chicken (optional)
Directions:
- cook wheatberries according to package (this can take up to an hour- do it earlier in the day or days ahead)
- on a large sheet pan, roast sweet potato, eggplant, and zucchini with a little olive oil, salt and pepper at 350º until soft and cooked (about 30-40 mins, stirring halfway through)
- when ready to eat dinner, in a large bowl add: roasted veggies, wheatberries, brown rice (if you have it), arugula, feta, apple, almond, pecans, avicado, parsley and basil.
- toss to combine.
- add olive oil, vinegar, squeeze of lemon
- add grilled chicken on top (optional, only for added protein. Alternatively, use garbanzo beans)
- store in fridge for next day
