I’m back in Glasgow after a lovely week in Belfast but I got the cold and was pretty busy putting the final touches to my dissertation (which is now complete!). I was treated to home cooked meals by my mum most nights so I’m afraid I’ve been neglecting my blogging duties but I’m back and ready to share my gluten free delights.

I must admit that I have stolen this recipe from a friend of a friend but I’ve tweaked it a bit to my liking. I never seem to have a big appetite in spring and although its still pretty cold outside I’m getting in the mood for light fresh dishes. This salad is a perfect transition dish for a colder spring day, the heartiness of a stew but the freshness of a light salad.

This is also my first vegan dish I’ve posted on the blog.

You will need:

6 new potatoes, cut in to quarters

1 small turnip

6 asparagus spears, roughly chopped

2 handfuls of frozen peas

4 cloves of garlic

2 red onions

5 mushrooms roughly chopped

25ml of olive oil

sea salt

ground black pepper

cashew nuts

2 sprigs of rosemary

Chop your turnip (make sure you cut the chunks a similar size), pop the turnip in to boiling water and 5 minutes later add your new potatoes. As these are boiling, chop the onion, grate your garlic and gently fry them on a low heat. Add the mushrooms and once they are cooked, take the pan off the heat and leave to the side.

The potatoes and turnip should be firm but cooked through so be sure to keep an eye on them. I added my asparagus and frozen peas two minutes before I planned to take my root veg off the heat. Once you feel your veg is cooked, drain and chuck in a mixing bowl. Add the onion, garlic and mushrooms. Pour in your olive oil, add the rosemary, season and add the cashews. Mix it all together and serve.

I made a large portion of this salad but I plan to take some in to Uni with me for a packed lunch. Its brilliant for sticking in a tupperwear and bringing to dinner parties, a BBQ (when we finally get some sun) or for lunch . This recipe is perfect on its own and filling enough that you wouldn’t really need it as an accompaniment.

Hope you enjoy and I promise to blog more often!

Dom x