Spelt salad with cranberries and radish
Spelt salad with cruncy halloumi
How often do you read all those ingredient labels on the foods you buy packaged? Never? Do you study them meticulously for any weird ingredients or do you just go with the thought that if it’s in a bottle it must be checked and good for you? I would like to say I am of the first variety but truth be told I think I am probably sort of in the middle of those two extremes. Not too long ago we ate quite a bit from packages, we used premade mixes for curries or whatever else we were eating. I think I told you that before already. However, I can say that over the last couple of years we have started to eat more and more wholefoods. Getting the entire vegetable instead of the pre-cut, pre-washed plastic bags. it’s a lot cheaper for one and it stays fresh for an infinitely longer time too.
Spelt
But if I look very closely at our food pattern then I can’t really say that we never eat out of a can, pot or package. I try to avoid it but sometimes convenience wins over common sense and I quickly grab a jar of pasta sauce so I know we can have a meal on the table in under 20 minutes. But when I read about the October Unprocessed challenge on the blog Eating Rules by Andrew Wilder I was intrigued. In it’s basic form the challenge is simple; go without processed foods for an entire month. Sounds simple right? After only one day though, I am starting to think it is really not as easy as all that. Let’s take today’s salad for example; I used spelt, fresh veggies and my own homemade mayonaise. All good there. But then comes the halloumi cheese; I wish I could say that I made this halloumi myself but I’m not there yet. That’s one of the challenges for October!
And I threw away the package so I can’t really check what they put in it. I like to think that it is processed with natural ingredients, natural bacteria to get the process going etc. But that’s probably wishful thinking. But aside from that little hiccup, I think I’ve done pretty well today. Made a cauliflower risotto for dinner and I’ve decided that some of the processed foods are just a necessity. Can you consider wine to be a processed food? God, the longer I think about it, the more I get confused… I think for me – and let’s face it – if I feel good about it, then that’s what counts right? For me not eating or buying processed foods is all in the additives and whatever else they put into foods these days. On Eating Rules it is mentioned that if you cannot make it yourself then that probably means it is processed. So if I can make cheese myself and I can make wine myself, I’ll be alright? Doesn’t mean I will be making my own wine though… There’s gotta be a limit to what I can do in a day/month/hour…
What I can tell you is that this spelt salad is not only good for you, but it is quick and delicious too. Well quick if you use precooked spelt or if you’ve taken all the soaking and cooking required for the spelt into account.. 
I made the salad up as I went along, checking contents of the fridge and deciding what else to throw in and let me tell you; it was so good I ate the whole batch. That was a little too much for one but I couldn’t resist… I am sure I will be making more of this!
I was initially thinking of adding some roasted nuts in as well but that would have been overkill. Spelt is quite nutty in itself and I love the structure of this grain. I can’t remember having had it before but I will put it on the menu more often. And maybe I should attempt that Delicious. recipe after all.
So tell me how YOU feel about eating processed foods? How do you keep it under control? Obsessively or with a loose ‘hand’? Curious to find out your success stories in this!
Spelt salad with cranberries, halloumi and radish
Yield: 1-2
Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 15 mins
if you're using the spelt that is not pre-cooked make sure you take the soaking and boiling time into account with this salad. The spelt has to soak for 12 hrs and then boil for an hour to be edible. I used precooked spelt which only takes 10 minutes to finish
Ingredients:
- 100 gr spelt
- 5 radishes
- 25 gr dried cranberries
- 2 spring onions
- 75 gr halloumi cheese
- 1-2 sprigs flat leaf parsley
For the dressing;
- 1-2 tbsp of mustard mayonaise (I made this myself, see note)
- juice of half a lemon
- salt
- pepper
Directions:
Start by boiling your spelt. Drain and let cool down.
Cut the halloumi into cubes and fry them in hot sunflower oil until golden brown. This goes very quickly so stay with it for best results. Leave to drain on kitchen paper. Cut your spring onion in slices, cut the radishes in slices and chop your cranberries a little smaller. Chop your parsley.
Mix the cooled down spelt with the cranberries, the radishes, the springonion and the parsley.
Making the dressing:
For the mustard mayonaise I used regular mayonaise ingredients but added a bit more mustard in it. I then mixed two tablespoons of that mayonaise with lemon juice and added pepper and salt to taste.
Recipe by Simone van den Berg
Appetizer
Asian
Bread
Breakfast
Desserts & other sweets
Healthy
I’m of the same view. After being very ill I changed my diet to a plant-based wholefood one. The improvements were, and still are, amazing. It takes more work though but the benefits to health, taste etc are worth it. Haven’t lost all this weight everyone keeps telling me I would, well I think the sweet tooth of mine is the culprit there! That sounds like a great challenge to be on, wish I’d seen it:)
[Reply]
Simone (junglefrog) — October 9th, 2012 at 14:19
I do believe that food is so much more important then what people give it credit for. Everyone kind of knows it but knowing and really understanding are two fundamental differences… And ah yes I know all about that sweet tooth!
[Reply]
I love this cereal! So tasty, healthy and versatile. This combination is really scrumptious. A great dish!
Cheers,
Rosa
[Reply]
Simone (junglefrog) — October 9th, 2012 at 14:19
Thanks Rosa. Looks pretty good doesn’t it?
[Reply]
You write so well and I laughed out loud (not in mockery) at “Can you consider wine to be a processed food?” – Oh my! I could not (read: would not) want to live without the finest juice from grapes! So processed or not, wine will definitely remain a staple in my kitchen : )
Anyway, not wanting to give off the impression I am a teetotaler, I love the idea of not consuming processed food. I do not to buy “white’ processed foods: sugar, bread, pasta – I go for the tanned variety.
I also keep a jar or two of plain tomato pasta sauce in the cupboard “just in case”. It makes life easier, however there is no joy in cooking from that. Same with pesto….I feel as if I am in a confession booth here, because what is easier to make than tomato sauce or pesto?! Oh shame!
One last comment, since I’ve been on my own for the past year, I’ve found that cooking for one is not interesting and I don’t like wasting food, so whipping up a batch of this or that for one just doesn’t jive. I have much more fun creating a dinner for 10 than for me, myself and I.
On the other hand, since I am one, I will sometimes buy “better” quality foods, LOCAL produce, whether it be veg or meat. I figure that I am supporting local (small) growers/producers and I am more reassured that what I am eating has not travelled as far before it arrives on my plate.
Eating non-processed is really the way to go, but one must really have the resources: produce, time, and storage.
[Reply]
Simone (junglefrog) — October 9th, 2012 at 14:21
Thanks so much Andrée!
Well, I certainly would not want to give up wine either.. 
The thought! And I agree that non processes is definitely the way to go but just sometimes a little harder then I would like!
[Reply]
I noticed that I began to start much more about thinking healthy food and especially wholefood when I started to read Melanie and Sönkes blog http://vollwert-blog.de/. What I already learned from them is that there are also a lot of easy to do wholefood meals are which are also very tasteful. And lately I even bought the book “Fit for Fun” from Attila Hildman as well because of the photos as for the (all vegan) recipes. And also here the first recipe I tried out, was easy to cook and very tasty: cauliflower with curry and amaranth.
Groetjes, Eva
[Reply]
Simone (junglefrog) — October 9th, 2012 at 14:24
Thanks so much Eva. Yes I quite like the blog of Melanie and Sönke too, but the fact that it is in German makes it sometimes a little hard for me too follow (same as yours really..
) I do find that I am eating more vegetarian meals as time progresses. It’s cheaper and it always make me feel good about myself. It’s either that or meat from a reliable source and that is not always easy to get!
[Reply]
I do read labels! And definitely am more about doing what I can from scratch. I have been for quite a while. But that doesnt mean I dont have a few food habits that are pretty bad. Like Ramen Noodles, Kraft cheese powder (though I use it less and less) and there is probably a few more.
[Reply]
Simone (junglefrog) — October 9th, 2012 at 14:25
I think we all have those little bad habits that are hard to break and well truth be told; as long as there are just a few tiny ones I am sure it is not so terrible in the grand scheme of things, right?
[Reply]
here from BYW and loving your photos!! beautiful!
[Reply]
Simone (junglefrog) — October 9th, 2012 at 15:01
He Jaclyn! Thanks so much!
[Reply]
Hi Simone, yes I do read labels. Honestly I really don’t understand everything mentiond on it, but I’m watching on which position sugar is mentioned and if there are some strange ingrediences I can’t prononce right…these ones are probarbly bad for my body.
Until recently I started over to cook mostly with fresh ingrediences, so no fast food or convienience food as much as I can avoid it.
My snare is our cafeteria @work, horrible thickend sauces and stuff. Over the past month I had real trouble with this and had bad stomach issues lately. Probarbly my belly is telling me to stop eating over there and bring something with me.
Havent’t ever cooked with spelt before and will give it a try! Thanks for the great recipe!
[Reply]
Simone (junglefrog) — October 10th, 2012 at 08:37
O definitely try the spelt Jasmin! It’s lovely…! I do always feel it when I eat too much processed foods as my stomach is usually screaming in protest!
[Reply]
I never worked with spelt, must get some next time I visit the health food store. I use very, very little processed foods, mostly soy sauce, miso, etc. and I grow most of my own produce.
[Reply]
Simone (junglefrog) — October 10th, 2012 at 08:38
Ah yes you have that gorgeous garden Norma! That makes it easier to use fresh produce where you know exactly where it comes from!
[Reply]
A delightfully ‘different’ salad I’ll most certainly make! Having studied nutrition for over 30 years now: yes, I most certainly read each and every label, but one still has to take the whole entity into account! The choice of foods in ones home must be natural and enjoyed, not counted to the last grain. First one learns the ‘macro’ bit and then get down to the ‘micro’ variety! The first rule in my home kitchen is not to have anything white: bread, rice, pasta, sugar etc. No processsed foods [naturally fermented soy sauce does not count!], no cakes, biscuits, soft drinks [most dangerous in their low-sugar form!!] – I really have not wanted any of these for decades
!
[Reply]
Simone (junglefrog) — October 10th, 2012 at 10:56
O wow didn’t know you studies nutrition Eha! I can imagine that you would read every single label. A lot of the stuf doesn’t mean anything to me but if the ingredient list is full of E-this or E-that I kind of know not to pick that item!
[Reply]
Hi Simone!
Love your website and writing. If I don’t know what all the ingredients are on a package, then I don’t buy them (bar Cadbury’s Dairy Milk, which is my Achilles heel!, oh and wine of course!). I try to think if it came out of the ground, sea or was living, or a by-product of any of these (full fat milk, cream, cheese etc.) then it’s fine to consume. Anything that you can leave out on the counter and it not go mouldy shouldn’t be consumed!
I’ve never used spelt before, so am going to give this a whirl!
Emma from BYW
xoxo
[Reply]
Simone (junglefrog) — October 10th, 2012 at 10:58
Thanks Emma! Yes it is fairly easy if it veggies or meat or fish (even though there are a lot of things to consider there too!) I had a girl in our workshop class a while ago and she did a test where she put hamburger meals into a jar, sealed it and let it sit for a year (I know, but remember there was a lid on it, so you wouldn’t smell it!) and while the burger itself disintregrated the bun – believe it or not – was still in one piece and looking virtually the way it did when it went in!! I was so shocked to see that. imagine what goes into that bread!
[Reply]
What a gorgeous salad Simone. I’ve never used spelt before, but I will have to check it out. There are just so many amazing grains out there.
Totally agree, if you feel good about it then that’s what counts. I totally believe in the saying if your grandparents wouldn’t recognise it then it’s not real food. I try to apply that when I’m shopping for groceries. Also, since the beginning of the year I’ve taken to making my own bread after seeing a tv show about how factory bread at the supermarket is made. It was really an eye opener, so now I bake a couple of loaves every week and love it, and really it doesn’t take that much effort. I’ve also started making my own curd cheeses too – ricotta and goats cheese, and I love knowing exactly what goes into it. So while I’m not religious about using unprocessed food I think I’m making a change for the better. I applaud you for your efforts. Good luck with the month ahead!
[Reply]
Simone (junglefrog) — October 10th, 2012 at 10:59
I know I have to bake more bread. I do like to bake in batches, put it in the freezer and have a fresh supply when I needed. It makes total sense but I’ve got to get some sort of mode to do that, as during busy times it just becomes a bit harder. And I love making my own cheese!! Just made halloumi this week and about to test it in the kitchen today!
[Reply]
Intriguing salad, to say the least. I’ve never had spelt OR halloumi before, so I can’t even imagine what it tastes like, but I sure can tell that it looks good. And I totally hear you on processed foods, it gets hard sometimes. For me, I just try and eat as close as possible to what mother nature intended. To me, processed foods is more the stuff that comes out of a can or box (save for a few exceptions) especially “complete” meals. Surely I’m not gonna start making my own cheese or yogurt… I wouldn’t call that processed. To me, cheese IS a single ingredient. Of course, I’m talking real cheese here, not Cheez Whiz… you know what I mean. I say you did super good with this salad, Simone. Way healthy, way good for you. Now I have to try it for myself. Time to pin it!
[Reply]
Simone (junglefrog) — October 10th, 2012 at 14:41
O but… it is so much fun making your own cheese Sonia! Just made halloumi myself and had it in another salad and it was delicious! Quite happy with how it turned out and ofcourse a perfect solution if you cannot find halloumi. Hope you try the spelt too as it is really good!
[Reply]
You are making me hungry…….
[Reply]
Simone (junglefrog) — October 10th, 2012 at 14:41
Sorry!
[Reply]
Aargh. I’ve been bouncing between this spelt salad (which looks, sounds, even feels delicious), and the Eating Rules October Unprocessed Challenge. I have been wanting to do this kind of thing for a long, long time. This may be just the motivation I need to get started on an unprocessed foods way of eating. I love the idea “if it has a label, it’s probably processed”. Makes it easy and hard all at the same time. They say it takes about 30 days to establish a new habit….I sure hope that’s the case!
[Reply]
The peppery addition of radish sounds wonderful paired with the sweetness of cranberries.. And LOVE spelt. Yumm!!
[Reply]
Simone, thanks – beautiful photos.And yes, the little bowls are sweet. But I think I need help – what is ‘spelt” have to google the translation into english or german.
[Reply]