The holidays are a big time for potlucks! With lots of food sensitivities, I end up eating only the things I bring to the potluck, but I also like bringing something delicious, thus showing people I still eat tasty food :). This holiday season however, I realized I hadn’t made cold recipes in a long time – so I had to invent one I could have!
Since starting The Eczema Diet, I did have cold meals – mostly beans and rice or beans and quinoa. A but boring, but still delicious. However, since I found that I react to rice and was not eating quinoa in order to test whether I was reacting to it, I had to make something entirely new – and I wanted something flavorful and original.
I decided to make a salad with oat groats since it is a grain I love but that I find not many people use. Roasted Brussels sprouts were a no brainer since I had been loving those for several months now – roasting veggies seems to make them so much tastier!
The result was an extra flavorful, filling salad – perfect for a complete meal for myself, and a big hit with other people. This salad is definitely ideal for quick meals throughout the week, and to bring to work or school for lunch.
- 1 1/2 cups oat groats (see note)
- 1 cup brown lentils
- 650g Brussels Sprouts, quartered
- 1 leek, sliced lengthwise, then chopped in 1/4 inch slices
- 1 1/2 tbsp virgin sunflower oil or rice bran oil
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder (no additives)
- 2 green onions, green parts only, finely sliced
- 3 tsp flax oil
- salt to taste
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Add oat groats to a pot full of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and cook for 45-50 minutes. Drain.
- Add lentils to a pot with 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and cook for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and keep covered until oat groats are ready. If there is some water left, drain.
- Add Brussels sprouts, leeks, sunflower or rice bran oil, garlic powder and a couple pinches of salt to a big oven-safe casserole dish. Mix well. Cover with a lid or aluminum paper and bake at 425°F for 35-40 minutes.
- When oat groats, lentils and Brussels sprouts are ready, transfer to a bowl. Let cool until room temperature (or close). Add green onions, flax oil and salt to taste and mix.
- Oat groats are whole oat grains. You can usually find them in the grain section, or the organic section at the supermarket. Use certified gluten-free if you are avoiding gluten. If you can't find them, hulled barley (contains gluten) or brown rice would work great.
- Use more sunflower oil if you can't have flax.
- The salad is good at room temperature and cold.
