Boost your salads with raw power

Making fun, creative salads using fresh seasonal ingredients that make you feel great, is the aim of Christchurch sisters Margo Flanagan and Rosa Powers.

Two Raw Sisters — Rosa Powers (left) and Margo Flanagan. Photo: Susannah Blatchford
Two Raw Sisters — Rosa Powers (left) and Margo Flanagan. Photo: Susannah Blatchford
They have just released their fifth cookbook, More Salad, which features recipes for more of their favourite salads. Their first salad book — Salad — was the highest-selling New Zealand cookbook published in 2021.

They make a big promise in the latest book that if people use their cookbook they will never eat another bad salad in their life. "If you know us, you’ll know our salads are anything but ordinary."

Extracted from More Salad by Two Raw Sisters. Photography © Food: Margo Flanagan and Lifestyle:...
Extracted from More Salad by Two Raw Sisters. Photography © Food: Margo Flanagan and Lifestyle: Susannah Blatchford. RRP$49.99. Published by Allen & Unwin NZ.
This book also has plenty of tips to swap out ingredients for what is in season and what is in the pantry or garden to save money and cut down on waste.

"Neither one of us is vegan or vegetarian; we simply love putting good ingredients first for this very reason. We believe no matter your dietary requirements, financial situation or age, all eaters should be able to make delicious salads and feel as great as we do every day."

Photo: Margo Flanagan
Photo: Margo Flanagan

Asparagus and lemon walnut crumble 

Feeds 6

Time: 10 minutes

2 Tbsp cooking oil

2 bunches asparagus spears, ends snapped off

½ tsp sea salt

Lemon walnut crumble:

1 Tbsp cooking oil

¾ cup walnuts, roasted and chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed and finely chopped

½ tsp sea salt

½ lemon, zest and juice

Method

Preheat the oven to 200°C .

Heat the cooking oil in a frypan. When it’s hot, add the asparagus and salt. Cook for 2 minutes, give it a toss, then cook for another 1-2 minutes. Once the asparagus is cooked but still has a bite to it, transfer it to a plate.

Using the same frypan, add the cooking oil, walnuts, garlic and salt. Cook, stirring frequently (being careful not to let them burn) until golden brown (about 3 minutes). Add the lemon zest and juice and cook for another 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove the pan from the heat.

To serve, top the asparagus with a generous portion of the walnut crumble.

This is best eaten straight away.

SWAP

• Walnuts for any nut or seed you have in the pantry. We love using pumpkin seeds or almonds. The walnut crumble can be served atop any other vegetable when asparagus is not in season.

TIP

• The asparagus season is short, so make use of the woody asparagus ends that otherwise would be thrown in the compost.

Freeze them to use in future soups or vegetable stocks.

DELICIOUS WITH

• Quinoa and haloumi and prawns, white fish or chicken.

Photo: Margo Flanagan
Photo: Margo Flanagan

Peanut mousse pie

Feeds 8-10

Time: 25 minutes + fridge (ideally overnight)

Shortbread base

1½ cups rolled oats

½ cup almonds

½ cup dates, soaked in boiling water for 5 minutes then drained

3 Tbsp melted coconut oil

2 Tbsp peanut butter

1-2 Tbsp water

½ tsp sea salt

Peanut mousse

300g silken tofu

1 cup peanut butter

1 cup coconut cream

⅓ cup maple syrup

1 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract

½ tsp sea salt

150g dark chocolate, chopped

½ tsp sea salt

Method

Line a 23cm tart or cake tin with baking paper.

In a blender, process the rolled oats and almonds until you have a fine flour.

Add the remaining shortbread base ingredients to the blender and process until a dough starts to form.

Scrape this mixture into the lined tin and evenly press up the sides and along the base.

Place in the freezer for 5–10 minutes while you make the peanut mousse.

Place all the peanut mousse ingredients in the blender and process until smooth and creamy.

Remove the shortbread base from the freezer and pour in the peanut mousse.

Flatten the top with the back of a spoon or a spatula. Sprinkle the dark chocolate and salt over the top.

Place in the fridge to set for at least six hours, ideally overnight.

Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to six days. Alternatively you can freeze this for up to two months.

Just allow it to sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes to soften before eating.

Photo: Margo Flanagan
Photo: Margo Flanagan

Turmeric satay rice bowls

Feeds 2

Time: 35 minutes

½ cup brown rice

1¼ cups water

1 eggplant, cut into bite-sized chunks

¼ green cabbage, cut into large pieces

3 Tbsp cooking oil

1 tsp sea salt

Turmeric satay

2 Tbsp peanut butter

2 Tbsp tamari or soy sauce

1 Tbsp freshly grated ginger

1 garlic clove, crushed and finely chopped

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

½ tsp sea salt

Water to loosen

1 avocado, cut into chunks

¼ cup chopped fresh herbs

¼ cup peanuts, roasted and chopped

Method

Preheat the oven to 200°C.

Put the brown rice and water in a pot and bring to the boil.

Reduce to a simmer and cook for 20-25 minutes, or until all the water has been absorbed. Remove from the heat.

Place the eggplant, cabbage, cooking oil and salt on a baking tray and toss together. Bake for 15 minutes. Then remove the cabbage and put the eggplant back in the oven for a further 5-10 minutes or until soft and golden.

While the brown rice and vegetables are cooking, make the turmeric satay. Mix all the ingredients together in a cup or small bowl until smooth and creamy. You want a pourable consistency so add a little more water if you need to.

To serve, mix a third of the turmeric satay through the cooked brown rice. Divide the brown rice between two bowls. Add the roasted eggplant and cabbage, followed by the avocado, herbs, peanuts and the rest of the satay.

Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.

We recommend leaving out the avocado and adding it fresh each time

SWAP

• When eggplants are expensive we love using broccoli instead.

TIP

• We highly recommend doubling the turmeric satay recipe and storing the excess in a jar in the fridge to use in other ways throughout the week.

It is delicious tossed through noodles and served alongside a range of different raw and/or cooked vegetables in a bowl.

Add in some chicken, prawns, salmon or tofu and you have yourself a tasty turmeric satay noodle bowl.

DELICIOUS WITH

• Tofu, salmon, prawns or chicken