So I wanted to make a vegetarian salad to bring along to a small gathering of people - not everyone was a vegetarian though so it had to be really tasty!
To add to this my friend had some other dietary issues just to add some other complications - no dairy, no eggs, no gluten and no vinegar....quite a list!

Here is the recipe for an absolutely scrumptious salad that even the omnivores enjoyed!

Note:  I bought unflavoured tofu in a vacuum sealed pack - pre-cooked. There are a couple schools of thought on eating 'raw' tofu - especially if it is packed in water. You may prefer to cook it before you marinate it if it is a water packed type.  I prefer the dry, silken variety - I didn't cook it as it is pre-cooked.

Salad:
  • 1 packet tofu cut into bite size pieces and marinated in 1 tablespoon soy sauce; crushed garlic clove; 1 teaspoon grated ginger; teaspoon sesame oil;  teaspoon sweet chilli sauce; (vary quantities according to your own tastes)  - marinate at least 1 hour in fridge
  • 2 cups each of cooked Lentils and Brown Rice
  • 1/2  large onion finely chopped
  • 1 medium cucumber chopped into bite-size pieces
  • 1 red capsicum diced
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
  • 2-3 cloves of crushed garlic
  • 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts - I added a couple of teaspoons of coconut oil to toast them - watch they don't burn

Dressing:

  • juice of 1 lemon (or 2 if you like it really lemony)  and 1 tablespoon of sesame oil

Topping:

  • ground pepper and salt (to taste)
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries (craisens) soaked in 1/2 cup of apple juice and simmered in saucepan until the juice is almost gone and the cranberries are plump
  • 1/4 cup unsalted pistachios
  • 1 avocado chopped into bite size pieces

Method:

  • marinate the tofu and put in fridge
  • prepare salad ingredients and mix them all together
  • add the tofu and mix through gently
  • sprinkle the cranberries (with a little of the juice), pistachios and avocados on top