Oh man, since the sun's back and Spring is here, I'm loving summer salads again. It's easy and fun to arrange some veggies on a plate with a good dressing and a protein source. Today we had a pre made 'chicken' mix which was vegan - just add a little olive oil and water. I had my doubts about it, as I'd bought it at a bargain store for $2 for the pack, but I thought it'd be worth a go for a quick meal.

First of all I went into the garden and collected what was available - fennel leaves, calendula flowers, spinach and kale leaves, spring onions, parsley and coriander, which was all chopped up and put in a bowl. Next was to mix the plant based chicken with water and olive oil and leave for ten minutes. As I can't leave anything alone, I also added some smoked paprika, finely chopped spring onion and some coriander. I think this might have made the mix more crumbly than it should have been but I love adding fresh stuff to packet food!

The ingredients were quite good actually for Jamie as he can't do chickpea flour or too much soy. This had pea protein which doesn't seem to upset his stomach. Phew! I'm definitely going to buy some extra packets next time I'm up in Melbourne.

The dressing was a mix of coconut yoghurt, tahini, lime juice and coriander, and I chargrilled a capsicum as well. Oh, and a splash of fire cider.

Honestly, it was so easy, and so good and delicious, that we'll be trying the vegan pork balls for the same kind of meal tonight!!

What's your go to ready made vegan or vego protein?