Roasted Pumpkin and Walnut Salad

At this time of the year, just about every local cafe is selling pumpkin soup as their "soup of the day". Me to the cafes "Come on guys, pumpkin has so much more to offer!!!" (Not to mention, I'd love a bowl of leek and potato soup, or minestrone just to mix things up a bit). If you, like me, can't face another bowl of pumpkin soup without going postal, give this warm spiced salad a try. 

Roasted Pumpkin and Walnut Salad

Serves 4

1kg butternut pumpkin, cut into 1cm thick wedges

2 garlic cloves

2 teaspoons ground cummin

2 teaspoons sweet paprika

½ teaspoon smoked paprika

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

1 teaspoon sea salt

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses

½ cup parsley leaves, roughly chopped

½ cup mint leaves, roughly chopped

½ cup walnuts, roughly chopped

½ cup labne

Preheat the oven to 200C.  Line a baking tray with baking paper.  Set aside.

Put the pumpkin wedges into a bowl.  Set aside.

Put the garlic, cumin, sweet paprika, smoked paprika, lemon zest and juice, salt, olive oil, pomegranate molasses into a bowl and whisk together. Pour 2 tablespoons of it into the bowl with the pumpkin. Toss to coat and lay the pumpkin wedges onto the prepared tray.  Roast for 45 - 50 minutes, until tender and golden.  Remove from the oven and arrange on a serving platter.

Spread the walnuts onto the tray and roast for about 5 minutes, until toasted.  Scatter them over the pumpkin.  Dollop the labne on top and drizzle over the remaining dressing (spiced oil mixture). Finally, sprinkle with parsely and mint.

Ribollita Salad

I love Ribollita, the hearty (and frugal) Italian soup.  The soup that makes use of yesterdays bread and whatever is in the garden and pantry.  It's my kind of cooking.  And while I love a big, deep bowl of hot, fortifying soup, a salad of this magnitude is certainly welcome on my table on these chilly evenings.  As the winter weather rolls in and my basil is on its last legs and my cavolo nero is going through the roof, it's time to put these homegrown treasures to good use, as any good Italian mama would... not that I'm Italian, unfortunately.

  

Ribollita Salad

adapted from here

Serves 4

For the Basil Cream:

150g sour cream

1/2 cup basil leaves

50g parmesan, finely grated

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

For the Salad:

4 thick slices of sourdough, crusts removed and roughly torn

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt flakes 

Freshly ground black pepper

1 clove garlic, minced

100g semi-dried tomatoes, thinly sliced

2 big bunches of cavolo nero, stems removed and leaves roughly chopped

250g cherry tomatoes, halved

2 x 400g can borlotti beans, drained and rinsed

50g parmesan, finely grated

1/2 cup basil leaves, torn

Make the Basil Cream:

Put all the ingredients for the basil cream into a blender and blitz until smooth.  Set aside to chill in the refrigerator until ready to dress the salad.

Make the Salad:

Preheat the oven to 180C.

Put the bread onto a baking tray, drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper, toss to coat the bread in the oil and toast in the oven for about 10 minutes, or until golden. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of the oil to a large frying pan and heat over medium heat.  Add the garlic and the semi-dried tomatoes and toss for about a minute. Add the cavolo nero and some salt and pepper and fry for about 5 - 7 minutes or until the leaves are wilted and tender.

Put the cavolo nero onto a large bowl add the fresh cherry tomatoes, toasted sourdough and borlotti beans.  Spoon over the basil cream and toss everything together.

Tip the salad out onto a large serving platter and sprinkle with grated parmesan and torn basil leaves.

Charred Baby Zucchini with Broad Bean Miso

I made this delicious plate of food ages ago and only just realised that I didn't write a blog post for it. I stumbled across the photos as I was cleaning up my photo catalogs.  And by cleaning up my photo catalogs, I mean attempting to sort through thousands of poorly sorted images and getting distracted by the ghost of meals past.  It's a bit like when you get the old family albums out and go searching for that particular photo of you around age 3 with your big brother in the backyard swimming pool, and find yourself five hours later amid piles of old family photos with tears of nostalgia in your eyes... kinda like Sparky in the attic in Christmas Vacation.

Charred Baby Zucchini with Broad Bean Miso

adapted from here

Serves 4

250g double-podded broad beans

30g baby spinach leaves

1 tablespoon white miso

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

8 baby (or small) zucchinis (with blossoms attached if possible), halved lengthways

30g pistachios, crushed

Dill fronds, for garnish

Bring a pan of water to the boil and blanch the broad beans and spinach for about 30 seconds.  Remove with a slotted spoon and plunge into iced water to stop them cooking.  Drain well.  Reserve 50g of the broad bean set them aside.

Put the remaning beans and the spinach into a food processor along with the miso and 1 tablespoon of the oil and blitz until smooth.  Add a splash of water to loosen the puree if needed.  Season to taste.

Pour the remaining oil over the zucchini.  Heat a grill pan over high heat and grill the zucchinis until they are tender and charred.

Spread the broad bean miso over the base of a serving plate.  Top with charred zucchinis and their flowers and sprinkle over the reserved broad beans. Scatter with pistachios and dill fronds and an extra drizzle of olive oil.

Roasted Cauliflower and Israeli Couscous Salad

Whenever I'm invited to a friends house for dinner, I always ask if I can contribute something.  Most of the time the answer is dessert, but once in a while I'm asked to bring a salad.  I have been known to pack all the individual components of a salad into an esky and assemble it on the spot. But sometimes you just want to "set and forget" while you drink Champagne and catch up.  This is that kind of salad. It can be made a head of time, gets better with a little but of time and travels well.  It totally deserves to be taken out to a party.

Roasted Cauliflower and Israeli Couscous Salad

slightly adapted from here

Serves 4

For the Salad:

Olive oil

150g Israeli couscous

1 small head cauliflower, cut into florets

2 tablespoons za'atar

100g toasted natural almonds

50g golden sultanas

For the Dressing:

50ml olive oil

1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses

Squeeze of lemon juice

Sea salt flakes, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Make the Salad:

Preheat the oven to 200C.  Line a baking tray with baking paper.  Set aside.

Put the cauliflower florets into a bowl, add the za'atar and sprinkle with about 1 tablespoon olive oil. Toss to coat.  Tip the cauliflower onto the prepared baking tray and roast for about 20 minutes, or until starting to brown at the edges.  Remove from the oven and set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add the couscous and stir for about 2 minutes to toast slightly.  Add 500ml water and a pinch of salt, bring to the boil, reduce the heat to medium and cook for about 8 - 10 minutes, until tender. Drain and tip into a bowl.  Set aside.

Make the Dressing:

Put the dressing ingredients into a bowl and whisk to combine.

Assemble:

Throw the roasted cauliflower in the bowl with the couscous.  Add the almonds and sultanas. and toss.  Pour in the dressing and toss to coat everything well.  Tip the lot onto a large serving platter.

Shredded Vegetable and Soba Noodle Salad

This is a great salad for when you fire up the BBQ and decide to cook some steaks.  It's also terrific along side some crispy fried tofu... or just on it's own with a side of Netflix.

Shredded Vegetable and Soba Noodle Salad

slightly adapted from here

Serves 2

For the Dressing:

1 tablespoon minced ginger root

1 small Asian shallot, finely diced

1 teaspoon sea salt flakes

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon tamari

3 tablespoons sunflower oil

For the Salad:

270g soba noodles

1/4 red cabbage, shredded with a mandolin

1 medium carrot, peeled and shredded with a mandolin

2 spring onions, finely sliced

2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

Sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper

Fresh coriander leaves

Male the Dressing:

Combine the ginger, shallots, salt, vinegar and tamari in a bowl.  Heat the oil over medium heat until it starts to boil.  Remove from the heat and pour it over the ginger mixture.  Set aside to cool.

Make the Salad:

Cook the noodles according to packet instructions. Drain and refresh under cold running water.  Tip the noodles into a large serving bowl.  Add the shredded vegetables and shallots.  Pour the dressing over and toss so that everything is coated in dressing.  Sprinkle with sesames seeds and coriander leaves.

Warm Roasted Cauliflower and Butter Bean Salad with Pumpkin Hummus

I'm not a vegetarian, but I love a meal that is loaded with golden roasted brassicas, satisfying crispy pulses and crunchy toasted seeds... not to mention hummus.  Stick a dollop of hummus on anything and I'm happy.  

Warm Roasted Cauliflower and Butter Bean Salad with Pumpkin Hummus

Serves 4

slightly adapted for here

For the Hummus:

400g pumpkin (I used Kent), peeled and cut into 2cm cubes

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons tahini

1 clove garlic, minced

½ teaspoon sea salt flakes

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

½ teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon smoked paprika

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper

For the Salad:

1 cauliflower, broken into florets

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper

1 x 400g can butter beans, drained

½ teaspoon smoked paprika

1 clove garlic, minced

½ teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon ground coriander

½ cup parsley leaves, roughly chopped

½ cup coriander leaves, roughly chopped

Squeeze lemon juice

¼ cup pumpkin seeds, toasted

Make the Hummus:

Preheat the oven to 200°C and line a baking tray with baking paper.  Set aside.

Put the pumpkin in a bowl, drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat. Spread it out on the baking tray and roast in the oven for about 40 minutes, or until soft. Leave to cool.

Put the cooled pumpkin into a bowl and mash with a fork.  Add the tahini, garlic, salt, oil, cumin, paprika and lemon juice and whisk until it becomes fairly smooth.  Adjust the seasoning to taste.

Make the Salad:

Preheat the oven to 200°C and line two baking trays with baking paper.  Set aside.

Put the cauliflower in a bowl, drizzle with olive oil and toss with the garlic, ground cumin and ground coriander, season with salt and pepper.  Spread it out on one of the baking trays.

Put the beans in a bowl, drizzle with olive oil and season with smoked paprika.  Spread it out on the other the baking tray.

Slide both baking trays into the oven and roast until the cauliflower is a little charred at the edges and the beans start to dry out and crisp up, about 30 minutes.

To Serve:

Combine the cauliflower and beans in a bowl.  Add the parsley, coriander leaves and lemon juice and toss to mix.

Dollop the pumpkin hummus in the centre of a large serving platter and spread it out a little.  Heap the cauliflower and bean mixture on top of the hummus and sprinkle with toasted pumpkin seeds. You'll never miss the meat.

Mexican Grilled Corn

When the rain is falling and the temperature is dropping with it, spread a little sunshine (and butter) at the dinner table.  

Mexican Grilled Corn

Makes 4

4 cobs of corn, husks removed

2 tablespoons salted butter, melted

1 lime, quartered

1/4 cup mascarpone

Parmesan, finely grated

Sea salt flakes

Chilli powder

Put the cobs into a pan of boiling salted water and boil for 3 minutes.  Remove from the heat and drain well.

Heat a barbeque grill or grill pan to high.  Brush the corn generously with melted butter and grill for about 5 minutes, turning often, until lightly caught and starting to char a little here and there.

Remove from the heat, squeeze over some lime, smear with mascarpone, sprinkle with Parmesan and dust with salt and chilli powder.  Best corn ever.

Meatball Caesar

It was a hot and thundery night when I made this salad.  It followed a day of binge-watching the tennis.  I do it every year when the Australian Open is on.  I sit down to watch a couple of change-of-ends and by the time I turn around, I've consumed 5 sets.  Then I'm so invested, I keep watching until the end of the afternoon session.  That means dinner has to be cooked and eaten before the evening session begins, just so I don't miss a shot.  Tennis tragic? Game-Set-Match.

Meatball Caesar

adapted from here

Serves 4

For the Meatballs:

500g ground chicken

1 salad onion, roughly chopped

1 garlic clove, chopped

1 egg

Tabasco, to taste

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (I use Japanese Worcestershire)

1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan

2 tablespoons panko

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Dressing:

1 egg

1 garlic clove, chopped

Juice 1 lime

1 teaspoon American mustard

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (I use Japanese Worcestershire)

100ml extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup Parmesan, some shaved, some finely grated for dressing the salad

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Salad:

100g Kaiserfleisch, thinly sliced

A good-size chunk of sourdough, crust removed and torn into bite-size pieces

2 tablespoons olive oil

300g mixed salad leaves

Make the Meatballs:

Preheat the oven to 200C.  Line a baking tray with baking paper.  Set aside.

Put all the meatball ingredients into a large mixing bowl and mix thoroughly using your hands.  Roll the mixture into 20 balls.  Place the balls onto the prepared baking tray and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to firm up.

Make the Dressing:

Put all the dressing ingredients into a small food processor and blitz until smooth.  Set aside.

Make the Salad:

Line a baking tray with baking paper.  Lay the Kaiserfleisch on in in one layer.  Top with another sheet of baking paper, put another baking tray on top, sandwiching the bacon between the two trays and cook in the oven until crisp 10 - 15 minutes.  Remove from the tray and drain on kitchen paper.

Wipe the bottom tray with some kitchen paper and place the torn sourdough on it.  Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and bake in the oven until crisp and golden, about 7 - 10 minutes.  Set aside.

Take the meatballs out of the fridge, drizzle with the remaining olive oil and bake in the oven for  25 - 30 minutes,  until cooked and golden.  Set aside.

Put the salad greens into a large serving bowl.  Top with croutons, meatballs and bacon.  Drizzle with dressing, toss gently to coat everything in the dressing.  Sprinkle with shaved and grated Parmesan.

Roasted Heirloom Tomato and Red Pepper Salad

A delicious super summery salad to kick off the weekend... because a girl can't live on cake alone.




Roasted Heirloom Tomato and Red Pepper Salad
slightly adapted from here
Serves 4

2 large heirloom tomatoes
2 red peppers
1 salad onion
1 whole head of garlic
1/2 cup olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1/4 cup sherry vinegar
1/2 cup parsley leaves, shredded
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
Sea salt flakes
Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 200C.

Place the tomatoes, peppers, onion and garlic on a roasting tray, drizzle with olive oil, rubbing them all over to coat them thoroughly.  Roast for 40 minutes, or until blackened.  Once soft and scorched, put the peppers into a bowl, cover them with plastic wrap and leave for at least 10 minutes. When cool enough to handle, peel the peppers and tomatoes and roughly chop. Chop the onion and squeeze the garlic out of its skin. Put all the vegetables into a serving bowl.  Add the shredded parsley leaves.


Add the 1/2 cup of olive oil and the vinegar to the vegetables. Add the cumin, smoked paprika and some salt and pepper to taste. Toss and serve at room temperature.

Beetroot Quinoa Salad with Tasty Bits and Pieces

I never really got on the quinoa bandwagon.  I know it's a "superfood" and that it's packed with things that will make me live to 100 and make me look like a supermodel, but I just haven't been able to fall in love with it.  Is it just me, or is it a bit bland to eat and to look at?  For me, quinoa needs a lot of help.  When I say help, I mean the addition of golden fried cheese, crunchy toasted seeds, sweet dried fruit, fresh lemon, herbs and spices and lugs of the best olive oil... And turning it as hot pink as a sluts lipstick doesn't hurt with the aesthetics either. 

Beetroot, Quinoa Salad with Tasty Bits and Pieces
adapted from here
Serves 4

2 tablespoons sunflower seeds
2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds
1 x 250g packet haloumi, cut into thin slices
300g white quinoa, washed
1 x 250g packet cooked baby beetroots
3 tablespoons sultanas
120ml red wine vinegar
Juice 1 lemon
1 garlic clove, finely grated
2 teaspoons ground cumin
100ml extra virgin olive oil, plus extra
Sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper
200g baby spinach leaves, chopped
2 handfuls dill fronds
1 lemon, quartered to serve

Toast the sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds in a dry frying pan over medium heat until golden.  Set aside to cool.

Return the frying pan to the stove and fry the haloumi (without any oil), over medium heat until golden on both sides.  Remove from the pan and keep warm.

Put the quinoa into a saucepan, cover with cold water, bring to the boil over medium-high heat and cook for 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Put the beetroot into a food processor and blitz until smooth.  Pour the puree into a sieve and leave to drain for at least 5 minutes.

Put the sultanas into a small saucepan and 3 tablespoons of the vinegar.  Bring to boil, then take off the heat and set aside to cool.

Put the lemon juice, the remaining vinegar, garlic, cumin and 100ml of the oil into a large bowl and season with salt and pepper.  Add the drained quinoa to the dressing and toss.  Add the beetroot puree, combine and set aside for 5 minutes so that the quinoa can soak up the juices.

Place the spinach on a large serving platter and top with the quinoa.  Top with the fried haloumi, scatter over the sultanas, dill and toasted seeds.  Sprinkle with extra olive oil and serve with lemon quarters.