Roasted Cauliflower Salad

This is a mash of Jamie Oliver's and some other recipes. I want to try roasting cauliflower since reading rave reviews about it. It really has brought out another dimension to cauliflower. If you're a cauliflower hater, like my stepson, give it a go. He finished the box of leftovers. The nut and the pieces of toast give some crunch, and the herb gives a bit of freshness. You can substitute parsley with mint or coriander. The salad can be eaten warm or cold.

Ingredients:

½ cauliflower cut into florets

Drizzle of olive oil

1 tbsp ground cumin seeds

1 tbsp  ground turmeric

1 tbsp ground garam masala

pinch of salt and pepper

½ red onion, sliced

2 pieces of bread

¼ cup of walnuts, roughly chopped

1 handful of parsley, finely chopped

1 tbsp butter

Method

1.          Spread butter on bread, and sprinkle on some parsley, toast for about 5 mins each side, tear into 2cm pieces.

2.          Mix the spices, salt and pepper in a bowl with the olive oil and toss the cauliflower in to mix. Spread on a baking tray and bake in 200C oven for about 20-25mins. Sprinkle in the walnuts in the last 5 minutes over the cauliflower to toast the walnuts as well.

3.          When cool enough to handle, toss through the toast pieces, onion and parsley.

Smashed Roast Potato Salad

It is salad season again down here in the Southern Hemispheric summer. I lose my appetite in the heat, a cold and refreshing salad is a welcomed sight on the dinner table. 

Ingredients (serves 4)

8 baby chat potatoes, left unpeeled, washed

1 stalk of spring onion, finely chopped
1 small bunch of parsley, finely chopped

2 strips of bacon, diced

¼ red onion, finely sliced

1 tbsp seeded mustard

2 tbsp of whole egg mayonnaise

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp of olive oil

Method

1.          Toss potatoes lightly in olive oil.

2.          Roast the potatoes in the oven for 20-30 minutes. You can parboil the potatoes to reduce the oven time.

3.          In the last 10 minutes, sprinkle the bacon pieces around the potatoes in the oven.

4.          Smash the potatoes slightly with a potato masher while they’re still hot once out of the oven.

5.          Add everything else in and toss.

Pumpkin Salad

We attended a friend’s housewarming BBQ on the weekend and were asked to bring a salad. This is what I made.

Ingredients

200g pumpkin, cut into 3-4 cm chunks about 1 cm thick

10 stalks of asparagus

100g baby spinach

½ red onion, thinly sliced

¼ cup of pepitas, toasted

400g canned chickpeas

Parmesan shavings

A handful of chopped parsley

10ml white wine vinegar

1 tbsp sugar

20ml extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Method

1.          Soak the cut onions in the white vinegar and sugar.

2.          Grill the asparagus (takes only 1-2 minutes on each side) and the pumpkin.

3.          Drain the chickpeas and the onion, reserve the white vinegar.

4.          Toss the spinach, asparagus and pumpkin with the chickpeas and half of the toasted pepitas.

5.          Mix the olive oil, the while vinegar, balsamic vinegar and parsley until it emulsifies.

6.          Pour over salad, toss.

7.          Sprinkle the rest of the pepitas on top and the Parmesan shavings.

Soba/Buckwheat Noodle Salad

This is a simple healthy meal perfect for summer, as the dish is often eaten cold. I bought some soba or Japanese buckwheat noodles to try, as I’ve heard of its excellent nutritional value. Have you followed any food fad recently?


Here’s what I learned while researching buckwheat. Buckwheat isn’t actually a grain; it comes from a hardy, weed-like plant related to rhubarb. Its seeds are used for centuries as staple food. Buckwheat is therefore gluten free and can be eaten by people with coeliac disease. It is high in protein, fiber, magnesium, copper, manganese, antioxidant flavonoids (especially rutin) and lignans. Diets that contain high intake of buckwheat have been linked to lower risk of developing high cholesterol, gallstones, and diabetes.

Ingredients (serves 4)

4 bundles of soba noodles

1 capsicum, julienned

1 carrot, julienned

Snow peas

4 dried shitake mushrooms

1 piece of chicken breast

2 cm piece of fresh ginger

2 stalks of spring onions

4 tbsp soba sauce (or use gluten free soy sauce)

1 tsp sesame oil

Method

1.          Poach chicken breast in a pot of simmering water.

2.          Add to it sliced ginger and the dried shitake mushrooms.

3.          When the chicken is cooked (about 15 mins), set it aside to rest.

4.          Blanch the snow peas and capsicum for about 2-3 minutes, drain.

5.          Cook the noodles in boiling water for about 10 minutes, drain.

6.          Add the soba sauce and sesame oil to the noodles, toss well to coat.

7.          Slice the chicken and mushrooms.

8.          Toss all ingredients with the noodles.

9.          Top with a sprinkle of chopped spring onions.