Cauliflower, Pomegranate and Pistachio Salad
From Ottolenghi Simple by Yotam Ottolenghi & Tara Wigley (Ebury Press, £25)
Ingredients
1 large cauliflower
1 medium onion, roughly sliced
80ml olive oil
25g parsley, roughly chopped
10g mint, roughly chopped
10g tarragon, roughly chopped seeds from ½ medium pomegranate (80g)
40g pistachio kernels, lightly toasted and roughly chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1½ tbsp lemon juice and salt
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C fan.
Coarsely grate a third of the cauliflower and set aside
in a bowl. Break the remaining cauliflower into florets,
roughly 3cm wide, and add these to a separate bowl with the cauliflower leaves, if you have any, and onion.
Toss
everything together with 2 tablespoons of oil and ¼
teaspoon of salt, then spread out on a large parchment-
lined baking tray.
Roast for about 20 minutes, until cooked
through and golden-brown. Remove from the oven and set
aside to cool.
Once cool, put the roasted vegetables into a large bowl
with the 50ml oil, the grated cauliflower and the remaining
ingredients, along with ¼ teaspoon of salt. Toss gently, just
to combine, then transfer to a platter and serve.
Rainbow Roast Tomato, Mozzarella Salad with Basil and Pine Nut Oil
Recipe by Alexandra Dudley whose book Land & Sea is out now.
Ingredients
1kg mixed cherry tomatoes (red, orange, yellow)
Olive oil
1 tbsp dried oregano
80g pine nuts
Large bunch of basil
1 small garlic clove, crushed
Pinch sea salt
125-150g ball Buffalo Mozzarella
Method
Preheat your oven to 250°C fan setting and line a large oven tray with parchment.
Spread your tomatoes over the parchment lined tray. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle over the oregano. Season with salt and massage everything with your hands to ensure all the tomatoes have an even coating.
Roast for 20-25 minutes until the tomatoes have cooked and are slightly blackened in places. Allow to cool completely before removing from tray.
Toast the pine nuts in a frying pan over a low-medium heat until lightly browned.
Remove and allow to cool.
Finely chop the basil and add to a small bowl. Add the garlic, sea salt and olive oil and give it a good stir.
When ready to serve stir through your pine nuts.
To serve, transfer the tomatoes onto a serving dish. Tear over the mozzarella and spoon over the basil, pine nut oil. Enjoy.
Note. This also makes for a very good bruschetta topping. Take slices of sourdough or baguette, brush with oil and toast them on a hot griddle pan for 3-4 mins either side. Top with tomatoes, torn mozzarella and the basil pine nut oil.
Smoked Aubergine, Pepper and Walnut Salad With Pomegranate
From Bazaar by Sabrina Ghayour (Mitchell Beazley,£26.00)
Ingredients
4 large aubergines
3 large red peppers
50g chopped walnuts
1 small packet (about 30g) of flat leaf
parsley, roughly chopped (reserve some for garnish)
2 fat garlic cloves, crushed
6 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra
to serve
juice of ½ lemon
pinch of ground cinnamon
75ml pomegranate molasses
100g pomegranate seeds
Maldon sea salt flakes and freshly
ground black pepper
flatbread, to serve (see page 38)
Method
Blister and char the aubergines and peppers, either on a barbecue, flame grill or on the flame of your gas hob. Really blacken the skins until they are hardened and completely burnt. (Lining your hob with kitchen foil will prevent you having to deal with a very heavy clean-up, as the juices can be messy.)
Place the aubergines on a heatproof surface or tray and leave to cool for about 20 minutes, until they are just warm and you are able to handle them.
Place the peppers in a food bag, tie it closed and set aside to allow them to sweat for about 20 minutes. Once this time has elapsed, the blackened, charred skins should slide easily off the peppers until you are left with just the roasted flesh. Roughly chop the flesh and place in a large mixing bowl.
Using a large metal spoon, scoop out the flesh of the aubergines and place it in a fine-mesh sieve to drain off any of the excess juices. Discard the charred skins. Roughly chop the flesh into smallish chunks and add them to the roasted peppers. Mix together gently.
Add the walnuts, parsley, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, cinnamon and salt and pepper to the bowl, and give all the ingredients a good mix until they are evenly combined.
Serve the aubergine smoothed out flat on a large platter. Drizzle with the pomegranate molasses, scatter over the reserved parsley and the pomegranate seeds, then add a light drizzle of olive oil. Serve immediately with flatbreads.
Sesame Roasted New Potato Salad
From Green by Elly Curshen (Ebury Press, £22)
Ingredients
750g new potatoes, halved lengthways
4 tbsp olive oil
4–6 radishes
1 tbsp sesame seeds
1 x 75g bag of pea shoots
1 handful of whole mint leaves
2 tbsp finely chopped chives
Calendula petals (optional)
Flaked sea salt and freshly ground
black pepper
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C fan/200°C/400°F/Gas mark 6.
Place the potatoes in a roasting tray and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Season well with salt and pepper. Using your hands, toss everything together to make sure all the potatoes are covered in oil. Roast in the hot oven for 30 minutes or until golden and crispy on their edges.
Meanwhile, thinly slice the radishes and place them in a bowl of icy water to keep them crisp. When the potatoes are cooked, transfer them to a serving dish and add the remaining olive oil. Drain and dry the radish slices and add to the serving dish along with the sesame seeds, pea shoots, mint leaves and chives. Scatter over the calendula petals, if using, and serve immediately.
Sumac Grilled Chicken, Citrus, and Avocado Salad
From Sababa: Fresh, Sunny Flavors From My Israeli Kitchen: The Cookbook by Adeena Sussman
Ingredients
CHICKEN:
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup fresh clementine or orange juice (from 2 clementines), plus 3-inch-thick strips of clementine zest
1 tablespoon sumac
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning
4 scallions (white and green parts), cut into 2-inch lengths and bruised lightly
5 sprigs thyme
1½ pounds thin-cut chicken cutlets (about 8 pieces)
Canola oil, for greasing the pan or grates
DRESSING
(Makes ²⁄³ cup)
⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed clementine or orange juice
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon sumac, plus more for sprinkling
SALAD
2 medium heads romaine, leaves washed and torn
1 large ripe avocado, sliced
1 medium orange, rind removed, cut into ¼-inch rounds
1 clementine, rind removed, cut into
¼-inch rounds
1 medium grapefruit, rind removed, cut into ¼-inch rounds
¼ cup pomegranate seeds
2 tablespoons chopped toasted pistachios
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint, or tiny mint leaves
Method:
Marinate the chicken: Combine the olive oil, clementine juice and zest, sumac, salt, pepper, scallions, and thyme in a gallon-sized resealable plastic bag. Using your hands, move the ingredients around to incorporate them. Add the chicken to the bag, move it around to coat it, seal the bag, and chill to marinate for at least 1 hour and up to 8 hours. Ten to 15 minutes before cooking, remove the chicken from the refrigerator to come to room temperature.
Make the dressing: In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, clementine juice, salt, pepper, and sumac and shake until creamy.
Preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade, shake off excess liquid, and season with salt and pepper. Brush the pan or grates with canola oil, then grill the chicken until caramelized and grill marks form, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and cool slightly.
Assemble the salad: Arrange the romaine, avocado, and citrus on a platter. Arrange the chicken on the salad, shake the remaining dressing again, and drizzle the dressing on top. Garnish with pomegranate seeds, pistachios, and mint.
BLT Salad
Ingredients
6 rashers of bacon
350g asparagus spears, woody ends snapped off
6 eggs
Leaves of 4 Little Gem lettuces
200g tomatoes, sliced (or halved if cherry tomatoes)
Flesh of 1 large avocado, cubed
DRESSING
2 tablespoons chives, chopped
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons mustard
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon raw honey or maple syrup
Sea salt and black pepper
Method
Preheat the grill to high, or the oven to fan 220°C/Gas mark 9, and line a baking tray with baking parchment.
Prepare the dressing by whisking all the ingredients together and seasoning with salt and pepper, to taste.
Place the bacon rashers and asparagus spears on the lined baking tray and either grill for 6–8 minutes (turning halfway) or roast in the oven for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, fill a large saucepan with boiling water and cook the eggs on a medium simmer for 6½ minutes. Remove from the pan and leave to cool in cold or iced water before peeling and cutting in half.
Place the lettuce leaves, tomatoes and avocado in a large serving bowl, drizzle over half the dressing and gently toss. Roughly chop up the cooked bacon and scatter over, along with the hot asparagus and egg halves, then drizzle over the rest of the dressing to serve.
