Cauliflower and tahini fritters with warm quinoa tabouleh

1 cup tri coloured quinoa, rinsed, drained
2 tbsp plain flour
1 tsp hot chilli powder
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1/2 cup tahini
1/3 cup lemon juice
extra virgin olive oil, for shallow frying
1 small head cauliflower, thickly sliced
4 tomatoes, diced
1/2 small red onion finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
2/3 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped
1 cup fresh flat leaf parsley leaves, chopped
3/4 cup red wine vinegar
extra 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
chopped fresh flat leaf parsley and toasted pine nuts, to serve

1. Place the quinoa and 1 cup cold water in a saucepan over high heat. Cover. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer for 15 mins or until liquid is absorbed and quinoa is tender. Remove from heat. Cool.
2. Meanwhile, place flour and chilli powder in a bowl. Make a well in the centre. Gradually whisk in the egg white, 1/3 cup tahini, 1/4 cup lemon juice and 1/4 cup cold water. Season well with salt and pepper.
3. Add enough oil to a large deep frying pan to come 5mm up side of pan. Heat over medium-high heat. Working in batches, dip cauliflower batter, draining excess. Shallow fry for 1 to 2 mis each side or until golden. Drain on a tray lined with paper towel.
4. Combine remaining tahini and lemon juice, and 1.5 tblsp cold water in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Combine quinoa, tomato, onion, celery, garlic, mint, parsley, vinegar and extra oil in a large bowl. Serve fritters with tabouleh and tahini sauce. Sprinkle with parsley and pine nuts.

Quinoa, red rice and black lentil salad with spicy cauliflower

Ingredients

Quinoa and red rice salad with spicy cauliflower and black lentils.Photo: Marina Oliphant

• 200g quinoa
• 200g red rice, rinsed
• 50g black lentils, rinsed
• 100ml olive oil and 3 tbsp extra
• 2 brown onions, thinly sliced
• 100g dried cranberries
• 1 orange, zested and juiced
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1/4 cup plain flour
• 1/2 cauliflower, broken into small florets
• 200g pistachio nuts, roughly chopped
• 1 cup fresh coriander leaves, roughly chopped
• 1 cup fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped
• For the dressing:
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1/4-1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• Salt and pepper

Method

Cook quinoa in a medium pot of boiling, lightly salted water for 12-14 minutes until just tender. Drain and set aside. Cook red rice and lentils in a large pot of boiling, lightly salted water for 20 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Heat frying pan, add 100 millilitres of oil and onions, cook over low heat for 10 minutes until well caramelised. Soak cranberries in orange juice for 10 minutes until plump. Mix cumin, coriander and flour in a small bowl.

Toss cauliflower in flour mix. Heat three tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan, add cauliflower and fry over low heat for 10 minutes, until soft. Toss with drained quinoa, rice and lentils.

Add caramelised onions, with any extra oil from the pan. Add cranberries with orange juice, pistachios and fresh herbs. Make dressing with lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Whisk well to combine, taste and adjust if necessary.

Add to salad and mix well.

Warm roast veggie salad with lemony lentils

Ingredients

• 4 kipfler potatoes, halved lengthwise
• 2 red onions, unpeeled, quartered
• 8 baby carrots, peeled
• 500g cauliflower, cut into florets
• 4 garlic cloves, unpeeled
• 8 sprigs thyme
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 400g canned lentils, drained
• 2 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• Sea salt and pepper
• 100g baby spinach leaves
• Half a lemon, finely sliced

Method

Heat oven to 200C. Toss potatoes, onions, carrots, cauliflower, garlic cloves and half the thyme in two tablespoons of olive oil and arrange in a roasting pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes until tender.

Heat lentils in a pan with half a cup of water until boiling, then drain and toss in remaining olive oil, lemon juice, honey and cumin, and season with sea salt and pepper.

Arrange potatoes on each dinner plate, scatter with spinach leaves and top with baby carrots and cauliflower. Peel the ''petals'' away from the onions and scatter over each plate.

Spoon the lentils on and around the vegetables and serve with lemon slices and remaining thyme sprigs

Roast pumpkin, spinach and goat's cheese salad

1/4 jap pumpkin, skin removed, cut into 2cm thick pieces
pinch of brown sugar
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to season
250g baby spinach leaves
150g goat's cheese, crumbled
50g pine nuts, toasted

1. Preheat oven to 180C. Put pumpkin, sugar and 2 tbsp of the oil in a medium bowl and toss well to combine. Season generously with salt and pepper.
2. put mix in roasting pan, then roast for 15 mins or unti tender.
3. Put pumpkin in a large serving dish with spinach and goat's cheese, then drizzle with remaining oil. Stir to combine then top with pine nuts.

Barbecued vegetable salad

1 medium eggplant, cut into 1cm thick slices
2 medium zucchinis, cut into 1cm thick slices
1 red capsicum cut into thick strips
1 green capsicum cut into thick strips
2 tbsp vegetable oil
salt and peper to season
1 bunch parsley, leaves picked
1/2 bunch dill
4 cloves garlic
1 tsp capers
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 Prehead BBQ grill to medium
2 Put eggplant, zucchini, capsicum and vegetable oil in a large bowl and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Add mix to grill and cook, turning several times, for 8 mins or unitl lightly blackened. Set mixture aside and cool slightly.
3. Put parsley, dill, garlic, lemon juice and olive oil in a food processor and pulse until smooth. Season generously with sald and pepper.
4. Drizzle herb dressing over vegetables and toss well to combine.

Autumn salad of mushroom and oinon

Salad of Mixed Greens, Roasted Portobello Mushrooms
and Red Onions with Sherry Vinaigrette

When autumn arrives, green salads tend to be more assertive. This one, composed of roasted vegetables and a boldly flavored vinaigrette, is just right before the pasta main course. Use other vegetables, if you prefer, such as roasted beets, eggplant or potatoes.

Ingredients:

VINAIGRETTE :
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup sherry wine vinegar
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Pinch of dried tarragon
• 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

SALAD :
• 8 large portobello mushrooms, cut into 1/4-inch-wide slices
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 red onions, peeled, halved and cut into 1/4-inch-wide slices
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 6 cups torn salad greens, such as mesclun mix, red leaf lettuce, Boston lettuce,
• Bibb lettuce or green leaf lettuce (see Note)
• Shaved Parmesan or pecorino cheese, for garnish

Method:
1. To prepare the vinaigrette, combine the mustard and vinegar in a small bowl and whisk well. Season to taste with salt, pepper and tarragon and whisk again. Slowly add the olive oil, pouring it in a steady stream while whisking constantly to emulsify the vinaigrette. Taste and correct the seasoning, if necessary. Set aside until ready to use.
2. Preheat the oven to 350F.
3. To prepare the salad, place the mushrooms in a shallow baking dish lined with aluminum foil, sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of the oil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss gently.
4. Spread the onions in another foil-lined baking dish, sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss gently.
5. Roast the mushrooms and onions for about 1 hour, until very tender. Stir them a few times during roasting. Set aside to cool.
6. To serve, put the greens in a large bowl and toss with about 2 tablespoons of the vinaigrette and then arrange on 6 salad plates.
7. Put the mushrooms in the bowl and toss with about 2 more tablespoons of the vinaigrette. Spoon these over the greens. Put the onions in the bowl and toss with about 1 tablespoon of the vinaigrette. Spoon these over the mushrooms. Top each salad with the shaved cheese and season with freshly ground pepper. Serve immediately.

Note : Use the freshest salad greens available. Many supermarkets and green grocers sell mesclun mix, a mixture of specialty lettuces, which adds lovely flavor, texture and color to any salad. Mix it with other soft, buttery greens.

Serves: 6

Roast carrots with potato and pistachio salad

To be served with roast chicken

2tbsp cumi seeds, roughly ground
1/2 bunch thyme, leaves picked
4 finely sliced cloves garlic
1 tbsp dijon mustard
zest and juice of 1 lemon
olive oil (60 ml)
1.5 bunches of small dutch carrots, peeled, tops left on
1 kg small whole chat potatoes
50ml sherry vinegar
1/2 cup currants
3 tbsp mayonaise
3 tbsp sour cream
1/2 bunch flat leaf parsley, leaves picked
salt flakes and black pepper to season
120g pistachios chopped
3 sprigs dill to serve

1. preheat oven to 200C . Combine cumin, thyme, garlic, mustard, lemon zest and jice and pepper and oil in a bowl. Coat carrots and roast for 1 hour.
2. Boil potatoes in salted water until just tender. Drain and cool. Put vinegar in a pan and bring to the boil. Add currants and simmer for 1 min. Set aside and let currants swell.
3. Combine mayo, sour cream and parsely in a bowl and season. Add potatoes and toss to coat. Serve potato salad alongside carrots (and chicken) sprinkle over pistachios, dill and currant sauce.

Warm bean, asparagus and egg salad

200g baby green beans, trimmed
150g yellow beans, trimmed
2 bunches of asparagus, trimmed
shredded rind and juice of a lemon
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp chives, finely chopped
2 tsp dijon mustard
salt and white pepper to season
4 eggs
1 tsp white vinegar

1. Bring a med pan of water to the boil. Add beans and asparagus and cook for 2 mins or until brightly coloured and just tender. Drain, transfer to bowl with lemon rind and toss until combined.
2. Put oil, lemon juice, chives and mustard in a jug and season with salt and pepper. Put vegies on a serving plate.
3. Bring a small pan of water to the boil, reduce heat to a simmer. Add vinegar and stir, poach eggs until whites are cooked.
4. Top each salad with a poached egg and season with pepper. Drizzle dressing over salads and serve immediately.

Roasted beet and pomegranate salad

Preheat the oven to 180 C. Trim the tops from 2 bunches of beetroot, leaving 2cm of the stems attached. Peel the beetroot with a vegie peeler. Spread onto onto an oven tray and cover with olive oil. Roast for 30-35 minutes, until soft. Roast 1 cup of walnuts until fragrant. Cut a pomegranate in half and juice one half using a citrus juicer. Remove the seeds from the other half and separate into a bowl. To make dressing, disard the flesh from 2 pieces of preserved lemon, chop the skins finely and put into a jog with the pomegranate juice, 1/4 cup white wine vinegar and 1/4 cup olive oil and whisk to combine. Add the beetroot, walnuts and 80g of rinsed well-drained snow pea shoots to pomegranate seeds inbowl and toss with dressing until combined. Serve scattered with goats cheese and season with salt and pepper.

Roast sweet potato and chilli salad

1 kg of sweet potato
3 long red chillies
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
100g greek feta
1/2 cup mint leaves, shredded

1. Preheat oven to 180C. Peel sweet potato and roughly chop into 5cm pieces. Cut chillies in half lengthways. Put sweet potato and chillies in a bowl and toss with 1 tbsp oil. Season and spread on a baking tray. Roast for 35-40 mintues or until golden.
2. Combine remaining old and vinegar, season. Put sweet potato and chilli on a platter and top with crumbled feta and mint. Drizzle with dressing and serve.

Zucchini, pine nut and parmesan salad

6 zucchinis
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
40g parmesan cheese, shaved

Dressing:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tsp dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 tbsp, finely chopped flat leaf parsley
1 small red chilli, seeded and finely chopped

1. Thinly slice zucchini lengthways into long thin strips and put in a bowl. Add oil and season. Toss to combine.
2. Preheat bbq grill to hot. Cook zucchini in batches for 1-2 minutes each side or until charred and tender. Transfer to a large platter.
3. Make dressing by combining oil, lemon juice, mustard, garlic, parsley and chilli in a jug, season.
4. Sprinkle pine nuts over warm zucchini, drizzle with dressing and parmesan and serve warm.

Warm tomato and bread salad

6 roma tomatoes, thickly sliced
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 slices of sourdough
50g mozerella, cut into 1cm cubes
2 tbsp oregano leaves

1. preheat grill until hot. Arrange tomato slices in a large, shallow heatproof dish, drizzle with half the oil and season.
2. Cut bread into small cubes and scatter over tomato. Scatter cheese over the bread. Drizzle with remaining oil.
3. Put dish under the grill for 4-5 minutes or until bread is golden and crisp. Sprinkle with oregano and serve.

Salad of Mixed Greens, Roasted Portobello Mushrooms and Red Onions with Sherry Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

VINAIGRETTE :
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup sherry wine vinegar
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Pinch of dried tarragon
• 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

SALAD :
• 8 large portobello mushrooms, cut into 1/4-inch-wide slices
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 red onions, peeled, halved and cut into 1/4-inch-wide slices
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 6 cups torn salad greens, such as mesclun mix, red leaf lettuce, Boston lettuce,
• Bibb lettuce or green leaf lettuce (see Note)
• Shaved Parmesan or pecorino cheese, for garnish

Method:
1. To prepare the vinaigrette, combine the mustard and vinegar in a small bowl and whisk well. Season to taste with salt, pepper and tarragon and whisk again. Slowly add the olive oil, pouring it in a steady stream while whisking constantly to emulsify the vinaigrette. Taste and correct the seasoning, if necessary. Set aside until ready to use.
2. Preheat the oven to 350F.
3. To prepare the salad, place the mushrooms in a shallow baking dish lined with aluminum foil, sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of the oil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss gently.
4. Spread the onions in another foil-lined baking dish, sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss gently.
5. Roast the mushrooms and onions for about 1 hour, until very tender. Stir them a few times during roasting. Set aside to cool.
6. To serve, put the greens in a large bowl and toss with about 2 tablespoons of the vinaigrette and then arrange on 6 salad plates.
7. Put the mushrooms in the bowl and toss with about 2 more tablespoons of the vinaigrette. Spoon these over the greens. Put the onions in the bowl and toss with about 1 tablespoon of the vinaigrette. Spoon these over the mushrooms. Top each salad with the shaved cheese and season with freshly ground pepper. Serve immediately.

Note that the dressing always makes up a lot more than you need but it's hard to cut down. We use the left overs on green salad etc. The onions and mushrooms take about an hour to cook, sometime a little more.

Pumpkin and onions with harissa

• 1 kg of pumpkin (we usually use jap) peeled and cut into pieces
• 2 red onions, cut into quarters
• 6 shallots
• 1/2 bunch of spring onions
• harissa spice mix
• pomegranite molasses*
• olive oil
• lemon juice
• salt and pepper

In a large baking tray add the pumpkin, oinons and shallots. Season well with salt and pepper and coat with olive oil. Bake at 200 degrees for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes toss and add the spring oinons, bake for a further 20 minutes or until cooked (should only take 40 minutes). Coat with harissa dressing and serve.

We usually serve this on a bed on cous cous with a bit of baby spinach which is quite good!

Harissa dressing - Mix harissa spice mix (just buy a harrissa spice mix from the supermarket)

2 Tbsp Harrisa spice mix
apx 2 Tbsp olive oil
lemon juice to taste
1 Tbsp Grenadine (pomengranite) molasses (hard to get - you could possibly substitute honey or brown sugar)

Method:
combine spice mix & molasses
gradually add olive oil while continually mixing.
add lemon juice to taste.



*Note that pomegranite molasses can be hard to find, you can't get it from the supermarket. You need to look in deli's and specialty food stores. I think we got ours from the specialty store at the belconnen markets from memory. A few delis do have it though. It pops up in quite a few recipes!