Roast Carrots with Harissa and Silverbeet

This dressing takes carrots from ordinary to extraordinary. If by any chance you end up with leftover carrots, add them to spinach leaves, avocado, parsley and sliced chicken for a healthy, fast and delicious salad. This dressing also works over any other roast veggies, or green leafy salad. I added silverbeet to the carrots to make the salad more substantial. The salad does look nicer if you use dutch carrots but normal carrots taste just as good.

3 bunches dutch carrots, trimmed and scrubbed or 1 kg carrots, peeled and cut into chunks

1 bunch sliverbeet, finley sliced, stems and leave separated

½ cup toasted hazelnuts or walnuts

½ bunch parsley and/or coriander shredded

dressing

1 tbspn olive oil

1 tbspn honey

juice of 1 orange

juice of ½ lemon

1 tspn harissa paste

pinch salt

½ tspn cumin

½ tspn paprika

½ tspn cinnamon

Combine ingredients for dressing and set aside. Spray carrots with cooking spray and roast on a lined tray at 190 degrees for about 30-40 mins or until tender and golden. (Make sure carrots are not overlapping because otherwise they will sweat instead of bake).

In a large frypan, heat 1 tbspn coconut or olive oil. Sautee silverbeet stems for about 3 minutes or until slightly softened, Add sliverbeet leaves and a good pinch of salt and toss for about 3 more minutes or until leaves cooked through (taste to check).

Pour some dressing over carrots, add silverbeet and a bit more dressing. Top with fresh herbs and roasted nuts.

Middle Eastern Cous Cous Salad with Spiced Pumpkin

This is a great salad for a crowd. The sweetness of the pumpkin combines beautifully with the cinnamon and dried fruit to give it warmth and sustenance, while the fresh herbs and toasted nuts lighten the salad. The lemon zest and dressing balances the dish.

2 packets of Israeli cous cous (I use the osem brand)

half a jap pumpkin cut into cubes

cinnamon

1/3 cup currants

1/3 cup dried apricots, finely chopped

½ cup slivered almonds, toasted

½ bunch mint, leaves shredded

½ bunch parsley, shredded

zest of 1-2 lemons

dressing

½ cup chicken or vegetable stock

¼ cup olive oil

¼ cup lemon juice

1 tbspn honey

pinch of salt

½ tspn cinnamon

1 tbspn white balsamic vinegar

Mix tgether ingredients for dressing. Taste and adjust to your liking and set aside. Cook cous cous according to directions on the packet. One it is ready, immediately a wide flatish dish to cool down quickly. Mix it periodically with a fork to prevent the grains form sticking together. Add some dressing if necessary to lubricate the grains.

Spray the pumpkin with olive oil, dust lightly with cinnamon and a pinch of salt and back on a lined tray at 190 degrees for about 40 mins or until golden. Set aside to cool.

Pour half the drssing over the cous cous and stir. Add the remaining ingredients and the pumpkin. Pour over remaining dressing and toss to combine.

Spiced Cauliflower with Pomegranate & Mint

This salad is visually gorgeous. The jewel like pomegranate seeds pop against the creaminess of the cauliflower, and the mint and parsley provide more contrast and a welcome freshness. The cinnamon and pomegranate molasses give warmth and complexity.

2 heads of cauliflowers cut into small florets, (they need to be fairly small to cook evenly)

cinammon

seeds from 1 pomegranate

½ bunch mint, leaves shredded

½ bunch parsley, shredded

1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted

1/3 cup slivered almonds toasted

¼ cup currants

dressing

¼ cup olive oil

juice of ½ a lemon

½ tspn cinnamon

1 tbspn pomegranate molasses

1 tspn balsamic vinegar

1 tspn honey            

pinch of salt

Spray the cauliflower with olive oil, dust with salt and cinnamon and bake on a lined tray at 190 degrees for about 30 mins or until golden and tender. Set aside to cool. Combine with remaining ingredients.

Mix together ingredients for dressing. Pour over cauliflower sparingly and toss gently to combine.