Salads of the week!

This Sunday I spent some time making hearty salads. I can’t sleep if I don’t know what I’m bringing to work for lunch the next day.

For the past two weeks Green Earth Organics have sent me a pomegranate in my weekly delivery, which I love for a nice, sweet, juicy salad. I have been putting the seeds in sparkling water with sliced lime. And I used the seeds in both of these recipes for a hit of sweetness and splash of colour.

First up was a broccoli and kale slaw.

I macerated half a red onion in apple cider vinegar, added one finely chopped apple, one shredded head of broccoli and a healthy portion of kale, finely chopped and gently massaged. I added olive oil, honey, Dijon mustard and Maldon salt to taste. To finish I sprinkled with toasted walnuts the seeds of half a pomegranate.

A fresh, crunchy salad with a nice balance between sweet and tang.

Then I did a roasted cauliflower and carrot salad.

I broke one head of cauliflower into small florets using my hands. I finely sliced three carrots. I rubbed these with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkled with cumin, coriander, cinnamon, brown sugar and a little bit of chili. I roasted these at 200C for about 10 minutes, at which point they were slightly caramelised but still crunchy.

While these were cooking I macerated half a red onion in apple cider vinegar. Once the carrots and cauliflower were done and slightly  cooled I added them to the onions and topped with finely chopped parsley and pomegranate seeds.

This salad was a beauty. I loved the contrast between the rich, dense, sweetness of the roasted vegetables and the fresh crunchy tang of the raw onion.  I know many people are afraid of raw onion but when it has been macerated it loses its harsh bite and will not give you bad breath!