“Roast and Serve Salad” – Sweet Potato & Halloumi

by Lou Robbie

This is such a great way to make and serve salad this summer. Your choice of roast veggies, chickpeas, halloumi and seeds on a tray then on the same tray toss through green leaves and dressing and serve into a big salad bowl! I think these roast and serve salads will be very popular this summer.

You can roast up any root veg you have in your veg box, parsnip, carrot, beets, even potatoes, cauliflower or broccoli, add some cheese if you wish and a delicious dressing to finish.

Will you try it? Let us know.

Lou x

Ingredients

  • 1 large or 3 small sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
  • 1 yellow bell pepper, washed and diced
  • 1 red onion, peeled and diced
  • 1 x 400g tin chickpeas, drained
  • salt, pepper, oil
  • 1 pack halloumi (225g), diced
  • 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds (70g)
  • 50g spinach/rocket or lettuce leaves

For the dressing

  • juice 1/2 orange
  • juice 1/2 lemon
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 heaped teaspoon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon maple syrup
  • small pinch salt

Method:

  • Step 1: Preheat the oven 180ºC fan. Line a large baking tray with parchment paper. Put the sweet potato, chickpeas, red onion and diced pepper on the tray. Drizzle with salt, pepper and oil, shake or rub to coat everything. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes, checking half way through. After this time add the diced halloumi and roast for a further 15-20 minutes.
  • Step 2: Put the pumpkin seeds on a separate tray and toast in the oven, along with the veg, for about 10 minutes, check half way through- they may need more or less time.
  • Step 3:Make the dressing, add all the ingredients except the oil to a bowl, whisk well, then slowly pour the oil in while whisking to emulsify the dressing. Taste it and adjust if needed.
  • Step 4: Let the veg cool for 20 minutes then top with the green leaves, pour over the dressing, gently toss together. Lift the parchment paper and tip into a serving dish.
  • Enjoy!

Simple Grilled Red Pepper & Feta Dressing w/ Chopped Salad

by Lou Robbie

This a great recipe when you have odds and ends to use up. I did a raid on the salad drawer this morning. I had peppers, a cucumber from my friend’s garden, cherry tomatoes from the Green Earth Organics poly tunnel, baby leaves, all so fresh and delicious all that was needed was a quick dressing.

Jars of organic grilled peppers are so handy for a quick addition to any dish. They are soft and sweet and stored in sunflower oil. Simply whizzed up with a feta and a few spices they make a perfect dressing or dip if you make it thicker by adding more feta.

Add your favourite toasted nuts or seeds for some extra goodness.

Lou 🙂

Ingredients: makes a jar of dressing, salad serves 2

  • For the dressing: 
  • 100g feta, add more if you like a thicker dressing
  • 1 jar of red peppers grilled in sunflower oil (190g)
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
  • Juice ¼ lemon 
  • ½ teaspoon chilli flakes
  • ½ teaspoon paprika
  • For the chopped salad:
  • 6 chopped cherry tomatoes, quartered
  • 3 inches cucumber, diced 
  • ½ yellow pepper chopped 
  • 1 tin black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 2 handful lettuce leaves, washed
  • ½ cup pecans, toasted 

Method:

Step 1: Make the dressing, to a powerful blender, add the jar of red peppers, feta, honey, lemon juice, chilli flakes and paprika. Blend until smooth. We used a Ninja smoothie blender. 

Step 2: Wash and chop the tomatoes, cucumber, and yellow pepper. Toast the pecans in the oven or air fryer at 170ºC for about minutes. 

Step 3: Build the salad, add the tomatoes, cucumber, pepper, lettuce leaves and black beans to a large plate or bowl. Drizzle over the dressing, toss to coat and scatter the pecans on top. 

You can serve the dressing on the side if you prefer.