Roast cauliflower & pomegranate salad.

This recipe is corker. So many flavours, textures and several different types of awesomeness all combined into one salad. There is quite a few components to this salad but its worth it. You'll understand once you make it.

Also just quickly this photo was taken at bar Hoo Haa on chapel street where i currently work and produce some seriously tasty treats. Not exactly all gluten, egg and dairy free like this recipe however.

Ingredients:

• 200grams of cauliflower.
• 20grams of spring onions, also called shallots.
• 20 grams of flat leaf parsley.
• 20 grams of pepito's.
• 20 grams of sunflower seeds.
• 20 grams of pine nuts.
• 1/2 a pomegranate.( de-seeded)
• Cumin spice.
• 1/2 a garlic clove, diced finely.
• 50 mls of macadamia oil.
• Thick Coconut cream. 80 mls.
• Watercress (optional) to garnish and make look fancy.
• Raspberry vinegar(optional). 20mls.

Method:

• Firstly were going to combine all the pine nuts, pepito's, and sunflower seeds and lightly toast them, either in the oven or in a frying pan until there lightly golden in colour. Set aside to cool once there done.
• De-seed the pomegranate by smacking the back of the skin with a wooden spoon, set aside the seeds.
• Pick the cauliflower off the stem, so there florets. As in the picture it's best if you slice them thinly and flat so we can pan fry them each side. Once there sliced heat a skillet and get it hot so the oil starts to lightly smoke. Pan fry the cauliflower each side until its really golden brown and at the end add the cumin spice and the diced garlic. Take off the heat and set aside.
• Roughly chop the parsley and shallots.
• Grab a large mixing bowl and combine all the ingredients.
• Garnish with some of the coconut cream and watercress around the plate.

Makes: 2 to 3 serves.

Prep time: 30 minutes.

Notes:

• Gluten free.
• Nightshades free.
• Egg free.
• Dairy free.
• Anyone who eats this salad will be impressed.
• The title says roast cauliflower. Technically were pan frying it. However roast sounds better. ( Chef grammar)

Fennel salad with celery and oranges.

Summer time is here and fennel is in season. This salad is really fresh and light, fennel has a real sharp aniseed like flavour similar to licorice and the celery and orange balance out that strong taste. Fennel is best served with seafood and chicken.

Ingredients:

• 1 large bulb of fennel.
• 1 stick of celery.
• 1 orange.
• Light mayonnaise to coat the salad.
• Seasoning if required.
• Optional but fresh herbs like dill, spring onions and chives.

Method:

• Grab a sharp knife, mandoline or a grater and were going to finely shave the fennel and celery so its paper thin. Having big chunks of fennel is a little overpowering. ( A mandoline is plastic board with a razor attached to it. Makes shaving vegetables quick and easy, and there fairly cheap to buy. On some graters there is that side panel that has just one slit.)
• Peel the orange of its skin. You can either segment it like in the photo or just cut it into rounds.
• Grab all your ingredients and mix in a bowl . Add seasoning to you're liking and enjoy.

This salad is pretty easy to make. If you're having some friends over and you want to add a little extra fanciness then add some Bottarga. It is tuna roe eggs that have been dried and compressed into a little block and to shave a little on top of this salad is amazing. You can pick it up from specialty food stores like Thomas Dux or some gourmet deli's.

Makes: 2 to 3 serves.

Prep time: 10 minutes.

Notes:

• Gluten free
• Nightshades free

Also to store fennel once it has been shaven and if you do not intend to cook it. Place it in a container with some water and squeeze the juice from 1 lemon and then throw the lemon skin in with the fennel. It should keep for a few more days until it goes brown.