As we head back to work inspiration for lunches and quick and easy dinners is welcome.
In Epic Salads by Melbourne-based New Zealander Jessica Prescott there is plenty of inspiration for keeping things simple as life gets busy again this summer.
For Prescott, salad is synonymous with flavour, crunch, health, versatility and feeling good and the recipes in her book, while vegetarian, can be tweaked to suit all sorts of diets.
"They all fit seamlessly into a weekly meal prep routine, and can also be used as inspiration when throwing something together on a whim. They can be eaten for quick dinners or work lunches alike."
Her recipes have been influenced by her travels including time spent living in a Turkish neighbourhood in Berlin and show how to turn a few humble ingredients into a "delicious salad" without using bizarre or hard-to-get ingredients.
"The kind that leaves you fully satisfied and not foraging for snacks an hour later."
Prescott recommends five guiding principles when building a salad to create an "epic salad". The aim is to combine a balance of textures and flavours so that the final product is greater than the sum of its parts. So to bring texture and visual appeal add leafy greens and herbs, to make it robust and filling add protein such as tofu, eggs, legumes or dairy (or meat or fish but they are not in her recipes), to give it body and heft making it hearty add raw, pickled, roasted or sauteed vegetables or fresh or dried fruit, grains, pastas or noodles, to tie it all together add a dressing or a dollop of hummus, mayo or tahini or a squeeze of lemon, lime or balsamic and to finish it off add a crunch factor with roasted nuts and seeds, croutons or even fried tortillas.
"But remember flexibility is key and rules are meant to be broken."
A handy guide to how to wash and store leafy greens and how to prepare and cook vegetables, grains, legumes and beans is included in the book as is a guide to cooking and flavouring tofu, boiling eggs and making a variety of different dressings.
There is also advice on ways to pump up the protein in salads such as adding edamame beans, haloumi or tempeh, ways to add crunch and how to plate a salad.
THE BOOK
This is an edited extract from Epic Salads by Jessica Prescott published by Hardie Grant Books. Photography: Rochelle Eagle
Roasted eggplant and zucchini with pearl couscous
This salad is perfect for when the weather is cool but you need a vege hit. The hint of cumin, the sweetness of medjool dates and the soft tang of goat’s cheese come together under a pomegranate dressing, making a dish that’s comforting, moreish and rich in both flavour and texture.
Serves 3-4
Dressing
1 quantity Pomegranate dressing (see box)
Salad
1 large eggplant (aubergine) (approx. 450g), cut into 2cm dice
2 zucchinis (courgettes) (approx. 350g) cut into 1cm semicircles
1 red onion, peeled, roots intact, cut into eighths
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp ground cumin
1 cup (180g) pearl couscous
5 medjool dates, stones removed, finely chopped
2 large handfuls (60g) rocket (arugula), washed, spun dry, roughly chopped
handful mint or flat-leaf parsley, or both
120g soft goat’s cheese
Small handful pistachios, shells removed
Method
Preheat the oven to 180˚C-200˚C and bring a large saucepan of water to the boil.
Toss the eggplant, zucchini and red onion with the olive oil (eggplant is thirsty, so you’ll be surprised at how much oil it absorbs), cumin and a generous pinch of salt, then spread on a baking tray and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown, giving them a toss about halfway through the cooking time. Once cooked, leave to cool on the tray for 10 minutes.
Once the water is boiling, add the couscous and a generous pinch of salt and cook for approximately 8 minutes, or until al dente. Once cooked, drain and rinse in cold water, then shake off any excess water and place in a large mixing bowl along with half the dressing and the chopped dates.
When ready to serve, add the rocket and herbs to the couscous and toss to combine. Transfer half the couscous to a serving platter and top with half the roasted veges, goat’s cheese and pistachios. Repeat with the remaining ingredients, drizzle with the rest of the dressing and serve. Leftovers keep well for between 2 to 4 days in the fridge and are best served at room temperature.
Pomegranate dressing
Makes 175ml
⅓ cup (80ml) olive oil
2 Tbsp (40ml) apple-cider vinegar
2 Tbsp (40ml) pomegranate molasses
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp sumac
½ tsp salt
½ tsp microplaned garlic
Combine all ingredients in a glass jar and shake to combine. Use immediately, or refrigerate for up to 1 week.
Coconut-crusted pumpkin and chickpea salad
This salad tastes like summer; the flavours of the coconut, makrut and peanut dressing are so tropically moreish, I could drink it.
The crunchy cashews and hearty chickpeas complement the lightness of puffed rice, spinach and herbs, while coating the pumpkin in coconut before roasting it makes this a real showstopper of a dish.
Serves 4
Dressing
300ml coconut satay dressing (see beside).
Salad
500g kent pumpkin (winter squash), seeds and skin removed and cut into 1cm×2cm wedges;
1 Tbsp olive oil;
¼ cup desiccated (shredded) coconut;
100g raw cashews;
2×400g tins chickpeas, drained and rinsed;
2 large handfuls (60g) spinach, sliced;
2 cups (30g) puffed brown rice;
2 spring onions, thinly sliced;
Small handful coriander (cilantro), to garnish (optional).
Method
If you’ve made the dressing ahead of time, take it out of the fridge and stand it in a bowl of warm water, stirring every so often, until it is smooth and runny.
Preheat the oven to 180°C-200˚C.
Put the pumpkin in a large mixing bowl with the olive oil and a pinch of salt. Toss to combine, then add coconut and toss again so the pumpkin is evenly coated in the coconut. Spread the pumpkin on a baking tray (line with baking paper first if you wish), being mindful not to pour the loose bits of coconut on to the tray, as these will burn. Cook in the oven for 25 minutes, turning once about halfway through the cooking time.
Place the cashews on another baking tray and roast for the final 10 minutes or so of cooking time (keep an eye on them, as the oven will be a little hotter than is ideal for cashews). Once cooked, allow to cool on baking tray for 10 minutes.
Combine the chickpeas, spinach, puffed rice and spring onions in a large mixing bowl along with most of the dressing, reserving a little to garnish.
Place half the spinach and chickpea mixture on a serving dish. Top with half the pumpkin and cashews. Repeat with the remaining chickpea mixture and finish off with the remaining pumpkin and cashews. Drizzle with the reserved dressing, garnish with coriander, and serve. Alternatively, build the salad straight into serving bowls, as pictured.
This is best served warm, but leftovers are great, and the puffed rice is totally delish and fine when soggy.
Swaps
Swap the puffed brown rice for cooked jasmine rice if you want something warming and heartier.
Coconut satay
Makes 300ml
⅓ cup (80ml) smooth peanut butter;
⅓ cup (125ml) coconut milk;
3 tsp soy sauce;
2 tsp maple syrup;
¼ tsp salt;
1 tsp grated ginger;
1 tsp crushed garlic;
2 tsp sriracha;
2 tsp lime juice;
2 makrut leaves, very thinly sliced;
2 Tbsp water, plus extra if needed.
Method
Combine all ingredients, except the water, in a small saucepan over a low-medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring often to prevent catching, for 5 minutes. Set aside until ready to use. This dressing is best served warm. It will thicken significantly in the fridge, so warm up then add water to thin to serve.
Panko tofu salad for one
I’m definitely not reinventing the wheel here but hot damn, this salad slaps. The light crunch of the lettuce, tomato and cucumber pairs perfectly with the tangy dressing and creamy avocado, and the warm panko tofu brings heart and flavour, making a salad that’s both moreish and filling.
Use this recipe as a guide, increasing or decreasing the quantities depending on hunger.
Serves 1
Dressing
1 Tbsp mayo;
1 tsp Dijon mustard;
Juice of ½ a lemon.
Panko tofu
100g-150g firm tofu, drained and pressed;
1 tsp soy sauce;
1 tsp Japanese mayo;
2 Tbsp panko crumbs;
Oil for cooking.
Salad
3 cos (romaine) lettuce leaves, washed, spun, sliced;
6-8 baby roma tomatoes, halved;
2.5cm chunk of cucumber, halved and sliced;
½ avocado, sliced;
⅛ red onion, sliced;
1 Tbsp hemp seeds.
Method
To make the dressing, combine all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and stir until well combined.
Start with a big slab of tofu. You will cut it once it’s cooked. Lay flat between a clean tea towel (dish towel) or paper towel and squeeze out as much water as possible.
Combine the soy sauce and mayo in a flat-bottomed dish. Pat the tofu dry and add to the dish, coating it in the marinade, then leave it to sit for at least 30 minutes.
Pour the panko crumbs on to a dinner plate and gently place the tofu in the panko, lightly pressing it into the crumbs and then flipping and coating the other side. Press the crumbs into the sides of the tofu too.
Warm 1 Tbsp of cooking oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the tofu and cook for 2-3 minutes, until lightly golden on the underside. Flip and cook for another 2-3 minutes, until golden and crispy all over. Transfer to a lined plate and slice on the diagonal as pictured when ready to use.
Arrange the lettuce leaves in a bowl and drizzle with half of the dressing. Follow with the remaining ingredients and top with the tofu and the remaining dressing.
Serve immediately.
Epic tips
1. This salad is great piled into a wrap that’s been smeared with hummus.
2. To pump up the protein, add feta, a boiled egg or a serving of quinoa.
3. For a lighter version, swap the Panko tofu for the marinated tofu and bake it, rather than pan frying.
4. Not sure what to do with the rest of the tofu? Freeze it or marinate it. I often cook with a 400g block of tofu and prep three serves of this to eat it over three days. Lunch, sorted.
