Tahini & Lemon Dressing

I’ve been making this dressing on the regular lately, I use it as a creamy moreish dressing for salads & drizzled over roasted veggies like butternut squash or cauliflower. It’s super easy to make, you just need a blender to blitz it all together.

Makes 100ml of dressing

Ingredients:

• 2 lemons, juiced

• 4 tbsp water

• 2 tbsp tahini

• 4 tbsp olive oil

• 3 garlic cloves, peeled

• A handful of chopped parsley (A handful of mint is also good to add here)

• Salt & ground black pepper, to taste

Method:

1. Add all of the ingredients to the blender and blitz for a couple of minutes until smooth.

2. Pour and serve over your dish of choice.

Keeps in the fridge, covered for about 4 days.

Roasted Cauliflower & Pistachio Salad

I'm really into cauliflower at the moment, in veggie curries & soups and like this roasted, dressed and served as a salad. It's a cheap and often overlooked vegetable, usually only eaten when covered in heavy, creamy sauces. Not that there is no place for cauliflower cheese but it's nice to have a bit of variety. It's a wet and windy end of March day as I write this so these photos which were taken on a much sunnier evening in my kitchen, are brightening my day and in particular those jewel like pomegranate seeds...

Ingredients:

• 1 small head cauliflower, broken into florets
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 pinch red chilli flakes
• Salt and black pepper
• 75g pistachio nuts
• 1/2 pomegranate, seeds
• Handful dill, chopped

Dressing

• 40ml olive oil
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 2 tsp honey

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 190ºC/375ºF/Gas 5.

2. Toss the cauliflower florets in a bowl with the olive oil, cumin and red chilli flakes, salt and black pepper.

3. Tip the mix onto a baking sheet and place into the oven to roast for about 25-30 minutes or until golden with slightly crispy edges. Leave to cool slightly, then mix through the pistachio nuts and pomegranate seeds.

4. To prepare the dressing, whisk together the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, pomegranate molasses, lemon juice and honey. Pour over enough dressing to coat all of the cauliflower florets and serve.

Grilled Artichokes With Aioli

When you are lucky enough to have fresh globe artichokes available near you and in season, there is nothing better than simply cooking them on the grill and serving with a delicious homemade aioli. It makes for a stunning sharing platter to begin a meal or as part of a larger mezze style dinner.

Ingredients:

Artichokes:

• 3 artichokes, trimmed
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing

Aioli:

• 1/2 clove garlic
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp cider vinegar
• 250ml extra-virgin olive oil
• Sea-salt and black pepper, to taste

Method:

Artichokes:

1. Fill a large bowl with cold water and the squeezed lemon juice.
2. Cut the artichokes in half lengthways.
3. Place the artichoke halves into the bowl to prevent browning.
4. Bring a large pot of water to the boil.
5. Cook the artichokes for about 15 minutes over a medium heat.
6. Meanwhile begin heating a grill pan or barbecue.
7. Drain the artichokes and brush with a little a little olive oil.
8. Grill the artichokes for about 10 minutes or until lightly chargrilled and cooked through.

Aioli:

1. Crush the garlic to a paste with a pinch of salt.
2. Whisk the garlic paste, egg yolks, dijon mustard and cider vinegar together.
3. Add the oil a little at a time, whisking constantly.
4. By the time all of the oil has been added you should have a thick, glossy mayonnaise.
5. Taste and add more salt, black pepper or vinegar as necessary.