Food stylist Kathy Kordalis goes well beyond green leaves and tomatoes in her collection.
This salad is packed with nourishing elements that I could eat every day for lunch or dinner. It is definitely one of those dishes that you can make on a Sunday for your prep-ahead lunches. It travels well, and the miso ginger dressing is all it needs for a toasty, savoury and fresh finish.
Miso Brown Rice Salad with Tofu & Ginger Dressing
Serves 2 / Prep time: approx. 30 minutes /
Cooking time: 25-30 mins at 200C fan
- 250g brown sushi rice, cooked according to package instructions
- 200g edamame beans
- 100g radishes, sliced
- 2 golden beetroot, grated
- handful of coriander
- pinch of dried chilli flakes
GINGER DRESSING
- thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, grated
- 4 spring onions, thinly sliced
- 3 tbsp white miso
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
TOFU
- 300g pack tofu
- thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, grated
- 60ml soy sauce
- 2 tbsp white miso
- 2 tbsp honey
- pinch of dried chilli flakes
- 1 tbsp cornflour
First, make the dressing. Mix together all the ingredients and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan bake.
Wrap the tofu in paper towels or a kitchen towel and place on a baking sheet. Weigh down with something heavy, like a frying pan and let it sit for 10 minutes. Unpack and unwrap tofu, then transfer to a cutting board and cut into 5-cm cubes.
Whisk together the ginger, soy sauce, white miso, honey and chilli flakes. Add the tofu and gently toss to coat. Sprinkle cornflour over it all and mix until incorporated. Leave to sit for 10 minutes.
Remove the tofu from the marinade and spread the cubes out on a baking sheet lined with baking paper. Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, turning halfway through, until golden brown and a thin crust forms.
Divide the rice between 2 plates, then top with edamame, sliced radishes, beetroot and roasted tofu.
Drizzle with the dressing and finish with coriander and dried chilli flakes.
Avocado & Kale Grain Bowl with Tahini-Coriander Dressing
These bowls can be prepared ahead for either a light lunch at home or work meals for the week. Pouches of ready-cooked mixed grains with extra seasonings added can be bought from most supermarkets.
Serves 2 / Prep time: about 20 minutes
- 1 bunch kale, stems discarded, torn into bite-sized pieces
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- finely grated zest and freshly squeezed juice of 2 lemons
- 4 spring onions, finely chopped
- 400g can chickpeas beans, drained
- 400g mixed cooked grains
- 120g feta, crumbled (or vegan equivalent)
- 1 avocado, halved, stoned and peeled
- 2 tbsp dukkah, plus extra to finish
- 1 courgette, grated
- 50g stoned green olives
- pistachio nuts, coarsely chopped, to serve
TAHINI-CORIANDER DRESSING
- 30g fresh coriander, leaves and stalks
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 70ml extra virgin olive oil
- 60ml tahini
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Combine the kale, olive oil and lemon juice and zest in a bowl, season and massage the kale with your fingers until it wilts. Add the spring onions, chickpeas and mixed grains and toss to combine.
For the dressing, whisk the ingredients together in a bowl, then thin with 2-3 tablespoons hot water to drizzling consistency and season to taste.
Divide the kale mixture between 2 serving bowls and scatter with the feta. Dip one half of the cut-side of the avocado in dukkah, place on top of the kale mixture and arrange the courgette and olives next to it.
Drizzle with the dressing to taste and serve scattered with pistachio nuts.
Roast Potato Salad
This is a hybrid salad and side and my favourite way to eat a salad. It’s mixed with roasted, fresh and well-dressed components. This is lovely just warm or at room temperature and can be made in advance. Perfect when cooking for a crowd.
Serves 4 / Prep time: approx. 20 minutes /
Cooking time: 30 mins at 200C fan
- 500g small new potatoes, scrubbed, halved
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 200g radishes, halved if large
- 150g mixed wild leaves, such as nasturtiums and watercress
- 20g fresh dill, roughly chopped (or to taste)
- 4 spring onions, thinly sliced into rounds
- 60g soft goat’s cheese, crumbled (optional)
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
WARM LEMON GARLIC DRESSING
- 30g butter, coarsely chopped
- 30ml extra virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan bake.
Toss the potatoes in the olive oil, season with salt and pepper and roast for 20 minutes. Add the radishes, mixing them through the potatoes and cook for a final 5 minutes until cooked through.
For the dressing, melt the butter and olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat, then stir in the garlic and lemon zest.
Remove from the heat, whisk in the mustard and lemon juice, season to taste, then pour the dressing over the roasted potatoes and radishes.
Serve the salad warm, scattered with wild leaves, dill, spring onions and goat’s cheese, if using.
Buckwheat Tabbouleh with Beans & Grainy Lamb Meatballs
Using buckwheat in this mixed bean tabbouleh makes it a great gluten-free alternative. This can be a great sharing salad with the grainy lamb meatballs, or part of a larger sharing table with the addition of other elements. Roasting the garlic in the dressing makes it more mellow and delicious.
Serves 4 / Prep time: approx. 30 minutes /
Cooking time: 45 mins at 200C fan
BUCKWHEAT TABBOULEH
- 150g buckwheat, cooked and cooled
- 400g can butter beans
- 200g broad beans, skins removed
- 200g frozen peas, blanched and refreshed
- 100g mixed fine green beans, blanched and refreshed
- 30g toasted pumpkin seeds
- 1 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 1 bunch fresh mint, leaves picked and finely chopped
- ½ red onion, thinly sliced
- 30g pickled red chillies, chopped (optional)
- 2 tbsp toasted pine nuts
ROAST GARLIC DRESSING
- 1 bulb garlic
- 60ml extra virgin olive oil
- finely grated zest and freshly squeezed juice of 2 lemons
- 1 tsp sumac
GRAINY LAMB MEATBALLS
- 75g bulgur, soaked overnight in water in the fridge
- 500g minced lamb
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- vegetable oil, for shallow-frying
TO SERVE
- warmed pita breads
- sumac, to sprinkle
Start by making the roast garlic dressing. Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan bake.
Wrap the garlic tightly in foil, place on a baking sheet and roast for 30-35 minutes until tender and caramelised. When cool enough to handle, squeeze the garlic from the skins into a bowl (discard the skins), whisk in the oil, lemon juice and zest, and sumac, season to taste and set aside.
To make the meatballs, add the bulgur, lamb, garlic, spices and a pinch each of salt and pepper to a food processor and pulse to combine well.
With slightly wet hands, shape the lamb mixture into golf ball-sized balls, then massage them a little to create elasticity, and shape into ovals.
Place on a tray and refrigerate until required.
Fry the meatballs in a frying pan for about 8-10 minutes (in 2 batches), turning occasionally, until golden and cooked through. Keep warm.
To make the tabbouleh, combine the buckwheat, beans, peas, green beans, pumpkin seeds and herbs in a bowl, drizzle with dressing, season to taste and toss to combine. Scatter the red onion, pickled chillies and pine nuts over the top.
Serve the tabbouleh with the meatballs and pita breads sprinkled with sumac on the side.
An edited extract from Sensational Salads, by Kathy Kordalis (Ryland Peters & Small, $44.99).
