Name: Quinoa Sizzle Salad
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4 as a main
Ingredients: 1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed in a fine-mesh colander; 2 cups water; 1 medium cucumber, diced; 1 medium red capsicum, diced; 3-4 cups rocket or baby spinach; 1 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley; ½ teaspoon fine sea salt; Freshly ground black pepper, to taste; 2 cups cherry tomatoes left whole; 1 teaspoon mustard seeds; 1 teaspoon fennel seeds; 1 teaspoon coriander seeds; 1 teaspoon cumin seeds; 3-4 cloves garlic, minced; 1 red onion, finely diced; ¼ cup apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar; 2 teaspoon honey; ¼ cup olive oil

quinoa sizzle salad

7/3/2025

When I think back to the 2010s, there were definite trends in my eating habits. Tortillas and quesadillas became weeknight staples. Friday nights regularly featured a Halal Snack Pack. Vegetables were snuck into desserts for my children (sweet potato brownies and chocolate beetroot cake are standouts).

But by far it was my embracing of hearty, vegetarian salads as a meal in themselves that really changed my repertoire and remains so today. Thanks to the introduction of satisfying, nutritious grains like quinoa, amaranth, freekeh and more, salads finally got their well-deserved Main Character Energy.

In recent years I've neglected quinoa in place of legumes and other grains. But I've recently come back to quinoa, and I'm bringing you all with me!

Now for why I call it Sizzle Salad. The dressing for this salad is made by toasting whole spice seeds in a frypan until crunchy and aromatic, adding vinegar and olive oil, then pouring the whole mixture over cooked, still warm quinoa so the dressing soaks in and imparts next-level flavour to the otherwise simple salad.

This salad is as great as a main as it is as a side, and it's suited to all seasons too!

potato salad

21/1/2025

Summer often equals salad when it comes to food, and in a hot country like ours, we want more than just dressed leafy greens. Months of scorching weather sees the need for more satisfying dishes that are palatable and easy to prepare even on the steamiest days.

Potato salad can be contentious. If you've ever endured a deli counter potato salad drowning in sweet salad cream, you'll know what I mean.

I owe my potato salad recipe mostly to an old family friend, who showed me how to make it in the traditional German style when I was 16. It's this German influence that gives the salad two crucial elements. The first is pouring a hot vinegar and sugar mixture over the potatoes to infuse them with flavour. The second is fresh dill.

Although my recipe calls for roasted potatoes, it's equally delicious made with boiled. So if you're loathe to turn the oven on when you go to make this, be assured that you'll still get excellent results using whole, unpeeled boiled baby potatoes!

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