There are quite a few meals that we eat regularly at home that have never made it to the blog.
For example, there is only one curry recipe on here, despite the fact that we eat curry at least once a week – though to be fair, a large portion of the curry consumed is from Bs favorite curry house down the road, run by a somewhat grumpy manager named Harry who rarely smiles and is infamous for selling beer two years past it’s used by date. The online reviews for the restaurant are filled with those that either love it or hate it – those in the latter are usually unimpressed by the “chaotic” service though we would be none the wiser, B has made friends with the owner and every time we go there we are rushed in and taken to the star table, “a Kingfisher for you yes B?” Harry remarks while taking the top of a stubbie of beer to a happy boyfriend. B sits there through the whole meal beaming from ear to ear, “the best meal in Hobart!” When not dining in, B will order in take away out (oxymoron much?) though we do cook quite a bit of curry at home ourselves too. It’s usually a bit of a slap-dash approach and we rarely follow a recipe, but it usually turns out pretty well so next time we crave a homemade curry, I’ll be sure to jot down the recipe to share with you here.
Another meal that features on regular rotation at breakfast time in our house is oat and chia pudding, which originally I didn’t think I’d bother putting on the blog as surely there were enough oaty/chia-y creations on the interwebs already that no one would need another one, right? Turns out I was wrong, with the two variations being by far the most popular recipes on the site.
So today I thought I would share what has been a fairly standard lunch in our house over the past few weeks. I love wintery-style salads which combine cooked and raw vegetables and contrasting textures, and this one is has such great flavours and ingredients that make it interesting and appealing without being too adventurous. There’s a little bit of spice added but no heat, and the dressing is a super simple basic vinegarette.
This salad is nice on it’s own with just the roasted veggies and vinegarette, but what makes it really special is that creamy bite of the goats cheese and the added crunch of the chickpea croutons. I also like to serve it with a bean dip and some labneh if I have any on hand.
- 1 400g can chickpeas
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp cumin
- Salt and pepper
- 1 small butternut pumpkin
- ½ head cauliflower
- 2 large carrots
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 4 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- ¼ tsp each salt and pepper
- 50g soft goats cheese
- 2 handfuls baby spinach
- ⅓ cup loosley-packed coriander leaves
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Hummus or white bean dip, to serve
- Preheat oven to 180 C | 355 F
- Prepare the vegetables by peeling the carrots and pumpkin, and chopping into small pieces. Cut the stalk off the cauliflower and cut into smaller florets.
- Place the vegetables on a large baking tray and drizzle with half the olive il (2 Tbsp) plus the spices and salt and pepper to taste. Mix around until the vegetables are evenly coated.
- Bake for 35 - 40 mins, and then increase the heat to 200 C | 395 F and bake another 10 to 15 minutes until golden. Turn the vegetables once they have started to brown up on the bottom side, at about the 30 minute mark.
- While the vegetables are roasting, drain the chickpeas and use paper towel or a clean tea towel to pat them dry. Place the chickpeas on a roasting tray and drizzle with the olive oil, and sprinkle with the seasonings. Use a spoon to stir the chickpeas around to coat in the seasonings.
- Once the oven has reached 200 C | 395, add the chickpeas. Cook half an hour or so, shaking the pan half way through. The chickpeas should be golden and crisp.
- Make the vinegarette by mxing 2 Tbsp olive oil with the lemon juice and about ¼ tsp each of salt and pepper.
- Once the vegetables are cooked, toss through the spinach and coriander. Stir through the vinegarette. Arrange in a large bowl or platter, and spread the crumbled goats cheese and chickpeas.
- Serve immediately.
Oh you’re so right that we too often overlook our standard meals as blog worthy, yet they become the most loved by others once shared. And I’m so glad you shared this salad because it looks so gorgeous, and I love absolutely every single element here. Pumpkins are already appearing at our market so I’m saving this salad for the cooler days approaching.
It sounds logical in the end doesn’t it – those simple but tasty staples are always the ones we love. Thanks Katie, hope you enjoy the salad :)
I love seeing what bloggers eat “normally”. This salad looks so delicious! Just a salad for me. Pinned for this winter :)
Haha, yes me too. An interesting bit of insight ;) Thanks hon xx
Chickpea croutons are the absolute best!! I like to roast mine with lots of spices to add heat to my salads. :D
They are such a great addition to salads arent they! I love the idea of making them spicy too, will have to try this :)
Dearna! this salad looks absolutely incredible! i love crispy chickpeas cooked like this.will definitely be trying this yummy combination! x