Cauliflower Freekeh & Goat’s Cheese Salad

By Judy Phillips

Cauliflower Freekeh & Goat's Cheese Salad

Cauliflower Freekeh & Goat’s Cheese Salad. This nourishing and healthy salad is perfect for the summer months. 

I love the meatiness of oyster mushrooms and I use them here almost as if they were fried pancetta, which could happily stand in for the mushrooms, if you eat it. Freekeh is green wheat that has been smoked and cracked and it’s not only simple to cook, it is utterly delicious. I buy it from Middle Eastern grocery stores. Here’s another dish where I use a spice mix from Herbie’s Spices; a Brazilian one this time. But again, for ease, I’ve given quantities for the individual spices that are in it, in case you can’t buy the mix.

Serves 6

1 cauliflower
8 red shallots
300g (10 ½ oz) oyster mushrooms
60ml (¼ cup/2 fl oz) olive oil
165g (1 cup/5 3⁄4 oz) cracked freekeh
200g (7 oz) baby kale
2 green onion (scallions)
2 tbsp toasted sunflower seeds
1 tsp truffle oil (optional)
1 tbsp caramelized balsamic vinegar
100g (3 ½ oz) goats cheese, crumbled

Brazilian Spice Mix

½ tsp each sweet paprika, powdered garlic, ground ginger, cumin, coriander, allspice, cinnamon and chilli

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400F and line a large baking tray with baking paper.

For the Brazilian spice mix, combine all ingredients in a small and stir to mix well.

Trim the cauliflower and cut it into florets. Peel and halve the shallots and tear any large oyster mushrooms in half.

Spread the cauliflower, shallots and mushrooms over the baking tray. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, sprinkle over the spice mix and drizzle with the olive oil. Roast for 30 minutes, stirring halfway through, or until the vegetables are tender and deep golden. Set aside.

Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil.

Add the freekah and cook over medium-high for 15 minutes or until tender, then drain well.

Combine the roast vegetables, freekah, kale and green onions in a large bowl and toss to combine well. Transfer to a serving bowl or platter. Sprinkle with the roasted seeds, drizzle with truffle oil, if using, then drizzle with the balsamic vinegar and scatter over the goats’ cheese.

This is an edited extract from Good Life & Great Food by Judy Phillips.

All profits from the sales of the book go to The Black Dog Institute and are available from select book stores and www.judyphillips.com.auImages by Louise Lister.

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