Our recipe for the perfect long bank holiday weekend? Pancakes for breakfast, a veggie-packed lasagne for lunch with fancy salads, plus a squidgy chocolate cake. Happy eating!
QUINOA AND WATERMELON SALAD WITH PISTACHIOS AND SPICY PICKLED PEPPERS
Joshua McFadden, Oregon-based chef and author of Grains For Every Season, says: ‘The tender quinoa plays nicely with watermelon’s soft-but-crunchy consistency, and soaks up all the tangy-sweet juices. The watermelon tends to give off juice as it sits, so the dish is best right after you toss in the final ingredients.’
Serves 4
120g uncooked quinoa
Kosher salt
300g cubed ripe but firm
watermelon, chilled
75g cored, seeded, and sliced
pickled chilli peppers
40g finely chopped red onion
½ tsp dried oregano
Freshly ground black pepper
30g leaves and tender stems from
a mix of fresh herbs (basil, mint,
parsley, coriander)
1 lime
1 tbsp pickling liquid from the chillis
Extra-virgin olive oil
60g roasted pistachios (salted or
not), roughly chopped
1 Put the quinoa in a small saucepan with a lid, along with 300ml water and ½ teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook until the quinoa is tender and the liquid is absorbed, 15-18 minutes. If there’s liquid left, drain it off; if the water is absorbed but the quinoa isn’t tender, add a little more and keep cooking until tender. Cool completely.
2 Put the watermelon, chillis, red onion, and dried oregano in a large serving bowl. Season generously with salt and pepper and toss gently.
3 Add the quinoa and herbs. Finely grate the zest of the lime into the bowl, then squeeze the juice from one half onto the salad. Sprinkle on the pickling juice and 2 tablespoons of olive oil and toss again. Taste and adjust with more salt, pepper, lime juice, pickle juice, or olive oil – you want the flavours to be zingy. Toss in the pistachios and serve right away.
WILD RICE SALAD WITH ROASTED BEETS, CUCUMBERS, AND DILL
Joshua McFadden says: ‘I love the flavour profile of this dish, with wild rice providing a robust platform for earthy roasted beets and the husky flavour of walnuts. You could swap chunks of roasted carrot for the beets or use a blend of the two. Cucumber and feta are bright accents.’ Use store-bought ranch dressing or season some plain yoghurt with lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste.
Serves 4
175g uncooked wild rice
Kosher salt
675g beetroot, trimmed, peeled,
cut into 2.5cm chunks
Extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
450g cucumbers, preferably
small Persian ones, peeled,
seeded, cut into 1cm slices
