Picnic salad recipe

 

Just Add Mushrooms

The first of our Spring recipes with

Melissa Hemsley

is this delicious Za’tar roasted chestnut mushrooms salad Served with sweet potato wedges, fried halloumi and a chilli honey lemon dressing for an added kick! This really is the perfect everyday seasonal salad to be enjoyed on its own or as a tasty side dish.

Ingredients

400g Organic

Sainsbury's

Chestnut Mushrooms

2 tbsp ghee or olive oil

1 tbsp pomegranate molasses or balsamic vinegar

2 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed but unpeeled

1 handful of pistachios or pumpkin seeds

250g pack of halloumi, sliced into 12, patted dry

Handful ripe cherry tomatoes, halved

4 handfuls rocket or your favourite salad leaves

2 handfuls fresh herbs like basil & mint

Sea salt & pepper, to taste

The method

1. Preheat the oven to 220C. Roughly chop the mushrooms into quarters and slice the sweet potatoes into thin wedges (not too thick so they roast quickly with the mushrooms). Take a roasting tray and tumble the mushrooms and sweet potato wedges onto the tray then toss in oil (or melted ghee) with sea salt & pepper then spread out into one even layer (which helps them roast rather than steam) and roast for 20 minutes.

2. Remove the tray from the oven, drizzle over the pomegranate molasses and sprinkle over the za’atar plus the pistachios, toss again, spread out again and roast for another 10 minutes until the sweet potatoes are tender and going golden at the edges.

3. Meanwhile make the dressing by finely grate the garlic into a clean jam jar then add the rest of the ingredients, pop the lid on and shake until combined. Alternatively whisk in a small bowl. Season to taste.

4. When you’re ready to eat, on a large serving platter, scatter over the rocket, cherry tomatoes and the fresh herbs, tearing larger ones and keeping smaller herb leaves whole. Distribute the hot mushrooms and sweet potato wedges and drizzle over half the dressing

5. Halloumi of course is best eaten straight from the pan so finally cook the halloumi by heating up a large frying pan and fry the halloumi on each side for about 90 seconds til nicely golden on each side. Then transfer to the salad platter and drizzle over a little more dressing and finish with the rest of the herbs and pistachios.