Cool change

As winter approaches, it's not compulsory to cook big, heavy braises and the sort of food that makes you sleepy after eating. Warm salads are an interesting and healthy way to eat during the cold months, using tasty seasonal vegetables.

Celeriac's fantastic earthy flavour is perfect for roasts and purees. For a simple soup, put equal amounts of celeriac, celery and potato in a saucepan, just cover with water, cook until soft, puree and finish with a little creme fraiche. Other vegetables to try are Jerusalem and globe artichokes and sprouting broccoli.

This celeriac salad also works well with a slow-cooked smoked ham hock. For the lentil salad, I like to use French baby lentils because they keep their shape well.

Once they are cooked, drain them and dress them in a little sherry vinegar while still warm to bring out their flavour.

CELERIAC, BLACK CABBAGE AND SMOKED CHICKEN

2 large celeriac, peeled and diced large

1 tbsp thyme, chopped

250ml olive oil

Sea salt

2 handfuls black cabbage leaves

1 red eschallot, finely diced

1 tbsp whole grain mustard

1 tsp honey

2 lemons, juiced

6 hot-smoked chicken breasts

2 sticks celery, diced small

1 handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Heat oven to 180C. Place celeriac in a bowl with thyme, 100 millilitres olive oil and a pinch of salt. Toss well.

Transfer to a roasting tray and roast until tender and well coloured. Blanch cabbage leaves in salted boiling water for 2 minutes. Remove and refresh in iced water. Chop leaves into smaller pieces.

For dressing, mix eschallot, mustard, honey, lemon juice and remaining oil. Bring chicken to room temperature.

When celeriac is cooked, place chicken on top and return to oven for 8 minutes to heat chicken. Remove from oven, remove chicken and keep warm.

Add cabbage to tray. Add celery, parsley and 3/4 of the dressing to tray and mix until well coated.

Divide between 6 plates, slice a small edge off the sides of the chicken and then slice in half length ways. Place on salad and spoon over remaining dressing. Serve immediately.

Serves 6 (pictured)

LENTILS, BEETROOT, APPLE, GRILLED SALMON

4 medium beetroot

1 tsp thyme, chopped

230ml olive oil plus a little for frying and drizzling

1/2 brown onion, finely diced

1 carrot, diced small

1 celery stick, diced small

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2 bay leaves

300g French green lentils

30ml sherry vinegar

8 x 120g salmon fillet pieces, skin on

10 mint leaves, chopped

1 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped

1 tsp Dijon mustard

40ml lemon juice

2 Granny Smith apples

1 lemon, cut in half

Preheat oven to 180C. Wrap each beetroot in foil and roast for an hour until soft in the centre. When cool enough to handle, cut into 1-centimetre dice and mix with thyme and 100 millilitres olive oil.

Sweat onion, carrot, celery, garlic and bay leaves in a little olive oil until soft.

Add lentils, cover with cold water then bring to a simmer and cook until soft, but not mushy. Drain lentils and place in a bowl, add sherry vinegar and 30 millilitres olive oil and toss well.

Heat grill pan and start cooking the salmon skin side down to crisp it. After about 10 minutes, turn salmon and cook for about 5 minutes then leave in a warm place until needed.

Mix lentils, beetroot, mint and parsley. Mix mustard, lemon juice and remaining 100 millilitres olive oil for the dressing. Cut apples into matchsticks.

Add dressing to lentil salad, divide between eight plates, top with some apple sticks and finish with a piece of salmon. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and a squeeze of lemon.

Serves 8