Salads with soul

Carrot and red quinoa salad with oregano, smoked almonds, currants and roasted garlic dressing

The roasted garlic dressing is as luscious as mayonnaise and gives this salad a buttery, nutty flavour. Serve it as a meat-free starter or alongside grilled lamb or chicken.

100g red quinoa, washed well

2 large bunches Dutch carrots, stalks trimmed and peeled

3 tsp cumin seeds

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

extra-virgin olive oil

1 large whole garlic bulb

2 tbsp tahini

100ml white wine vinegar

2 sprigs fresh oregano, picked

2 tbsp currants, plumped up in a little hot vinegar for 5 minutes

1 handful smoked almonds, chopped

1. Preheat the oven to 180C fan-forced or 200C conventional.

2. Cook the quinoa in simmering water for about eight minutes (don't use the absorption method for this recipe), drain and set aside at room temperature.

3. Place three-quarters of the carrots on a baking tray with two teaspoons of cumin seeds, season with salt and pepper, drizzle with oil and mix to coat. Roast for 25-30 minutes or until cooked and nicely coloured.

4. Drizzle the garlic bulb with olive oil, wrap in foil and roast alongside the carrots for about 35 minutes, or until fragrant and soft.

5. Slice the remaining carrots into 1 centimetre-thick rounds. Bring a saucepan of water to the boil and blanch them for about 15 seconds. Drain.

6. Combine the tahini, vinegar and 100 millilitres of olive oil in a small measuring jug or cylindrical container. Squeeze the roasted garlic paste out of the skin and into the jug and blitz with a stick blender, adding between 60 and 100 millilitres of water until you have a smooth and creamy dressing. Season to taste.

7. In a small bowl, toss the blanched carrots through the roasted garlic dressing.

8. Spread the cooked quinoa on a serving plate and top with the roasted and dressed carrots, spooning over the dressing. Scatter over the currants, oregano leaves, remaining cumin seeds and almonds. Lightly season with salt and pepper and serve.

Serves 4

Drink Chenin blanc

Celery, lemon and parsley salad

This ''condiment salad'' (part salad, part dressing) is fresh and bright, with a real punch of lemon and warmer tones from the nutty garlic and fennel seeds. It's great with fish, especially when char-grilled on the bone, acting both as a salad and a dressing.

3 small Lebanese cucumbers, sliced in half lengthways and deseeded

1/2 head celery, outer stalks removed, keeping the yellow heart and some of the paler stalks

1 tsp salt flakes, plus extra

1 tsp sugar

3 lemons

80ml extra-virgin olive oil

5 large cloves garlic, sliced

1 tsp fennel seeds

freshly ground black pepper

1/2 bunch parsley

1. Cut the cucumber into 5-millimetre slices. Slice the coarse base off the celery and cut stalks in half-centimetre slices. Put cucumber and celery in a colander and sprinkle over one teaspoon of salt and sugar, lightly toss through and set aside.

2. Using a sharp knife, cut the ends off the lemons, slice off the peel, and cut out the segments by slicing out the flesh between each of the membranes. Cut each segment into three or four pieces and place in a bowl. Squeeze out any additional juice from the membrane.

3. In a small frying pan over a medium heat, add the oil and heat through. Add the garlic and fry until just golden and fragrant (it needs to be golden and nutty but not burnt). Add the fennel seeds, warm through quickly, take off the heat and allow to cool for a minute or two. Pour over the lemon pieces, season with salt and pepper and mix through.

4. Squeeze the celery and cucumber lightly to remove any excess moisture and tip into a bowl with the parsley and lemon mix. Toss through, leave to sit for 10 minutes, then serve.

Serves 6 as a condiment salad

Drink Although I wouldn't normally match a wine to something like this, if you're using it alongside barbecued or grilled fish, a crisp glass of riesling or sauvignon blanc would be ideal.

Celeriac, apple and kale slaw with sour cream, dehydrated anchovy and roast garlic dressing

This healthy little salad is quite tasty on its own, but really delicious with pork. Try a crumbed organic cotoletta or some slow-cooked pulled shoulder.

1 large whole garlic bulb

80ml extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra

10 high-quality anchovies (pink and fleshy ones)

150g sour cream

1 lemon, juiced

salt flakes

freshly ground black pepper

1 small celeriac, peeled, sliced on a mandolin and julienned

1 bunch kale, stalks removed and leaves shredded (chiffonade)

1 granny smith apple, sliced thinly and slices then cut in half

1. Preheat the oven to 180C fan-forced or 200C conventional.

2. Drizzle the garlic bulb with olive oil, wrap in foil and roast for about 35 minutes, or until fragrant and soft.

3. While the garlic roasts, bake the anchovies flat on a tray lined with baking paper for about five minutes or until brown and powdery-looking. Remove to cool and dry out.

4. Squeeze the garlic paste out of the skin (about two heaped tablespoons) and into a small bowl. Mash up with a fork and mix in the sour cream, oil and lemon juice, along with a splash of water to loosen the dressing. Season with salt and pepper.

5. In a large bowl, mix the celeriac, kale and apple together, add the dressing and toss to coat. Tip this into your serving bowl(s), crumble over the dried anchovies and serve.

Serves 6