Working with the grain

Now that spring is officially here, we're ready to put aside the hearty winter fare that saw us through the cold months and move on to something new. Something fresh, crisp and, most importantly, tasty.

These grain salads taste so good I am willing to overlook the fact that they may, in fact, be good for me. They are also easy to cook and can be prepared a day or more in advance. They make perfect spring side dishes. Because the grain gives them enough substance to be satisfying, they can even be served as a main course on light-eating days.

Freekeh is a young roasted green wheat grain that can be bought from most Middle Eastern delis.

Quinoa is a grain-like crop grown originally in South America for its edible seeds. Closely related to beetroot and spinach, it is found in supermarket health food sections, health food shops or nut and spice shops.

FREEKEH SALAD WITH PERSIAN FETTA

60g butter

1 stick celery, finely diced

3 red eschallots, finely diced

1 small garlic clove, chopped

1 bay leaf

200g freekeh, rinsed under cold water

6 green onions, finely sliced

1 cup flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

1/2 cup mint, roughly chopped

100g roasted hazelnuts, skinned and roughly chopped

100g currants

2 lemons, juiced

100ml extra virgin olive oil

300g Persian feta

Place butter, celery, eschallots, garlic and bay leaf in a medium-sized saucepan, and sweat vegetables over a low heat for 10 minutes. Add freekeh to the pan and stir to ensure the grain is coated with butter. Add 230ml of water to the pan, bring to boil and cover with a lid. Continue to cook on a low heat on the stovetop. Check after 12 minutes and taste a small amount - the larger the grain, the longer the cooking time. When sufficiently cooked (soft but still al dente), remove freekeh from the pan and spread out on a large plate to cool quickly without overcooking. When cold, it can be kept in an airtight container for two days. To assemble the salad, mix green onions, chopped herbs, hazelnuts and currants with the freekah. Mix lemon juice and oil, dress the salad, crumble the feta over and serve.

Serves 6 (pictured)

ROAST CARROT AND QUINOA SALAD

2 tsp sweet paprika

1 tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground cinnamon

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 bunches dutch carrots, scrubbed and sliced lengthwise

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

7 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup raw almonds

1 cup quinoa

2 cups water

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

3 cups large leaf rocket

1/2 tsp finely grated lemon zest

1 tsp Dijon mustard

2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Preheat oven to 190C. In a small bowl, mix spices, 1 tsp of salt and 1 tsp of pepper. In a medium bowl, toss carrots with onion and 2 tablespoons of oil. Add 1 tbsp of spice mix and toss to coat. Spread vegetables on a rimmed baking sheet and roast for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring once or twice, until tender. Spread almonds on a baking tray and bake for about seven minutes, until golden, then cool and coarsely chop. In a medium saucepan, combine quinoa with 2 tsp of spice mix and water and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat until water is absorbed and quinoa is tender, about 17 minutes. Uncover, fluff with a fork and let cool slightly. In a large bowl, whisk 2 tbsp oil with 1 tbsp lemon juice and season with salt and black pepper. Add rocket, toss to coat and spread on a large platter. In the same bowl, whisk remaining oil with remaining lemon juice, lemon zest, mustard and 1 tsp of spice mix; season with salt. Add quinoa, almonds, parsley and roasted vegetables and toss well. Spoon quinoa salad on the rocket and serve.

Serves 8