Apple, Avocado and Pepitas Salad with Goat’s Cheese and Capsicum Chilli Dressing
Don’t be put off by all the ingredients here; the spiced pepitas and dressing can be made ahead, but even if you’re starting from scratch, you’ll have dinner on the table in under an hour. Full of fresh, autumnal flavour, this simple salad is great as-is or serve it, as we have, with a plate of spiced lamb cutlets.
Ingredients
For the dressing:
1 460g jar Lindo roasted red peppers
1 red chilli (seeds removed if you wish), roughly chopped
2 Tbsp red or white wine vinegar (or use the pickle from the pepper jar)
1 tsp maple syrup
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
For the spiced pepitas:
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp sea salt
2 cups pumpkin seeds, approx. 300g
½ tsp sweet smoked paprika
2 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp maple syrup
2 Tbsp olive oil
For the salad:
120g kale leaves
1 avocado
1 red or green apple
75g goat’s milk gouda
For the lamb:
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp Wild Fennel pork seasoning (smoked paprika, cayenne and garlic)
1 tsp ground cumin
8 lamb cutlets
Sour cream or yoghurt for serving
Mint leaves for garnishing
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
For the spiced pepitas:
Dry toast the cumin and coriander seeds in a frying pan until fragrant. Allow to cool slightly, then grind with the salt in a mortar and pestle or spice grinder. Put onto a large, lipped baking tray with the remaining ingredients and combine well. Bake for 15-20 minutes, stirring halfway through. The seeds should be crunchy. Cool before storing in an airtight container.
For the salad:
Remove the stems from the kale leaves and shred finely. Massage the leaves with 2 tablespoons of dressing and a sprinkling of salt to soften slightly, then set aside for 5 minutes to wilt and transfer to a serving platter. Slice the avocado and apple and arrange on the leaves. Drizzle with some extra dressing. Break up the cheese into small pieces and scatter over the leaves. Sprinkle with some of the spiced pepitas.
For the lamb:
Combine the oil, seasoning mix and ground cumin. Rub into the lamb and set aside until ready to cook. Fry or grill for 3-4 minutes on each side. Rest for a few minutes, then transfer to a platter smeared with sour cream or yoghurt. Finish with any meat juices and garnish with mint leaves.
Spice Up Your Seeds!
This recipe makes a big batch of pepitas, but we think you’ll love having them on hand for snacking or sprinkling over soups and salads. They keep well in an airtight jar, but in our experience they’re too delicious not to be nibbled up in a few days!