So these are just some of my salads that will certainly be featuring at my Christmas lunch. Roasted pumpkin, Fetta and Roasted Chickpea salad & Prawn, Mango & Macadamia salad. With humid & hot Brisbane weather….it is cold buffet for us. And best of all, house is cool, salads are prepped in fridge waiting & happy days….bring on the prawns.

Roasted Pumpkin, Fetta & Green Bean Salad

large bag of baby spinach

200g beans, top & tail ended

200g Persian fetta (can be marinated)

1/4 Jap pumpkin, cut in thin, half moon slices

extra virgin olive oil

¼ cup sunflower seeds, roasted

1/4 cup chickpeas, roasted

Snow pea tendrils for garnish

Dressing:

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tbsp lemon or lime juice

1/2 tsp raw caster sugar

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

freshly ground pepper & salt, to taste

• Place slices of pumpkin on a lined baking tray and drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper
• Roast in 180^oC oven for approx. 30 mins or until cooked and slightly browned.
• Roast sunflower seeds in small lined tray for approx. 5 mins.
• Place tinned chickpeas on a lined tray, drizzle with olive oil, salt & pepper and roast in oven for 10 minutes.
• Top and tail green beans, and steam in saucepan for 4 mins and immediately rinse in iced cold water to preserve the vibrant green colour.
• Rinse, dry and arrange baby spinach on a salad platter or wide salad bowl.
• Arrange pumpkin slices, Persian fetta, sunflower seeds, chickpeas over spinach leaves.
• Garnish with snow pea tendrils.
• Combine olive oil, red wine vinegar, 1 tbsp lemon/lime juice, Dijon mustard and freshly ground pepper & salt in a dressing shaker or lidded jar. I will dress the salad just before serving whether I have this at home, or take to someone’s house.