Guest chef Julia Busuttil Nishimura’s roasted cauliflower & wheat salad, and banana loaf

I adore the combination of cauliflower and tahini - and this nourishing salad is substantial enough to be a complete meal.

Yum: roasted cauliflower & wheat salad. Picture: Armelle Habib

I adore the combination of cauliflower and tahini, and this nourishing salad is substantial enough to be a complete meal. The sliced banana loaf is best eaten warm with a thick slather of butter.

ROASTED CAULIFLOWER & WHEAT SALAD

50g (¹⁄³ cup) blanched whole almonds

1 large head of cauliflower (about 1kg), cut into florets

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Pinch of sea salt

150g whole wheat grains*

Small bunch of mint, leaves picked and roughly chopped

Small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked, roughly chopped

6 pitted prunes, roughly chopped

1 tablespoon salted capers, rinsed

Tahini dressing

2 tablespoons tahini

60ml (¼ cup) extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Sea salt

Preheat oven to 180C (160C fan). Arrange almonds on a baking tray and roast for about 10 minutes or until just golden. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Arrange cauliflower on the tray, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt. Roast for about 45 minutes or until tender and golden. Transfer to bowl with the almonds. Meanwhile, cook wheat in saucepan of boiling water over medium-high heat for 30-35 minutes until al dente. Drain and set aside to cool. For the dressing, whisk tahini, olive oil and vinegar together; add a little water to thin if necessary. Season to taste. Add mint, parsley, prunes, capers and wheat to the bowl with the cauliflower; stir to combine. Arrange on a platter or in a serving bowl and drizzle with dressing. Serves 4-6

*Buy wheat grains from health-food shops and grocers that have bulk bins of dry goods. If unavailable, use farro, barley, freekeh or even brown rice but adjust your cooking time to suit, as they take a little less time.

Banana loaf

BANANA LOAF

2 eggs

150g raw sugar

100ml extra-virgin olive oil

2½ tablespoons full-cream milk or buttermilk

2 very ripe bananas (about 250g)

150g (1 cup) self-raising flour

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Optional

2½ tablespoons Dutch-process cocoa

100g dark chocolate (70% cocoa), roughly chopped

50g (½ cup) walnuts, roughly chopped

1 banana, cut in half lengthways

Preheat oven to 180C (160C fan). Grease a 24cm loaf tin with butter and line with baking paper. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and sugar until pale. Pour in olive oil and milk; whisk to combine. In a separate bowl, mash bananas until smooth, then mix into batter. Sift in flour and cinnamon. Stir gently; do not overwork the mixture. If using, add the sifted cocoa, chocolate and/or walnuts. Pour the mixture into the tin and, if using, top with the halved banana. Bake for about 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Serve warm with plenty of butter.

Julia Busuttil Nishimura’s book

From Ostro by Julia Busuttil Nishimura (2021 edition; Plum, $39.99). Photography: Armelle Habib