What else, other than nuts and seeds, can I add to my main courses and salads for a bit of exciting texture and flavour? Kinga, Leeds
Bread is a good place to start, especially anything that’s a day or two old: a bagel, some pitta, a slice of sourdough … Break it up a bit, lightly toss in well-seasoned oil, spread out on an oven tray, bake at 190C (170C fan)/410F/gas 6½ for about 10 minutes (or fry on the hob in a mix of oil and butter), then leave to cool. Add some nuts to the mix, too – I especially like pine nuts and chopped almonds – then toss with sumac. The crisp bread is a great addition to all kinds of salads.
You say “except seeds and nuts”, but I’m assuming that doesn’t cover those included in various spice mixes. Dukkah, for example, is one of my all-time favourites: recipes vary, but they often feature toasted hazelnuts, coriander seeds, paprika and a host of other spices. That’s as good on leafy salads as it is on the likes of hummus or butter bean spread. Sesame seed-studded za’atar is another blend that brings a lovely layer of texture to whatever you sprinkle it on.
Then there are pulses: chickpeas, for example, are great roasted until crisp with a little oil and some ground spices – cumin and smoked paprika, say – and added to a salad or snacked on just as they are.
Crisp fried shallots, either homemade or bought in, are brilliant on all sorts of soups, as are toasted coconut flakes, particularly if coconut milk or cream features in the soup base. See what’s in your pantry, play around and try crunching it up. And, yes, that does include the bag of ready-salted crisps that’s now got me wondering…
