Dianne’s Southwestern Cornbread Salad

Preparation

Prepare cornbread according to package directions, cool, and crumble. Then set aside.
Prepare salad dressing according to package directions.
Layer a large bowl with half each of cornbread, lettuce, and the next 6 ingredients: spoon half of dressing evenly over top. Repeat layers with remaining ingredients and dressing. Cover and chill at least 2 hours.

Grate or mince ginger finely. Process with the garlic cloves by grinding with salt under the edge of a knife. Finely mince the onion. Optional: Marinade the ground turkey in 2 Tbsp of soy sauce and 1 tsp baking soda for 15 minutes to improve browning.
In a hot wok or skillet add a few tablespoons of cooking oil, preferably peanut, and a tsp of sesame oil. Add the ground turkey and cook until no longer raw seasoning with soy sauce.
Add the onion and cook until translucent and the meat is nicely browned.

Boil salted water, add the quinoa, and cook about 15 minutes until tender. Drain well in a fine mesh strainer.
Whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes in a large bowl with salt and pepper to taste. Add the chicken and toss to coat.
Sear the chicken in an oiled skillet over medium-high heat, 5-6 minutes per side, until it reaches 165°F inside.

Preheat oven to 450F. Add 1 1/2 cup water and 1/4 tsp salt to a medium pot. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. While water comes to a boil, cut tomato into 1/4-inch pieces. Zest and juice the lemon.
Add garlic and bulghur to the boiling water. Stir to combine, remove pot from heat, cover, and let stand until bulghur is tender and liquid is absorbed (15 mins).
While bulghur rehydrates, pat chicken dry and season with Za’atar spice blend, salt, and pepper. Heat a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add 1/2 tsp oil, then the chicken. Sear until golden-brown.

Heat the oven to 200 C conventional or 180 C fan. Halve tomatoes and place them cut-side up on a lined tray. Toss with 1 tablespoon oil, thyme, 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Roast 18 to 20 minutes until softened and lightly browned; cool 5 minutes.
Drain and rinse lentils if using tinned lentils. Finely slice onion. In a large bowl, whisk remaining oil, balsamic vinegar, mustard and remaining salt until smooth. Add lentils and onion, then toss so the lentils are coated.
Fold in roasted tomatoes and their tray juices.

Put potatoes in a pot and cover with cold water by 3 cm. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt, bring to the boil and simmer 15 to 20 minutes until a small knife enters easily. Drain, cool 5 minutes, then halve or quarter while still warm.
Trim beans. Bring a second pot of salted water to the boil and cook beans 3 minutes until bright green and crisp-tender. Drain and rinse under cold water, then pat dry. Finely slice onion and chop parsley.
Whisk vinegar, mustard, remaining salt and pepper in a large bowl. Slowly whisk in oil.

Toast pumpkin seeds in a dry frying pan over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring often, then cool. Wear gloves if available and cut beetroot into 1 cm wedges. Crumble feta.
Cut the top and bottom from each orange. Stand it upright and cut away peel and white pith. Hold the orange over a bowl and cut between the membranes to release the segments; keep any juice.
Whisk balsamic vinegar, olive oil, 1 tablespoon orange juice, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add beetroot and orange segments, then toss gently.

Rinse quinoa in a fine sieve under cold water for 30 seconds. Put it in a saucepan with water and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Bring to the boil, cover, reduce to low and cook 15 minutes. Remove from heat and leave covered 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork, spread on a plate and cool for 10 minutes.
Halve tomatoes, dice cucumber and finely dice onion. Finely chop coriander. Whisk the finely grated zest of one lime, juice of both limes, oil, remaining salt and pepper in a large bowl.

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