Pumpkin and chickpea salad

I was sure I had posted this salad on my blog, but I searched and searched....and nothing!

Ever since my new found love of pumpkin, I've been adding it to just about everything I can think of- soups, stews, pastas, stir fries, curries- you name it, I'll throw it in there. I can't say it always works (pumpkin soup is still my favourite), but here's one that does!

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XS Espresso, North Parramatta

I know I'm definitely part of the minority when I say that runny yolks aren't my thing (I prefer my yolks just set so it doesn't spill all over my brekkie) but when breakfast is this good, I'm definitely not complaining!

We've been meaning to visit XS Espresso since it opened up in North Parramatta, and are constantly reminded of it everytime we drive past the large unmissible XS logo.....which is just about every couple of days!

Monster Milkshake ($14)

The milkfreakshakes are really what we're here for, and they have an extensive list of options which make it difficult to choose. Luckily we have about 15 minutes to spare whilst waiting for a seat, but even that wasn't enough to narrow out choices down.

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Cauliflower and Pomegranate Salad

It's not often that I'll order a salad when I'm out- salad bar salads always seem either to shiny (i.e. oily) and if I'm in a restaurant, it's never the most exciting item on the menu. So when we visited Embers Mezze Bar earlier this year, it was a good thing we ordered the banquet- or else I would never have tried the amazing cauliflower and pomegranate salad!

It's a shame the lighting was too dark to get a good photo of the original salad, but it was rather unique in flavour combination of cauliflower and pomegranate. I'm not usually a fan of cauliflower by itself, but deep-fried, it was amazingly moresish and the addition of crunchy almonds and pomegranate seeds made for an excellent textural contrast.

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