A cumin-warmed dressing for tossing through red quinoa with feta, sweet potato and onions. Whisked together in a tall jug from wholegrain mustard, honey, red wine vinegar, ground cumin and a generous pour of extra virgin olive oil. The kind of dressing that lifts a whole bowl.

The whisk-in-the-jug technique (using a stick blender to emulsify the dressing into a thick, creamy vinaigrette rather than a thin, watery split) is the small move that lifts a homemade salad. The high-shear action of the blender forces the oil into the vinegar in droplets small enough to stay suspended, giving the dressing the cling-to-the-leaves body of a Caesar or a goddess rather than the slide-off-the-bowl thinness of a standard pour-and-shake.

Ground cumin is the lead. Bloom it in a dry pan for thirty seconds before adding to the mix to release the oils; pre-ground cumin straight from the jar has lost most of its volatile aromatics. The bloomed cumin reads as warm, slightly smoky, with a hint of curry-leaf depth that suits the earthy red quinoa.

Wholegrain mustard for texture and bite, honey to balance the vinegar, red wine vinegar for the right level of acidity. Extra virgin olive oil for the body. Keeps in a sealed jar in the fridge for two weeks; thicker after refrigeration. The dressing equally suits a grain salad, a slaw, a roast vegetable plate, or just spooned over halloumi.