Vegetarian | Aapplemint

Summer Salads – Savoury and Sweet

All, Non-Vegetarian, Vegetarian 34 Responses »

May 252009

As the days stretch and warm up, the sunny, enchanting outdoors just scream at you to get out n have some fun. This weather calls for, entertaining and having parties in your backyard or poolside, by the beach or carry a picnic basket to the park. Cool crunchy salads are especially inviting at such time. These two salads are just perfect for any such occasion. Pretty leafy salads, delicate summer berries and chocolates are all essentials, as are fresh and healthy ingredients. Quick to prepare and easy to eat, looks impressive too.

Prawn Salad with Quail Eggs

Serves 6

18 quail eggs
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp roughly chopped tarragon
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
9 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
30 raw tiger prawns, peeled
Juice of 1 lemon
1 bunch spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced
bag of mixed baby lettuce

Place the eggs in a small saucepan. Cover with cold water, add a pinch of salt and bring to the boil. Cook for 2 mins then remove and cool under cold running water before peeling. In a small bowl whisk together the, mustard, tarragon, vinegar and 6 tbsps of olive oil. Season to taste and set aside. Clean the prawns – remove the heads and peel off the shells leaving the tail on. Run your knife down the length of the back and pull away the digestive thread. Rinse under cold water and pat dry with kitchen towel. Now set a frying pan over a high heat and add the remaining 2 tbsps of olive oil. Season the prawns and briskly fry them in 2 batches, turning regularly, for about 3 mins or until pink and cooked through. Remove and dress with the lemon juice. Now in a large mixing bowl, put the slices spring onions, mixed lettuce, halved eggs and dress with the vinaigrette. Gently toss the salad together, mixing them evenly. Serve in individual plates, getting equal amounts of prawns and eggs in all of them.

Chamomile Berry Salad with Chocolate Almond drops

Serves 6

200 gms white chocolate
100 almonds or walnuts
1 unwaxed lemon
200 ml water
3 organic camomile infusion tea bags
50 gms caster sugar
500 gms cherries and blueberries
800 gms strawberries hulled and sliced

Begin with making the chocolate almond drops. Lay some baking paper on a baking sheet. Break up the chocolate and place in a bowl and microwave for a minute, stopping in between to stir, as white chocolate burns easily. Mix in the nuts and using a teaspoon, drop 18 or more blobs of chocolate nuts onto the baking tray. Chill until set. Now finely pare the lemon zest with a potato peeler and place in a saucepan with 200 ml water. Bring to boil and cook briskly for 3 minutes, then remove from heat and add camomile tea bags. Leave to infuse for 5 mins, strain into another bowl and infuse the sugar. Once dissolved and cooled and 2 tbsp lemon juice. Stone the cherries and mix together all the berries. Add the camomile syrup and serve with the chocolate drops.

French Onion Soup

All, Non-Vegetarian, Vegetarian 24 Responses »

May 112009

There are few things more comforting than having a real French Onion Soup – slowly cooked, caramelized onions that turn mellow and sweet in a broth laced with white wine and Cognac. And to finish it off – crunchy baked croutons of crusty bread topped with melted Swiss cheese… hmm Heaven ! Onion soups have been popular at least as far back as Roman times. They were, throughout history, seen as food for the poor people, as onions were plentiful and easy to grow. The modern version of this soup originates in France in the 18^th century, made from croutons, beef broth, and caramelized onions. It is served in a ramekins traditionally with Gruyere melted on top. The trick to a great French onion soup is starting with good homemade stock. But the rich flavor of the base is not due just to the broth, but to the caramelized onions. Caramelization, in this case, is the procedure in which the onions are cooked slowly until the melting sugars approach burning temperature, becoming brown. This topped with a delicious cheesy crouton, baked to perfection, can just about satisfy anybody.

For The Soup – Serves 2

2 white onions
1 tsp olive oil
2 tsps salted butter
1 tbsp flour
1/2 cup Chardonnay white wine
1 tbsp Cognac
2 cups Beef Stock/Chicken stock/Veg Stock
1 bay leaf
pinch of dried sage/thyme ( whatever you like more )
salt and pepper to taste

For the Cheese Crouton

French stick/ Baguette
Gruyere Cheese

Slice the onions, not too thin and not too thick as you need them to hold shape once they soften . In a heavy bottom saucepan, heat the oil and butter, and add all the onion and fry for about a minute. Then cover the saucepan and cook on very slow flame for about 20- 25 mins with stirring just once or twice in between. By now the onions would have softened and reduced in quantity. If they’re stuck at the bottom or look burnt dont worry, as soon as you start stirring them, the lovely dark colour will coat all the onions, giving it that rich brown colour. Add the flour and cook the onions for a further 2 mins. You could add a few tbsps of water if its too dry and cook it on medium fire now to get a rich dark colour. Pour in the white wine and let it burn off and now add the stock, bay leaf and thyme/sage. I prefer a rich homamade beef stock but a nice chicken stock works equally well. If vegetarian, ofcourse a lovely wholesome veggie stock would be ideal. Season with salt and let the soup simmer for about 10 mins. The soup is ready, now we need to work on the croutons. Select a baguette which fits to the rim of your ramekin. Works for better presentation But you can use anything yo have at hand, if you dont want to get too fancy. Cut them in slices and toast them in the oven till nice n crisp. Ladel the soup equally in the ramekins, filling it till the top. Place the cruoton over it and grate the cheese over it. Bake the ramekins in the oven till the cheese has melted all over and turned a beautiful golden brown. Serve and be ready to be prasied by anyone who has it

Quick Fixes For That Odd Hungry Hour

All, Non-Vegetarian, Vegetarian 36 Responses »

Apr 012009

Having a well stocked cupboard and fridge can make your life so easy and cooking such a pleasure. Make that effort once a week, get yourself organized and you’ll be sorted for the rest of the week. Have a well stocked cupboard with all kinds of spices, dried herbs, sauces, pluses and grains and a freezer full of your favourite meat cuts. I just always insist on really fresh seafood (preferably live), the rest of the meat is OK frozen. And of course, your fridge must always have all your basic veggies, dairy products, and a whole of fresh fruits and herbs. Have this section sorted out and you can throw together a fantastic meal any time of the day … in a jiffy ! I like to be organized … sometimes a bit too much, ‘cuz I’m always obsessing about food, and i needn’t necessarily be making fancy food all the time. Most of the time, its just really simple tasty home food, that just gives you that satisfying feeling, that no restaurant food can. Like for instance these 2 quick fixes i made for lunch. Extremely easy to make and so good to taste.

Back in Ghana my local Lebanese baker makes me these special mini pita breads. They fit on the palm of my hand and are always so soft and fresh. I use them for appetizers in parties or sometimes even for breakfast or lunch. There are like a million things you could stuff in there, and they look so cute and petit, that you wont be able to resist grabbing one( or a couple actually :p). These pita breads keep really well if you freeze them as soon as you get them from the bakery. When you want to use them, just leave them on the kitchen counter for 15-30 mins and its as good as freshly baked. The same actually goes for most breads, and i learnt to do this while i was in Africa, as its really troublesome to go so far everyday to buy some fresh bread. So i started freezing it. It really is a life saver. Trust me ! Well so this time i just made some spiced chicken burgers with a refreshing mint Greek yogurt in the mini pita bread and some pita-pizza to follow.

Mini Spiced Chicken Burgers with Mint Greek Yogurt

Chicken mince – 250 gms
Chopped red chillies – 2 ; seeds removed – adjust if to your taste. I used Scotch Bonnet , but even Thai red chillis are fine
Chopped Garlic – 3 cloves
Finely chopped Red Onion – 1
Chopped Corriander – handful
1 tsp Red Chilli pd
1 tsp Cumin pd
1 tsp Kafta spice
Salt to taste
Lebanese cucumber sliced with skin on
Greek Yogurt
Chopped fresh Mint
Few leaves of fresh crunchy lettuce

For making the Chicken burger, bring together in a mixing bowl, the mince, spices, corriander, chillies, garlic and onion. Mix it well with your hand and form flat patties and fry them in a few drops of olive oil on a non stick pan or even better if you have a griddle pan. Meanwhile whip together the Greek yogurt, mint and some salt. Warm the pita bread slightly on the naked flame of the gas and then slice it open, place the lettuce right at the bottom, then place the burger and top it up with some yogurt and a few slices of the cucumber. Its a very nutritious and well balanced snack … spicy vs cool, soft vs crunch, hot vs cold, juicy & meaty vs green & sharp … what more could you ask for !

And this one – The Pita-Pizza i think says it all. I’m still such a sucker for my margarita pizzas, I always like it simple – tomato sauce and cheese – no nonsense ! So this one is an a quick fix for that pizza craving at yet another odd hour, when you don’t have any pizza dough at an arms length, then you go for the frozen pita breads. They make an amazingly crunchy base, so thin and light, and bakes in no time at all . Just pour your (homemade) spicy tomato sauce on top, break some fresh buffalo mozzarella over it, bake and enjoy !! yum yum !

Avocados

All, Vegetarian 51 Responses »

Feb 032009

I asked for 1 and I got 7! Sent my driver to buy them for me and clearly told him, please buy me 1 avocado, he came back with 7 … “but madam, I thought you like some more” Well, honestly, a few extra avocados never hurt anyone right? They are extremely healthy and are rich in vitamin B, E and K. Approximately 75% of an avocado’s calories come from fat, most of which is monounsaturated fat.- which is a good thing. Avocados also have 60% more potassium than bananas and they have the highest fiber content of any fruit – including 75% insoluble and 25% soluble fiber. So how could I say no! Only thing was now I didn’t know what to do with so many! I am the only one in my family who likes them and hence the only one who’s going to eat them. 7 avocados for one little soul is a bit too many, but yet I knew I had to use ‘em all ? I ate 2 of them just like that – sliced them and sprinkled them with red chilli powder and squeezed some lime. The simplest of things are sometimes the best I believe. When they are like that they are still so moorish. What’s great about them is that they are so easy to eat. For example you could be in between working or playing about at party poker and want a snack. In just a few seconds you can have something delicious on your plate. What’s more is that they are pretty filling. But still that was just two. And I had 5 more to go. So I used 2 of them to make guacamole and another one for some chilled avocado soup and infused it with some fresh mint and lemongrass from my garden. Here’s how …

Chilled Avocado Soup with Mint, Cucumber and Lemongrass
•    I medium sized ripe avocado
•    1 large green cucumber
•    Handful of fresh mint leaves
•    3-4 stalks of lemongrass infused in 200 ml water and then chilled (alternately you can infuse it in some fresh homemade vegetable stock)
•    200 ml low fat yogurt
•    3-4 sprigs of spring onion
•    Salt to taste

Peel the cucumber then peel and stone the avocado. Roughly chop the cucumber and spring onions and put it in the food processor along with the avocado and all the other ingredients. Whizz it till smooth and if you find the soup a bit thick you can further thin it with some more of the lemongrass infused water (smash the lemongrass stalks and boil them in the water. Leave to cool and then chill. When ready to use, strain the water) or some more yogurt. Personally i like the soup a bit runny and not too thick. Pour into a jug and cover tightly and chill it well. To garnish, pour into soup bowl and add some chopped cucumber for that extra crunch and a finish of with a sprig of mint.

Guacamole
•    2 ripe avocados
•    1 small tomato or use ½ a tomato chopped
•    1 medium sized onion chopped
•    2 red scotch bonnet chillis chopped
•    Juice of 2 limes
•    Salt to taste
•    Handful of coriander chopped
Cut the avocado in half and remove the stone. Scoop out the flesh and lightly mash with a fork. Mix in the rest of the ingredients lightly and pile it out in a bowl. You Guacamole Dip is ready, serve with tortilla chips. Couldn’t be easier right?

Ghanaian Jollof Rice & Beef Kebab

All, Non-Vegetarian, Vegetarian 30 Responses »

Jan 272009

As you’ve probably guessed I’m back in Ghana. And ever since I’ve gotten here, all i want to eat is the local cuisine. Been away for too long, and had an overdose of the Desi Indian food. Knowing me n how quickly i get bored of things its not a surprise that when I’m here, i am craving Honkie food, n when in Hong Kong, i miss the Indian stuff, n when in India I’m ready to run away n get back here ! Well for now, the new thing with me is I absolutely cant stand anything sweet. I’ve just been binging on all things spicy, salty n sour ! Shocking ain’t it ? Never thought you’d hear that from me, but its true. I think the next couple of posts will be about everything that’s not sweet. Hmmm … so lets get started with today’s special. This was lunch … Joll Of Rice n Beef Kebabs. Joll of Rice is common throughout West Africa, but its origin lies in Ghana. Its a very aromatic and flavourful one pot rice meal. Its great on its own or even when accompanied with grilled meats. You can have a veggie, chicken or meat version of it. For the benefit of my vegetarian friend I’ve made a veggie one today, but to make it non veg, just add strips or tiny cubes of your favourite meat in there.

The quintessential ingredients to most of the Ghanaian cooking are Maggie cubes, rich tomato paste, scotch bonnet chillies and Maggie Arome seasoning. You have these and you know your dish is winner.

Joll Of Rice

1 & 3/4 cup basmati rice
4 tbsp olive oil
3 heaped tbsp tomato paste
1 red onion chopped
2 red onions
2 tomatoes
2 fat cloves of garlic
1″ piece of ginger
4 scotch bonnet chillies – reduce if you dont like it spicy
2 cubes of Maggie chicken cubes
2 carrots sliced diagonally
handful of french beans cut diagonally
7-8 okra’s sliced diagonally
salt to taste

In a food processor, grind together the ginger, garlic, chillies, tomatoes and 2 onions. Keep aside for later. In a non stick frying pan heat the 4 tablespoons of olive oil and fry the chopped onion till soft then add the tomato paste and fry for further 3-4 minutes. Now add the blended tomato n onion mix and fry well. Crumble in the 2 Maggie cubes and mix well. Cover and let it cook through, till the oil floats on the top. Now add the rice and 2 cups of water, stirring it to make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom. In another frying pan, drizzle a few drops of olive oil and stir fry the beans, carrots and okra with a sprinkle of salt just till they are half done. Now add these to the rice, and by this time the rice will need some more water. Add 2 more cups of water, and cook till the water is almost evaporated. Now cover and simmer of slow gas till the rice is cooked through. ‘Joll of’ is now ready ! Children love this dish as its a great way to get some nutrition into their system.

Beef Kebab – 4 skewers

200 gms Beef fillet, cut into cubes
3 Scotch Bonnet Chillies
3 fat cloves of garlic
2 tbsp grated ginger
1 n 1/2 red onion
1 chicken Maggie cube
2 tbsp of Maggie seasoning
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large green pepper cut in cubes
1 large red onion cut in cubes

In a food processor, grind together the chillies, ginger, garlic, onion, Maggie cube, seasoning and oil. Form a smooth paste and marinate the beef for at least 4 hours. Now thread these onto your metal skewers alternating with the peppers and onions. Grill on charcoal till the meat is tender n almost falling of the sticks. Serve with some Joll of Rice .

Kelewele

All, Vegetarian 76 Responses »

Sep 042008

Can you tell the difference between a banana and a plantain ? Well actually about 5 yrs ago i couldn’t . I used to be like …. ahh whats the big deal … its just a big banana ! Haha how ignorant i was … actually there is a difference between the 2. For starters you cannot eat plantain raw, you have to cook it – steam it, boil it, fry it, grill it … unlike a banana, which you can just eat raw – as it ripens. Plantains are surely from the same family, but are actually a lot more starchier, less sweeter and bigger in appearance. This vegetable-banana tastes different at every stage of development. The interior color of the fruit will remain creamy, yellowish or lightly pink. When the peel outside is green to yellow, the flavor of the flesh is bland and its texture is starchy. As the peel changes to brown or black, it turns sweeter and resembles the aroma of a banana, but still keeps a firm shape when cooked.

These are actually native to India, but I had never eaten a plantain until i got to Africa. They grow very well in the tropical regions and are a staple in the diet here. The most common way, and rather the easiest way is to have it roasted. At every nook and corner here in Ghana, you will find street vendors with their little stalls selling roasted plantain and groundnuts for a mere 50cents.

Another way i really like plantains is Kelewele. Its a Ghanaian snack dish and it can be had either as savoury or sweet dessert. When you have over ripe bananas, you make banana cake/bread. When you have over ripe plantains, you make kelewele !

INGREDIENTS

4 ripe plantains
1/4 th of an onion cut in pieces
2 big red chillis
1 tablespoon grated ginger
5- 6 pieces of cloves , finely powdered
pinch of salt
oil for deep frying
a few sesame seeds for garnish
1 tsp toasted dessicated coconut for garnish

Start with cutting the plantains in strips and removing the seeds. Them them in diagonal pieces and set them aside. In a grinder, put together the rest of the ingredients (except the oil) and grind to a smooth paste. Now coat the plantain pieces in this and let it sit for about 5 mins. Heat up the oil, and make sure it is very hot before you fry the plantain. Fry them in batches , till they get a beautiful golden brown colour. That is when the natural sugar in the plantains has caramelized and it full flavour has been brought out.

I like to fry my pieces a wee bit more so i get a few crunchy ones in there. Drain well on a kitchen towel. This does have a tendency to soak up a lot of oil. The softer the plantain the more oil it will absorb. Serve in platter lined with plantain leaves and garnish with toasted desiccated coconut and sesame seeds. This can be either had just as it is, or even with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Breakfast All Alone

All, Baking, Vegetarian 71 Responses »

Aug 222008

BAKED RICOTTA, PARMESAN & ROASTED RED PEPPER WITH PESTO

So what do you do when you are home alone, n hubby’s away on a business trip for 2 days ?? …. just spend quality time with yourself ? get that manicure u’ve needed ? call some girlfriends over? or rather hit the town with the ladies? watch a movie, read a book ? …
Well after work, i did watch a movie n got some time to read a book, and i also managed to annoy the hell out of a very dear friend … (hope I’m forgiven) … but what i was most happy to do was cook some vegetarian food !!!! My darling hubby is a hardcore carnivore … needs meat 3 times a day … n sometimes that can really get to you. So when i woke up yesterday i thought, no sausages, no burgers, so salami , no eggs … I’ll have something cheesy. And hence this lovely breakfast bake. Too much effort for one person … hell no ! I enjoy cooking for myself.

Ingredients

1 roasted red pepper, sliced into long strips
1/4 th of a beaten egg
4 heaped tbsps ricotta cheese
3 heaped tbsps Parmesan- the real stuff- grated
salt n pepper to taste
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 a lemon – juice squeezed

You need a muffin tray to begin with …yaya i know mine don’t look anything like its been baked in a tray – but my tray was too shallow, and i ended up with a flat looking cheese melt. So there i have an excuse :p . So grease 3 tins, as this portion makes only 3 and is enough for only one person. Lay the strips of roasted pepper at the bottom and around the cup. Now mix the cheeses n egg+ salt n pepper. Fill the cups with it pressing the mixture down and packing it well. Throw some more grated Parmesan on top so when it bakes it looks pretty n crusty. Bake at 180C for about 20 mins. Cut around the sizes and giggle it out of the mold. Plate up, drizzle the olive oil, lemon juice+ salt n pepper dressing. Top it up with a dollop of pesto. Ready to eat !

BREAKFAST PASTRIES

And this was my breakfast today … some sweet pastries. Can do just about anything with puff pastry. Here I’ve made different kinds – apple, cinnamon n brown sugar pastry, lime marmalade, raspberry n peach puffs. Just roll out the pastry, cut out your favourite shape, then make a light cut along the inside of the shape, so that your corners rise up. Put your filling- you can use anything you have at hand – even jam will do. Give it an eggwash, dust some icing sugar and bake them till they are well coloured.

My Middle Eastern Stunt

All, Baking, Vegetarian 62 Responses »

Nov 212007

Finally the day has arrived. I’m leaving today … hooray!!! After waiting for so many months i’m going back. My tickets were confirmed yesterday morning and that gave me just 2 days to wipe my kitchen clean( … and of course counting my efforts of trying to empty my store since the past couple of weeks). I’ve been seeing cornmeal cakes lately on blogs, and so when i saw some bulgur wheat in my store i wondered if i could do the same with it ? I was excited in a childish sort of way … i thought maybe i’m the first one to try it … but perhaps not. Either ways i had to make it sever since i thought of it, so i got on it. I used olive oil instead of butter, used equal amts of flour, tabolueh, sugar n oil, and added some milk assuming the tabolueh will need some liquid to soak up and soften. Added some chopped figs and pinenuts for that middle eastern touch and served it with some grenadine sherbet. The cake was nice n moist, the fig added a wonderful sweetness in every bite, and the nuts the earthy nutty flavour. And hey – its even healthy !!! Everything about it was wonderful, but i would change one thing the next time i make it. I was hoping the tabolueh would soften totally in the baking process but i didn’t. This one had a slight bite to it. It may work for some of you, as i know the people whom i shared it with, loved it and wanted the recipe right away. But if u like it softer in texture then i recommend soaking the tabolueh in hot milk for 5-7 mins, u don’t want it totally soft as it will further soften while baking.Then add it to the cake batter.Here is the recipe for what i call my Middle Eastern Stunt.

200gms olive oil
3 eggs
200gms golden caster sugar
200gms small bulgur wheat/tabolueh, soaked in 100 ml hot milk
200gms flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
100ml semi skimmed milk
handful of chopped dried figs
6-7 dried figs sliced
handful of lightly toasted pinenuts

Start with preheating your oven to 180 degrees celcius. Soak the tabolueh in some hot milk for 5-7 mins, just till it softens half way.Drain out the excess milk if there is some. Don’t want to make it too soft or u’ll have mush in the cake, and we are looking for a wonderful firm bite-able texture. Leaving the last two ingredients mix everything else in a large bowl with a wooden spoon. Mix well and let it rest for about 5 mins and the pour into a cake tin. Evenly sprinkle the fig slices and pinenuts all over the top and bake at 180 degrees celcius for 40 mins or till knife come out clean. This will definately vary as my oven is kinda conked to watch your cake and check it after 30 mins.

And as i go, i would like to leave you with the wonderful produce fro m my very own garden. Mulberries (which by the way are very few) , local Ghanian tomatoes which are very juicy an full of flavour, french beans and the local Ghanian habanero chilli – peppe,which are still very tiny.

These are some of the things i’m growing along with all the other wonderful veggies and herbs i’ve already shared with you here and here. The chinese cabbage and okra are still not ready, for me to take pictures and share. But i managed to pluck off some french beans for this salad and of course my already famous red radishes. Fortunately my guard and his family are staying in this house and will watch and take care of my garden till i come back.

This is a wonderful salad,very filling and a meal in itself. I usually use more of yogurt instead of mayonnaise as its lighter, less fattening and the potatoes tend to soak it all up. Boil potatoes in salted water till soft, boil the french beans for 3-4 mins and plunge in cold water, thinly slice the red radish, slice some spring onion, and wash some corriander and set aside. For the dressing u’ll need one tsp mayonnaise and 2 tbsp yogurt, a squeeze of lemon, lots of freshly ground black pepper, salt n olive oil. Toss the potatoes and beans in the dressing, add the radishes and spring onion and garnish with the corriander.

Thought i’d take a little time out from all the running around, to enjoy the outdoors before i head back. We don’t really get this much space anywhere else. So i made myself a little picnic basket and had my lunch in style in the garden. And now i sit writing this post, kinda sad and taking your leave, promising to get back soon. Will try and put up pictures from Bombay. Ciao !!!

A Healthier Option This time

All, Vegetarian 40 Responses »

Nov 032007

I was really trying NOT to make a sweet post this time. I’ve been eating far too much butter and sugar lately and the results are quite evident. 2 inches on my waistline and 4 kgs overweight ( U know, they should’ve put a warning … “Food blogging can be hazardous to health – Blog at you own risk !!!” Looks like I’m going to be off sweets for a while now … lets just see how long that lasts
If u guys remember i was supposed to be store cleaning n all as i was leaving. Well my trip got postponed by a few days but yes the cleaning still goes on. Looks like i will be able to use all my stocks after all . My red radishes too are ready just in time for me to start picking and consuming. I thought I’ll miss them all together , but i was fortunate enough to get the first harvest. I had planted them 40 days ago and according to the instructions they came out just in time. At least the first batch did. I still have a some in the soil n they have a few more days before they are ready. At the moment I’m trying to think as healthy as possible, so soups n salads for a while … atleast till my tummy tones down a bit.
Here are 2 wonderful dishes from my kitchen, easy, healthy and of course they use a lot of my remaining ingredients.

Red Raddish, Roasted Red Pepper, Butter Bean and Feta Cheese Salad

1 large red pepper roasted and cleaned and thinly sliced
100 gms feta cheese broken into pieces
handful of black olives
i can butter beans washed and drained
1 bag mixed salad leaves
couple of radishes thinly sliced

For the dressing keep it very simple

salt and freshly ground black pepper
olive oil
juice of 1 whole lime

Now you don’t really need instructions for this. Just place it all together nicely, dress it with salt, pepper and lime juice, drizzle olive oil all over, toss it and dive in. The sweetness of the peppers, the creaminess of the beans, the sharp saltiness of the feta cheese and olives and the crunchy n refreshing salad leaves really makes this one hellva salad … good source of protein and filling too !

Asparagus and Pea soup with Basil Pesto and Pine nuts

1 packet Maggi asparagus soup ( yes i do keep them…just for emergencies)
2 handfuls frozen peas
1 clove garlic grated
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
300ml chicken stock
grated Parmesan for garnish
few toasted pine nuts for garnish
home made basil pesto
Lemon wedges to serve

To start the soup, u’ll need to heat in a saucepan 1 tbsp olive oil. Fry the garlic till fragrant, add the peas and stir well, cook for 2 mins and add the chicken stock and mix in the soup packet. Whisk till well combined and bring to a boil and simmer for 15 mins. With a hand blender, blend to a chunky consistency and add the seasonings. Turn off the heat, serve in a bowl and add a dollop of freshly homemade pesto, grate some Parmesan and squeeze some lime. The lemon really lifts the soup up and brings it a zingy freshness. Together with the pollenta, and some more pesto to go around, its difficult not to fall in love with this combination.

Char Grilled Pollenta

3 cups water
1 cup pollenta
60 gms unsalted butter
1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
salt n freshly ground pepper

To make the pollenta, place the water in a large saucepan and bring to boil on high heat. Slowly add the pollenta whisking continuously, until well combined. Reduce the heat to slow and stir with wooden spoon for 2-3 mins until it comes away from the sides of the pan. Stir thru the butter and Parmesan. Spoon into a baking dish/tin, flatten out smoothly and chill in fridge for 30 mins till well set. Cut in squares and grill on hot griddle pan or around 4 mins or crispy.

Ha Ha Halloumi !

All, Vegetarian 42 Responses »

Oct 052007

So this started when i was chatting with a blogger friend M from Mango Power Girl – Seattle , she tellin me how cold it has become there already with temperatures just about touching 40 F and how due to global warming somehow they’ve totally skipped fall. But that now Seattle has become very environmentally friendly and that they re-cycling everything. She was at work and it was a freakin cold day and was already out with all her winter clothes. Meanwhile i was sitting here in Ghana … and today was a really hot day. I had both my A/C and fan turned on, on full blast but was still feelin hot. And then lunch time crept on and was getting hungry. Saw everything that was lying around in my fridge, but wasn’t in the mood for anything saucy, meaty, soupy ! Besides i was eating alone so didn’t want to take too much trouble either. After standing in front of the fridge for almost 10 mins ( which i do so often…dunno why ) i saw it ! I had bought some halloumi cheese last week hoping to use it in salad and hadn’t used it. Was out of salad leaves today so had to think of something else. I then remembered something i had seen in a BBC mag really long ago, with peppers. And then it came to me. Halloumi wrapped in peppers. So without wasting a moment i got to it.

Ingredients

2 coloured peppers
200g block halloumi cheese, sliced into 4 – i used only 2 slices
1 red chilli, finely chopped
fresh thyme leaves
freshly crushed black pepper
salt to season
1 lemon , zest and juice
1 tsp olive oil to grease the peppers
some extra to drizzle over the top

Wash and dry the peppers and rub with some olive oil. Roast on the fire ( the gas burner ) the peppers whole until they begin to char and soften. Need them soft enough to wrap the cheese but not too soft so as u won’t be able to cook them again. Put them in plastic bag and set aside for 10 mins. By now the skin would’ve softened and easy to remove + easier to handle.
Open out each pepper by making a cut down one side, Scoop out the seeds and trim the tops and bottoms off, and trim the white membranes so you end up with a clean strip. Put a slice of halloumi in the center of each strip. You can make thicker slices of the halloumi. I used thinner slices as i wanted to be light. Lay out the peppers and sprinkle some salt and pepper on it. Place a slice of cheese in the center and sprinkle over some lemon zest and juice, divide the chilli and thyme and between them, then roll the red pepper around the halloumi. It doesn’t matter if the cheese sticks out at each end. It’ll look pretty when serving up .Tie the rolls with some kitchen string or raffia and press down with the palm of your hand so they flatten slightly . Heat up the

griddle pan and when its really hot place the peppers in. At this time too, u will have to put some gentle force to ensure even grill marks on the peppers. Cook for about 5 mins on each side, or this the cheese softens and u get good char grill lines on top. Alternately just pop it under a hot grill till it browns a bit. When serving just drizzle some garlic olive or just some good extra virgin olive oil .

I made two … but grilled just one for now … kinda hungry:) Kept the other one for hubby so he can have it when he gets back home later . Thats why a picture of only the yellow one grilled.

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