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Europe & Mediterranean Archive
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Pastitsio
Posted on September 3, 2010 | No CommentsTweetAfter just getting over the worst of a cold, I was in need of something to build up the strength and make me feel better. Good old fashioned comfort food doesn’t get much better than this Greek classic. Pastitsio is Greece’s answer to Italy’s lasagne. Rich, warm and cinnamon fragrant minced lamb and beef mixed with pasta and topped with a delicious creamy and cheesy bechamel sauce. Absolutely delicious and guaranteed to make anyone feel better. I’d bought way too much mince at the supermarket so I made double quantity and spread it over two large dishes. After cooking, I froze the rest for later use. This forethought turned out to be a life saver as the next day I received a houseful of guests on their way to the pub who all requested a feed. Still a little groggy from my cold, I instructed Brendan to heat them each a serving in the trusty microwave. Needless to say they went down a treat – and they finally left me in peace to my duvet and TV.
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Potato Dauphinoise
Posted on August 26, 2010 | 2 CommentsTweetI absolutely love this way to prepare potatoes. I know it’s not the healthiest way to eat them, but I firmly believe it’s better than eating a bag of chips. It’s way more refined too. The creamy, garlicky flavours are out of this world. I’d be happy with a bowl of this to myself without anything else. In-fact, I think I’ve done that at some point. I did make up for the less-than-healthy-serving by accompanying with a huge bowl of vegetables – quite a memorable dinner.
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Prawn Saganaki
Posted on August 24, 2010 | No CommentsTweetAfter a day in the sun I was feeling all Mediterranean. This called for something healthy and delicious – nobody does this better than the Greeks. I’d already bought a bag of super fresh prawns that morning, which I had planned on making into a delicious curry of some description, but I abandoned that in favour of one of my favourite Greek dishes, prawn saganaki. Prawns in a simple tomato sauce topped with sharp, salty feta cheese. It’s so simple to prepare and just excellent on a warm winter’s evening like we were having in Sydney. We even cracked open a bottle of retsina in celebration. Opa!
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Mushroom Lasagne
Posted on August 18, 2010 | 2 CommentsTweetThis is the second vegetarian meal I’ve eaten this week! Now, it’s not on moral grounds so don’t think I’m going all new-world, more on taste grounds. I’m a big fan of mushrooms (who isn’t) and tried this on a recommendation from a friend. I fiddled with the recipe to make it even more tasty by adding more fresh herbs and cheese than the original recipe and the drizzle of truffle oil at the end is just me showing off, but it does tip the dish over and into the extremely tasty threshold. It’s the meal that keeps on giving in taste. I had planned to have some for lunch the following day, but as usual my greedy nature meant I ate it all in one sitting. Are you as big a fan of mushrooms as me?
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Cauliflower Salad
Posted on August 16, 2010 | No CommentsTweetHere’s a great way to serve cauliflower. I always remember it from my childhood as being slightly mushy and bland and always secretly dreaded it – I have since learned that it doesn’t need to be cooked for 55 minutes on a rapid boil (sorry mother), so a whole new cauliflower world has presented itself to me. This Spanish recipe really brings it to life. The sweetness of the dressing permeates the smooth, almost buttery texture and flavour of the cauliflower to create a much more memorable taste. It’s simple and delicious – two of my favourite words. You think this might convert you to cauli?
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Turkish Style Lamb Shanks
Posted on August 8, 2010 | 2 CommentsTweetThis Turkish stew for lamb shanks is just what I needed, after a few days with a mega head cold. I’d just regained my sense of smell, which I treated like some kind of holy miracle, running around the house smelling various things just to make sure it was really back; oranges, cleaning products, under my arms etc. To celebrate life I made this lovely dish. A simple stew that once in the pan can just be left to its own devices to become delicious while filling the house with its delicious aroma.
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Rabbit with Mushroom and Smoked Speck
Posted on August 4, 2010 | No CommentsTweetI love rabbit. It’s a great, cheap alternative to chicken with a delicious, rich and slightly gamey taste all of its own. This recipe is fabulous! A lovely combination of tastes and textures with a wonderful creamy sauce. It looks impressive when plated up too.
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Pomme Puree
Posted on August 2, 2010 | No CommentsTweetThere’s mashed potato, and then there’s pomme puree. I love ordinary mashed potatoes at the best of times, but this classic French recipe takes it up a million notches. Light, creamy, buttery and rich – there’s nothing quite like it. Left to my own devices I would have sat and eaten the whole bowl on my own – as it happens, I ate 3/4 of it myself. I did need a little lie down afterwards.
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Turkish Beetroot and Feta Salad
Posted on July 27, 2010 | 2 CommentsTweetI had a Turkish inspired meal this evening – In particular a dish inspired by the mountains of Cappadocia. When I travelled there a few years ago I had some delicious salads – in particular a delicious beetroot salad which featured some local cheese, quite similar to feta. I ate mine with lamb and the two work amazingly well together. The sweet, earthy flavour of beetroot compliment the slightly gamey, sweetness of the lamb meat. The cheese brings a much needed salty sharpness to the dish. It’s delicious.
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Strawberries & Oranges Macerated in Brandy and Cinnamon
Posted on July 25, 2010 | 2 CommentsTweetStrawberries are delicious, I don’t know anyone who would argue with that. I love them just as they are mostly, but sometimes I like to give them a boost in flavour by soaking them in alcohol – it brings out the sweetness and creates a quite delicious result! Oranges and strawberries work well together and when you combine them with a little brandy, lemon juice and a hint of cinnamon they work even better.
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Salmon with Punched Potatoes and Lemon Oil
Posted on July 23, 2010 | 2 CommentsTweetSimple and delicious are the first two words that spring to mind with this recipe. Simple, it didn’t stretch my ability or patience levels in any way. Delicious, because it was! I love salmon anyway, but the sharp, sweet lemon oil is just perfect alongside both the fish and the potatoes. As far as the potatoes go, I have no idea why they are ‘punched’, but the Portuguese have being doing it for years so who am I to argue? It’s a great, refreshing dish for any day of the week – give it a go.
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Orecchiette with Broccoli and Mushrooms
Posted on July 19, 2010 | 4 CommentsTweetI never thought I’d be raving a vegetarian dish but the marvel of this meal cannot be explained in one paragraph – it was delicious. It’s simplicity is the key and the harmonious balance of broccoli, mushrooms and anchovies is amazing. Not one element takes centre stage. It’s a very special dish indeed – you must try it immediately!
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Potato & Celery Salad
Posted on July 15, 2010 | No CommentsTweetWe’d overeaten all day so a light dinner was requested by the other half. There was plenty of greenery in the dinner together with a few slices of proscuitto and this lovely potato and celery salad. Very simple to prepare, although I did fancify it up slightly by making my own mayonnaise. You can use shop bought mayo by all means, but please no cheap stuff – it makes me shudder just thinking about it.
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Vietnamese Steamed Fish
Posted on July 7, 2010 | No CommentsTweetWords fail me! After a week of trying to cook fish (none of which made the final cut for the blog!) I gave it a final try tonight with this Vietnamese dish. Thank god I gave it another night. This was sublime – I kid you not, it was superb. The marinade for the fish is splendid – a peppery, spicy dream come true. It was amazing – I chose a whole snapper from the supermarket – it was cheaper than meat which is quite something, and it really delivered in taste, texture and freshness. There was very little I could find with this meal that I didn’t like. The only thing would be that it took too long to get to the table, and the fact that I couldn’t finish the whole thing (Which is a very rare event in itself!). Give it a try – you won’t be disappointed!
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Potatoes Parisienne (rustic version)
Posted on July 5, 2010 | 2 CommentsTweetDecadent is not the word for it. These little potatoes are absolute heaven. If I could, I would eat them all by themselves with nothing more than a loaf of bread. Why would anyone want chips when they could have these!! I kid you not, they are fabulous. The French call these Parisienne Potatoes – but the French being the French they have to make things difficult. Before cooking they carve up the potatoes into perfect little balls using a melon baller. Now, while I like aesthetics, the thought of faffing about with a melon baller and a potato is not my idea of fun. I, instead, just cut the potato into thick cubes and the results are exactly the same in flavour, if not a little more rustic in appearance. Next time you’re considering mashed potatoes, try these instead – like me, you’ll be a convert after the first mouthful.
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Veal Papardelle
Posted on June 28, 2010 | No CommentsTweetWhat better meal could there be for a cold, miserable day. There’s nothing quite like a slow cooked casserole to fill the house with a warm, fragrant scent that just gets better and better the longer it cooks. This pasta dish is just amazing – a flavour filled sauce over lovely pasta. You can’t beat it! It’s my favourite meal of 2010 so far!
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Lebanese Bread Salad
Posted on June 18, 2010 | No CommentsTweetI’b a big fan of texture in a salad. I like a combination of crunch and soft, so this salad is just perfect. The bread, if fried properly should be really crisp and crunchy it also acts as a little sponge to soak up some of the sharp, tangy dressing. This was a great and simple salad that was assembled in not time at all – perfect to accompany a lazy weekday dinner.
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Potatoes Cooked with Wine and Olives
Posted on May 28, 2010 | No CommentsTweetThis has to be one of the most delicious things I’ve cooked in a while. I had no idea that it would turn out so well, and lift the humble potato to new flavour heights. I used Kipfler potatoes as they have a good waxy texture and hold their shape during cooking, but any small waxy potato will do.
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Proscuitto Croquetas
Posted on May 22, 2010 | 1 CommentTweetI love croquetas, the Spanish version of croquettes. Lovely, crunchy and creamy treats all in one bite. It’s a shame they have such an old fashioned, 1970s reputation. As a child of the 70s maybe that’s why I’m drawn to them. I make them all the time using various fillings, but the Spanish proscuitto or jamon are my favourite. Give them a go.
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Tartare Sauce
Posted on May 14, 2010 | No CommentsTweetTartare sauce is one of those things that should ONLY be eaten if you’ve made it yourself. I cannot begin to describe the rankness of the shop bought, jarred variety. It’s beyond foul. I wouldn’t feed it to a cat. That said, the home made variety is utterly delicious, creamy, slightly tart, salty and sour all in one burst of flavour. I love it with fish of course, but it’s also great with boiled potatoes hot or cold. Don’t be tempted to buy shop bought, make your own instead -it’s easy.
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Beetroot & Feta Salad
Posted on May 12, 2010 | No CommentsTweetThere’s something quite delicious about the sweet, earthy flavours of beetroot married with the creamy, salty flavours of feta cheese. The two work wonderfully together. Really delicious. I couldn’t get eat it quickly enough! INGREDIENTS:
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Green Beans with Mint & Dill
Posted on April 26, 2010 | 1 CommentTweetThis was deilcious and incredibly simple way to dress up green beans. I loved the combination of mint and dill. I also loved that this dish was served at room temperature. It meant I didn’t have to fart about at the last minute clattering pans to have everything ready at the same time. Easy, tasty food.
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Red Capsicum & Mushroom Salad
Posted on April 24, 2010 | No CommentsTweetHere’s a lovely, simple salad featuring my favourites mushrooms and capsicums. The two work perfectly together. I added a slight aniseed flavour to the dish too which again, complimented both ingredients. It was quite delicious! INGREDIENTS:
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Caper & Anchovy Sauce
Posted on April 22, 2010 | No CommentsTweetNever before was the saying “a little bit goes a long way” so true. This amazing sauce is quite potent, but absolutely bursting with interesting flavours. A great recipe from Spain/France, it works perfectly with white, flaky fish (as shown here) to add a little zing. It’s also really excellent drizzled over some soft boiled potatoes or steamed asparagus or broccoli. If you don’t get through all this in one go, it’ll keep in the fridge for over a week.
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Spanish Orange Cake
Posted on April 20, 2010 | No CommentsTweetFans of the site will know that I occasionally stray from the wonders of lamb and beef and anything spicy to make a cake! Yes readers – I sometimes have the urge to go Suzy homemaker and whip up something sweet. Today I made a very easy cake using one of my favourite Spanish cookbooks as inspiration. The resulting cake “was” (as that is already past tense only 5 hours later) absolutely delicious. Oranges are one of my favourite fruits and this makes great use of them – a light, fluffy citrus burst of flavour. Perfect.
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Eggplant With Tomato Sauce & Pinenuts
Posted on March 22, 2010 | No CommentsTweetThis was a real treat! I hadn’t expected it to turn our so well. I’d improvised with what was lying around the house to make a lovely Mediterranean/Middle Eastern meze spread for dinner tonight. The eggplant really stood out as star of the show – the creamy texture along with the slightly aniseed tomato and crunchy pine nuts made for a really splendid feast. It went down a treat!
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Sausage & Cannellini Bean Stew
Posted on March 20, 2010 | No CommentsTweetHere’s a super simple Italian stew, featuring a family favourite; sausages. It’s one of those dishes you can throw together pretty quickly without too much faffery. Perfect for a winter’s day, this stew is hearty and warming. You can use any type of sausage you like, but good quality ones! I used some lovely pork and fennel ones and they were perfect. This stew is delicious on its own with some crusty bread or alongside a mountain of mashed potato. I’ll let you decide.
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Tomato, Basil & Mozzarella Salad
Posted on March 10, 2010 | No CommentsTweetIt doesn’t come more Italian than this. It’s the simplest salad to make, yet it is one of the most impressive ever. The colours of the Italian flag, this salad is uniform in its arrangement of red white and green. The flavours are Italian through and through too with the beautifully fragrant basil alongside sweet tomatoes and creamy buffalo mozzarella. It’s one of my favourites.
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Saltimbocca
Posted on March 6, 2010 | No CommentsTweetWhoever invented saltimbocca should give themselves a firm pat on the back. These Italian treats are effortless little steaks just brimming over with flavour. If you havent made them before I would suggest you give them a go immediately. They are so simple yet are one of those dishes that look horrifically complicated to prepare. They’re guaranteed a small ripple of applause from any dinner guest – which is always nice.
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Italian Breakfast Marble Cake
Posted on March 4, 2010 | No CommentsTweetI love a marble cake. It reminds me of my childhood. Nothing is better than a slab of this cake with a large cup of coffee. The cake’s perfect for me as it’s actually not too sweet – the perfect combination of chocolate with slight hints of citrus from the lemon. It’s a fabulous treat, any time of the day, but best served on a monday morning just before I head off for another week at work!
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Pork with Brandy & Garlic Sauce
Posted on March 2, 2010 | No CommentsTweetThis is a simple Spanish pork dish which has a delicious sauce. Pork chops cooked right should be juicy and tender together with the rich, creamy sauce make for a really tasty dinner. Lovely! INGREDIENTS: (serves 2) 2 x pork chops (250-300g each)
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Patatas Bravas
Posted on February 26, 2010 | 2 CommentsTweetI thought this recipe had already been added to this blog about 3 years ago! It’s one of my favourite Spanish dishes ever! I can’t believe I haven’t added it before. How remiss of me! It’s a fabulous tapas dish that I always order in a Spanish restaurant. Patas Bravas literally translates as ‘brave potatoes’ – this hints at the spicy tomato sauce which suggests a certain level of courage. the tomato sauce isn’t THAT spicy, but it does have a certain heat that may cause the more cowardly amongst us to run and hide.
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Mushroom & Red Capsicum Pilaff
Posted on February 16, 2010 | No CommentsTweetI made this dish to accompany some really delicious lamb cutlets. Little did I know that the pilaff would actually take centre stage and ‘out-taste’ the lamb! It’s an earthy, subtly flavoured rice dish which worked perfectly with the meat. The one thing that may have added a little magic was truffle oil, I know it’s a little excessive, but just the merest of drizzles really pronounces the mushroom taste and lifts the dish to another level. It’s not essential, but if you’re feeling extravagant – then drizzle away.
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Beetroot, Radish & Red Onion Salad with Beetroot Dressing
Posted on February 14, 2010 | No CommentsTweetThis is quite the delicious side dish. I made it to accompany a stuffed chicken. I wanted something that fit within the flavours of Central and Eastern Europe. It was a great little dish in in its own right that would be great as a light lunch with some grilled chicken or fish.
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Tomato Salad
Posted on February 12, 2010 | No CommentsTweetHere’s a simple tomato dish I serve all the time as a side dish to the main event. It’s really great with fish, meat or chicken – the balsamic brings out the sweetness of the tomato and the results are just amazing. Perfection.
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Pot Roast Pork with Sherry & Tarragon
Posted on February 10, 2010 | No CommentsTweetI’m big into seasonal cooking. However, even after 6 years in Australia I can’t seem to get my head around the fact that January = Summer. To me January was always bitterly cold and a time for hibernation. This was reflected in the type of food I would crave and cook. Hearty and warming – a slow roast that would heat the house and fill it with delicious aromas. Sydney in January is nothing like Edinburgh in January. It’s hot, humid and often uncomfortably so. Today, the sun was not shining and it was a chilly 26ºC so out came the pot roast pan! Durning the long cooking time, the sun came out and the cicadas began to sing – just as the house heated to a temperature similar to that of the face of the sun. The resulting dish however was well worth the suffering. A meltingly tender roast which just gave up the fight and turned into one of the most delicious roasts I’ve had this side of the equator.
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Fennel Soup
Posted on January 29, 2010 | No CommentsTweetFennel is one of my favourite vegetables – I love its aniseed taste. It’s a perfect main flavour for soup. Packed with all those flavours without being too heavy or rich. Ideal as a first course or light lunch with a loaf of crusty bread by its side.
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Osso Bucco Ravioli
Posted on January 25, 2010 | No CommentsTweetIf like me you like a dish you can lose yourself in preparing then you’ll love this ravioli. It does take a little time to prepare (in fact it took me 2 nights!), but the results are just delicious. A beautifully flavoured filling in soft melting pasta – I didn’t want it to end. Thankfully I had a lot of filling left so will make more!!
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Beef Stewed in Pinot Noir & Thyme
Posted on January 7, 2010 | 1 CommentTweetHere’s a delicious and simple Italian stew that took me utterly by surprise. The beef is cooked low and slow over 3 1/2 hours so the resulting texture is soft and rich with a mildly peppery aftertaste. It’s absolutely divine. If you cant be bothered with the chopping, flouring, frying, sealing and deglazing that some stews demand, this is the stew for you. What could be simpler than chucking everything into a pan and letting it cook itself? If you’ve got a spare 4 hours, then I urge you to try this. Better still, make it the night before and reheat – the taste is even better.
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Tuna Empanadillas
Posted on January 5, 2010 | No CommentsTweetI made this dish for a ‘bring a plate’ party I went to on New Year’s Eve. An impressive dish which looked more involved than it actually was. Empanadillas are small, bite-size pasties filled with whatever filling you see fit, then deep fried and transformed into a burst of spanish flavours. My favourite empanadas are tuna. This recipe is really simple and the results are really tasty. I made life simple for myself by buying pre made, frozen pastry but if you must make your own then off you go. I was in no mood for it. Whatever you choose, you’ll be sure to love these little emapanadillas – they were first plate cleared by the party guests. Result!
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Smoked Ham & Sweetbread Terrine
Posted on January 1, 2010 | No CommentsTweetTerrines are a mystery to me. I don’t often eat them and I have never made them before this recipe. I had always assumed they were beyond fiddly, but after closer investigation, discovered they’re no more of a challenge than some of the curries I’ve been making for years. This terrine is very easy to prepare, once you’ve found all the ingredients that is! Sweetbreads are deceptively titled and not the easiest things to track down. The pancreas of an animal is not everyone’s idea of a cracking meal, but I urge you to give them a try – they are sublime! I’ve eaten them a few times and really must say, they’re delicious. This recipe used lamb sweetbreads but you can also use veal. The overall dish is absolutely delicious – savoury, smoky and a lovely texture all-round. We ate it as part of a larger cold buffet but it works well as a substantial starter course too. It’s an impressive little dish to pull out of the bag, but secretly not that hard to make!
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Mushroom Frittata
Posted on December 23, 2009 | No CommentsTweetReally simple food, in my opinion is food that can be made in a flash. Something that is quick to prepare but that doesn’t lose anything in flavour. Mushrooms always give a burst of earthiness to a dish and when combined with another favourite of mine, eggs this is a dish I just love to eat – any time of the day. This time, I swished it up by adding a little truffle oil at the end – a perfect accompaniment to both mushrooms and eggs. It’s a little decadent but hey, it’s Christmas!
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Spicy Prawns in Garlic & White Wine
Posted on December 21, 2009 | No CommentsTweetSometimes the simplest dishes are the best. Prawns and garlic work amazingly well together, especially with a little dash of white wine and a drizzling of good quality olive oil. Perfect for a summer’s afternoon in the garden. When I made this I ate SO many prawns I had to have a little lie down to sleep them off. I wish I wasn’t so greedy sometimes.
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Lebanese Shangleesh & Bread Salad
Posted on December 15, 2009 | No CommentsTweetI love salads with the inclusion of bread. Lebanese salads, like Fatoush often feature flat-breads but in this recipe, a white baguette or Turkish bread is featured, It’s a lovely blend of vegetables with a delicious sour/sweet dressing to drizzle over. The shangleesh cheese is a traditional Lebanese cheese rolled in herbs, but if you can’t get hold of it, Feta cheese is the next best thing.
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Lamb in Garlic & Mint Marinade
Posted on December 11, 2009 | No CommentsTweetThe combination of lamb and mint is indisputably delicious. Here’s a simple and effective, Greek inspired marinade for the meat which just lifts it to another level. It’s well worth doing in advance to make sure the meat gets the marinade’s full attention, but if you’re pushed for time 30 minutes of soaking will suffice.
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My Feta & Olive Salad
Posted on December 9, 2009 | No CommentsTweetI think salads are a little overlooked on this site. I never think to add them as I assume most people can make them. I was proven wrong recently when I went for dinner at a friend’s house. The revolting mismatch of vegetable he served up, slathered in a Paul Newman salad dressing made me retch just looking at it. So, for those too ashamed to admit they can’t even ‘cook salad’ here’s one I make all the time. It’s especially delicious with lamb and chicken.
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Turkish Meze – Spoon Salad
Posted on November 21, 2009 | No CommentsTweetSpoon salad refers to the salad’s consistency – almost like a Mexican salsa – best served with a spoon. The ingredients are chopped into perfect tiny dice and combined to form a jewel like appearance. It’s a lovely, fresh salad with a little kick of spice at the end. Delicious stuff.
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Turkish Meze – Carrot Salad
Posted on November 19, 2009 | No CommentsTweetThis is similar in approach to Beetroot salad but the results are quite different. It’s a delicate, slightly sweet dip which lends itself to being scooped up with pita bread or with batons of raw vegetables like celery or capsicum. INGREDIENTS:
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Turkish Meze – Chick Peas with Silverbeet & Sumac
Posted on November 17, 2009 | No CommentsTweetThis was a great little addition to my meze. A delicious savoury, salad you can serve cold or warm. It’s filling enough to work on its own as a snack dish, but also works well as part of a meze spead. INGREDIENTS: 1 x 400g can chick peas (drained)
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Turkish Meze – Garlic Dip
Posted on November 15, 2009 | No CommentsTweetThis is technically not Turkish in origin, more Lebanese but it fits perfectly within a Turkish meze spread. As you would expect, it’s an intense flavour fueled dish that packs a mighty punch. It’s best eaten in small doses alongside meat. It’s delicious with lamb and chicken – just don’t plan a hot date immediately afterwards. The garlic can play havoc with your breath.
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