A Taste Of The Med...

Greek Style Salad Starter

Ingredients 

2 medium courgettes, cut into long ribbons using a 'y' peeler

Olive Oil for brushing

2 large beef tomatoes, each cut into 6 slices

½ small red onion, very finely diced

1/3 cucumber, finely diced

60g mixed pitted olives

100g mixed soft cream cheese or Greek yoghurt

A few chopped basil and oregano leaves, finely chopped

220g feta cheese, crumbled 

Black pepper and salt

To garnish - Balsamic glaze

Method

1. Preheat a griddle pan.
2. Brush the courgette with oil and griddle on both sides. Leave to cool.
3. Mix together the onion, cucumber, olives, cream cheese or yoghurt and herbs in a small bowl and season well.
4. Place a tomato slice in the centre of a serving plate, top with a spoonful of the cream cheese mix and a courgette ribbon and repeat again to form a stack.
5. Crumble over the feta cheese.
6. Drizzle over a little olive oil and Balsamic glaze before serving. 

Serves 6

Chicken Breasts Mediterranean Style

Ingredients 

4 skinless chicken breasts 

2 tbsp polenta

2 tbsp parmesan cheese

black pepper 

1 tbsp olive oil

50g pitted mixed olives

50g sundried tomatoes in oil

1 garlic clove, crushed

Method

1. Preheat oven 190ºC Gas 5.
2. In a small bowl, mix together the polenta and parmesan and season with little black pepper.
3. Blitz together the olives, sundried tomatoes, garlic clove and olive oil with a small blender (or chop very finely and add olive oil).
4. Cut a slit in each chicken breast and add the stuffing mixture. Sprinkle over the  polenta mixture.
5. Cook for 20-25 minutes.
6. Serve with green salad.

Serves 4

Italian Style New Potatoes

Ingredients

1 kg new potatoes 

Fresh rosemary

2-3 cloves garlic

Finely grated rind of 1 lemon

sea salt and black pepper

oil for drizzling

Method

1. Parboil the potatoes for 7-8 minutes and then sauté in a little oil with remaining ingredients until golden brown or oven bake at 200ºC Gas 6 for 15-20 minutes. 

Serves 4-5

Cook's Tip – potatoes can be steamed in your microwave for 5-6 minutes to save time.  Just add 2 tbsp water to the dish, add the potatoes  cover and cook on Full power. Finish as above.

Dauphinoise Potato Cakes

Ingredients

1.4 kilo / 3lbs Maris Piper potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced

15g butter

1 clove garlic, crushed 

150mls double cream

150mls stock

75g Gruyere cheese, grated 

salt and white pepper

Method

1. Arrange the potato slices in a roasting tin, seasoning well and pouring some of the cream or stock between the layers.
2. Blend the crushed garlic with the cream or stock.
3. Line the base and sides of a 30cm x 20cm roasting tin with non-stick baking paper and lightly smear with butter or spray with a little olive oil.
4. Preheat the oven to 180ºC Fan/ Gas5
5. Dot with the remaining butter, sprinkle over the cheese if using, and pour over the remaining liquid.
6. Bake for 1½ hours – if becoming too brown cover with foil.
7. Leave to cool. Refrigerate until required.
8. Using a 6.5cm/ 2½ inch cutter, cut out rounds and arrange onto a baking- tray lined with non-stick paper. Re-heat for 10-12 minutes.

Makes 10-12 potato cakes.

These can be made in advance and kept in a refrigerator for 24 hours. 

Crème Caramel

Caramel 

150mls water

125g caster sugar

Custard

4 eggs & 1 extra egg yolk

½ tsp vanilla extract 

1-2 tbsp caster sugar 

500mls warmed milk

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 140ºC Fan/ Gas 3 
2. Place the water and sugar in a saucepan. Heat gently to dissolve the sugar and then boil rapidly until golden brown.
3. Pour the caramel into a 20cm round ovenproof   dish.
4. Whisk together the eggs, 1-2 tbsp sugar, vanilla extract and warmed milk and gently pour the egg mixture through a sieve into the prepared dish or tin. 
5. Place the dish of egg custard into a roasting tin and pour hot water around it to form a bain- marie so that the water comes halfway up the sides of the dish.
6. Bake for 40-45 minutes until the custard sets but still has a slight wobble.
7. Leave to cool and then chill slightly before inverting onto a serving plate and cutting into slices. 

Serves 6

Cook's Tip

Try making a Coffee Crème Caramel by adding  2 tbsp  strong  coffee  to the warm milk instead of the vanilla extract or a Chocolate Crème Caramel by dissolving 100g chopped chocolate into the warmed milk.