Honey Roasted Plum, Gruyère and Pine Nut Salad

(Photos by Alex Tchouchev)

Plums

Aged gruyère 

Pine nuts (roasted)

Rucola

Baby spinach

Red onions 

Vinaigrette 

Honey

Balsamic Vinegar 

Olive oil

1. Slice the plums and pit them before marinating them in the fridge in some honey and balsamic.
2. In a pan with some olive oil, caramelize the plums and sauté them until they are slightly soft. Place them aside to chill. 
3. Wash your salad greens and top them with sliced gruyère, red onions, toasted pine nuts and the plums before tossing in vinaigrette

California Rolls & Salmon Nigiri

You will need:

California Rolls

• Sushi rice
• Japanese wine vinegar
• Avocado
• Nori 
• Sesame seeds
• Mayonaise
• Crab meat

Nigri

• Very fresh salmon
• Wasabi
• Sushi rice
• Japanese wine vinegar

1. Cook the rice, once ready, mix with the vinegar and keep refrigerated until cool
2. Slice the avocado in long thick strips
3. Use a rolling mat and cover it in seran wrap before lightly sprinkling sesame seeds over it
4. Place a layer of rice over the rolling mat and place down the nori sheet
5. On the side closest to you put down the avocado, crab meat and some mayonaise
6. Roll it up and slice it with a sharp knife

1. To make the nori, with wet hands ball the rice
2. With a very sharp knife finely slice the salmon
3. Place a small amount of wasabi between the samlon and rice before you lay the salmon on the rice

Barbecued Corn on the Cob with Mint Feta Butter

This probably seems like a very odd combination... but it is surprisingly tasty!

Photo by Alex Tchouchev 

Corn

Fresh mint leaves 

Feta 

Butter (room temperature)

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Use a food processor or finely chop mint and crumble feta in butter. This really comes down to your personal taste and how much of each you want. Add some salt and pepper and mix until you are happy with the taste of your mint feta butter. 
2. Lightly brush the corn with the butter you have made and wrap the corn in foil. Barbecue it! 
3. Add some more of you mint feta butter for garnish and serve while its hot!

Peach-Mango Iced Tea with Raspberries and Mint

1 litre of cold water

1 cup of boiling water

1 cup of fresh mango slices

1/2 a cup of raspberries

Fresh mint leaves

1/4 of a cup of sugar

5 peach tea bags

2 black tea bags

3 mint tea bags

1. Place all the tea bags in the litre of cold water and let the tea soak in
2. Dissolve the sugar in the boiling water and stir it until it is a syrup before pouring it into the litre of tea
3. Finely chop mint and toss it into the tea along with mango and raspberries
4. This tastes best when you leave it for about an hour to really taste all of the flavours 

Watermelon Mint Salad

This is far less a recipe than it is an amazing combination of tastes. 

The next time you have fresh watermelon, try adding some finely chopped mint leaves and freshly squeezed lemon juice. I like to leave it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes so the flavour of the mint really skinks in, but in all honesty, this is entirely optional - serving it as soon as you make it is also delicious.

Slow-Roasted Tomatoes in Fresh Basil and Oregano

This sauce is so delicious and full of flavour. My friend Chris makes me prepare it every time we see each other :) 

12 tomatoes

4 onions

5 large cloves of garlic

1 tablespoon of dried basil

1 tablespoon of dried oregano

A heaping handful of fresh basil

2 stems of fresh oregano

1 tablespoon of sugar

1/2 a cup of coarsely chopped sun-dried tomatoes

Salt and [epper to taste

 olive oil

1. Wash the tomatoes and cut them into quarters, lay them in a baking pan face up
2. Remove the peel on the garlic cloves and disperse them throughout the pan
3. Pour the olive oil over the tomatoes
4. Sprinkle the sugar over the tomatoes so they don't get bitter and add the dry oregano and basil
5. Add the salt and pepper
6. Finely chop the basil and oregano and lay half of it over your dish
7. Mix everything in the baking pan well so the flavours begin to blend
8. Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes at 170 degrees Celsius
9. While the tomatoes are baking, chop the onions in chunks and fry them in a pan with some olive oil until they are cooked. Once they are golden, toss in the coarsely chopped sun-dried tomatoes.
10. Make sure you stir the contents of the baking pan every 10 or so minutes
11. Once everything is cooked, add the onions to the baking pan and serve with pasta or as a dip for bread.

Might you have leftovers? 

Baked Ginger Tofu & Mushroom Bok Choy Stir Fry

Brown Rice

Tofu 

Mushrooms (2 cups, sliced)

Bok Choy (1 pound) 

2 onions

3 garlic cloves

2 and a half teaspoons of minced ginger

2 teaspoons of chili sauce

3 teaspoons of sesame oil

3 table spoons of olive oil

1 teaspoon of cornstarch 

2 tablespoons of low sodium soy sauce

1. Chop the bok choy and mushrooms and onions, mince the garlic and begin cooking the rice. 
2. In a bowl, combine 1 clove of crushed garlic, 1/2 a teaspoon of minced ginger and 1 teaspoon of sesame oil and brush the sliced tofu before baking it in the oven until it is crispy on the outside. 
3. Meanwhile, combine the remaining sesame oil, olive oil, chili sauce, minced ginger and soy sauce in a bowl and mix them - this will be your sauce. 
4. Saute the chopped onions in a wok in some olive oil until they are golden and add the chopped bok choy and mushrooms and add the sauce.
5. Whisk together water with the corn starch and slowly pour it in to thicken the sauce. 
6. Once the mushrooms and bok choy are cooked, serve!

Strawberry Kiwi Smoothie with Orange Zest

• 1 cup of frozen strawberries
• 2 kiwis (peeled)
• 1 tablespoon of orange zest
• 1 tablespoon of grenadine
• 3 tablespoons of plain yogurt
• half a cup of orange juice 

Combine in a blender and serve :)

Gazpacho

I may have developed a slight addition to gazpacho this summer. It is, without a doubt, my favorite summer dish. It's so light and refreshing. Not only is it delicious, it is probably the easiest and quickest thing to make. 

4 fresh tomatoes

1 green capsicum (bell pepper)

1/4 of a large cucumber

1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons of red wine vinegar

A small handful of fresh baguette

1-2 small cloves of garlic

A small white onion

Salt and pepper to taste

a hand mixer or food processor 

How to make your gazpacho

1. Wash your veggies
2. Seed your capsicum 
3. Peel the cucumber (seed if you prefer, I'm lazy so I tend not to)
4. Add all your ingredients together in a food processor (or you can use a hand mixer) until your ingredients are as fine as possible
5. Be sure to taste as you go, I tend to not measure anything
6. OPTIONAL - if you want to make a very traditional gazpacho, pour your blended ingredients through an extremely fine sieve  to make it even smoother and leave over night in the fridge. I, however, tend to prefer a bit more texture to mine and don't add this step. But be sure to serve your gazpacho cold.
7. Garnish with garlic croutons and finely diced onions and green capsicum

Broccoli Cheddar Quiche

My boyfriend was skeptical when I said we were having broccoli quiche but even he loved it :)

6 eggs

1/3 of a cup of milk

2/3 a cup of cheddar

Salt & pepper to taste

A small head of broccoli

One onion 

Olive oil

A sprinkle of minced chives

A pack of puff pastry

1. Preheat the oven depending on the instructions on the package and grease the baking pan you are using.
2. Wash and chop the broccoli before steaming it. 
3. Chop and fry the onion in olive oil.
4. Beat the eggs and mix them with milk, grated cheddar, minced chives, salt and pepper. Then add the the onions and broccoli.
5. Lay the pastry on the baking pan and pour in the filling mixture.
6. Bake according to the instructions on the puff pastry package. 

Blackberry Mint Passion Iced Tea

Heavenly and so refreshing for summer!

alchamilla tea

mint tea

lemongrass tea

lemon 

blackberries

ice cubes

sugar

water

1. I used a combination of alchamilla, mint and lemongrass tea but feel free to use any you like! In a pitcher of water, leave in your teabags to let the flavour seep in. 
2. In a saucepan, make a sweetening syrup for the iced tea by placing three parts water one part sugar until the sugar is fully diluted. Let it cool before adding it to the pitcher of tea.
3. Toss in mint leaves and lemon slices
4. Remove the tea bags when the taste is right for you. 
5. Allow the mixture to cool and garnish with ice cubes and mint before serving!

Greek Salad Pita Drizzled with Tzatziki

So so so delicious!

You will neeeeed:

Cucumber

Tomato

Kalamata olives

Red onions

Feta

Tzatziki

Fresh Pita

Lemon

Seasalt

Olive oil

1. Chop your cucumber, tomato and onions and combine them with pitted and chopped olives
2. Mix them in some freshly squeezed lemon, salt and olive oil to taste
3. Fill your pita with your salad, sprinkle it with salad and drizzle tzatziki over it
4. Wrap your pita up and enjoy :)

Haricot Vert & Beet Salad

Welcome to yet another recipe with no exact measurements! I hope you enjoy it :)

• Beets
• Haricot vert (green beans)
• Feta
• Olive oil
• Lemon 
• Sea salt

1. Cook and peel the beets
2. Chop of the ends of the haricot vert and cook them 
3. Leave the veggies to cool before garnishing them with freshly squeezed lemon, olive oil and sea salt

Strawberry Lemonade Garnished with Basil

• 1/4 of a cup of sliced strawberries
• 2 tablespoons of sugar
• 1/4 of a cup of hot water
• 3 tablespoons of lemon juice
• 3/4 of a cup of cold water
• Ice
• A stem of basil (Haedar might prefer mint ;] )

1. Leaving a few strawberry slices aside for garnish, mash the others with the sugar
2. Stir them in the hot water until the sugar is dissolved 
3. Stir the lemon juice in cold water and then drop in your ice, lemon slices and strawberry slices for garnish before pouring in your berry-sugar syrup. Garnish with a basil stem!

Dolma

• 22-25 fresh vine leaves (spray-free), or 400g jar of preserved vine leaves
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup (100g) medium grain rice, washed and drained
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts
• 2 tablespoons currants
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped mint
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup water 

For Garnish:

• 1 cup water, extra
• the juice of 1 large lemon
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, extra
• lemon wedges, to serve

1. After trimming the stalks of the leaves, cook them in boiling water for 5 minutes and then drain and rinse them in cold water
2. Cook the onions in olive oil until golden and mix them with the rice in the pan. Add the pine nuts, parsley, mint, salt and pepper
3. Cover with 3/4 of a cup of water and cover, leaving it to cook until the rice has absorbed the water and is cooked.
4. Put the filling in the centre of each leaf, then tightly wrap the filling in the leaf. 
5. Use any extra leaves and line the bottom of a pan with them. Place the dolmas very close together so they don't unravel. Pour in water, olive oil and lemon juice over them, Cover the dish and leave them to simmer on a low heat for about an hour. 
6. Leave them to cool and then serve :)

Vegetable Biryani

A favourite

A delicious recipe from Cooking Thumb

For the rice:

• 1 cup of Basmati rice
• Salt to taste
• 1/2 a teaspoon of olive oil
• 1 black cardamom & 2 green cardamoms
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 3 cloves 

For the vegetables:

• 1/2 a cup of green beans (chopped in one inch pieces)
• 1/2 a cup carrots (sliced in pieces)
• 1/4 a cup of peas
• 1 tomato (chopped in slices)
• 1 cup of thinly sliced onions
• 1/2 a tablespoon of ginger paste
• 1/2 a tablespoon of garlic paste
• 1 tablespoon of oil
• 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 5 cloves
• 4 green cardamoms
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 a teaspoon of tumeric powder
• 1/2 a teaspoon of cayenne pepper (or to taste)
• 1/2 a cup of yogurt
• 2 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup of coriander leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon of saffron dissolved in 2 tablespoons of warm milk

1. Heat up some oil in a pan and add cumin, cinnamon, cloves green cardamoms and bay leaf and saute for 10 seconds before adding the ginger and garlic paste and cooking for another 20 seconds
2. Toss in all the vegetables (except tomatoes) and add salt, cover & cook for 2 minutes
3. Add the tumeric, cayenne, lemon juice and tomatoes then lower the heat
4. Add the yogurt and coriander
5. Add the cooked rice and put it over the vegetables and before mixing it, pour the safron and milk mixture over the dish. Cover the pan still without stirring it and leave it on a low heat to cook for 30 minutes
6. Turn off the heat and leave it covered for another 10 minutes before stirring it and serving. 
7. Garnish with coriander, tomato and lemon

Black Bean Garlic Stir Fry

Delicious on noodles or rice... or even by itself!

• 2 carrots
• 1 red and 1 yellow capsicum (bell peppers)
• 2 medium sized onions
• A cup and a half of tofu in strips
• 5 eggs
• 3 cloves of garlic
• A small handful of bean sprouts
• For the sauce: salt, pepper, black bean sauce, canola oil, sugar, water, cornstarch, oyster sauce (optional), sesame oil, low sodium soy sauce - all to taste! Make sure you keep tasting your sauce to make it just how you like it. 

1. Slice the tofu into strips and fry it in a pan with oil, salt and pepper. Make sure it is crispy on the outside  before putting it aside
2. Scramble the eggs and pour them into the pan, mix them slightly while they cook to keep them fluffy and flip the cooked egg as you would an omelet. Cut it into strips the same way you cut the tofu and set aside. 
3. In a pan or wok, place your sliced onions and garlic to simmer in oil and black bean sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil and some soy sauce. Meanwhile peel the carrots and slice them into long strands. Chop the capsicum into slices. 
4. Once the onions and garlic are slightly cooked, toss in the carrots and capsicum and stir well. 
5. In a bowl, mix together some water and cornstarch and pour it into the pan. You may want to add some sugar depending on how the sauce tastes to you. Add sauces until you like the taste. 
6. Before serving, toss the tofu and egg strips in and mix them before garnishing them with bean sprouts. 

Light Raspberry Blueberry Tart

• This is a great recipe passed on by a wonderful family friend.
• Tart dough
• 1/3 of a cup of cottage cheese 
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup of brown sugar 
• Fresh raspberries 
• Fresh blueberries 

1. Lay down your dough and pierce holes on the bottom with a fork
2. Mix together the sugar, eggs and cottage cheese and pour it over the dough
3. Sprinkle the top with raspberries and blueberries
4. Bake depending on the instructions for your dough 

Vegetable Soup

 This recipe is one based of of a delicious soup my mother would make. The nice thing about it is you can toss in any vegetables you like and that are in season.

• 3 cloves of minced garlic
• 3 medium sized yellow onions
• 1 head of broccoli 
• 2 stalks of celery
• 2-3 fist sized potatoes
• 2 carrots
• 2 cubes of vegetable stock
• 1 1/2 litres of water (approximately)
• 1 large tin of tomatoes
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Some sugar (if you find the tomatoes have made the soup bitter)
• Mild paprika to taste
• Cumin to taste
• Coriander powder to taste
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil

While these were the veggies I used, feel free to be creative with this recipe and use whatever you like - peas, squash, anything

1. Finely chop the onions and mince the garlic. Let them simmer in the olive oil in your pot for a few minutes until the onions are translucent
2. Pour in the hot water mixed with the stock cubes, slice the tinned tomatoes and pour them in as well
3. Since I am truly lazy, I like to prepare all my vegetables (peel and chop the potatoes and carrots in large pieces, chop the celery and brocoli) and then... I just throw them all in together. I add a bit of spices and salt and pepper, cover up the soup and let it cook on a medium heat.
4. Once your veggies are cooked, use a hand mixer to blend some of your soup to make the broth thicker. (You could also use a blender too!)
5. Continue to taste and season your soup until it is how you like it and enjoy!

Raita

• 1/2 a cup of plain yogurt
• 1/2 a cup of finely chopped seeded cucumbers
• 2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro
• 2 tablespoons of chopped onions
• 1/4 of a teaspoon of coriander
• 1/4 of a teaspoon of ground cumin
• 2 stalks of mint leaves finely chopped

Mix together and serve :)