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Green Pasta Salad with Pine Nuts

Monday, July 12, 2021

A quick, easy green pasta salad chock full of the tasty, nutrient-rich ingredients with a creamy salad dressing. You can make this flavourful pasta ahead of time, then keep it in your fridge until time to serve. I use whole spelt pasta, but you can choose a variety that meets your nutritional requirements-regular wheat pasta or gluten-free pasta made from rice, lentils or beans.

	Salad Dressing
150 g Organic spelt fusilli 200 g Frozen peas 75 g Arugula 2 tbsp Chives, chopped 50 g Pine nuts, toasted	100 g Crème double (Dr. Oetker) 100 g Crème fraîche 2 tbsp Herb vinegar (Hengstenberg) 1 tbsp Honey (or sugar) 2 Garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced Salt and pepper to taste

Mix everything for the dressing in a bowl. Taste and season. Chill until ready for use.
Fill a saucepan for the pasta with about 800ml of water. Place over high heat and bring it to a boil. Add 2 teaspoonfuls of salat to the boiling water. Add in pasta and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. In the last minute of cooking, add frozen peas. Drain the pasta and peas and return to the saucepan.
Add in arugula, chives and two thirds of the dressing. Gently toss everything together. Season and taste. Place them on a large serving platter. Scatter the roasted pine nuts over and enjoy!

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Beef Liver Salad with Arugula, Gooseberries and Apricots

Friday, July 09, 2021

The beef liver is cooked to be really tender, wonderfully succulent and pairs perfectly with the arugula and fruit salad. The liver is really fantastic for you and filled with essential vitamins and minerals (Vitamin B12, Vitamin A, Iron, Copper and Choline) your body needs. If you aren’t a big fan of nutrient-dense superfood-beef liver like me, try lamb or chicken liver. They are milder in taste and have a softer texture. You can also soak beef liver in milk overnight to make the flavour milder.

500 g Beef liver, organic and grass-fed
50 g Ghee
3 Garlic clove, chopped
1 tsp Ginger, peeled and shredded
1/2 tsp Dried red chilli pepper flakes
2/3 tsp Coriander powder
1 tbsp Brandy (or Sherry)
Black lava salt
50 g Arugula
3-4 Ripe apricots, stoned and cut into wedges
100 g Gooseberries
1 tbsp Parsley, chopped
Pink peppercorns, to garnish

Clean beef liver and cut roughly into 2-inch segments. Heat the ghee in a skillet over high heat until hot. Add the liver, garlic, and ginger and stir-fry until browned but interior is still pinkish, about 2 minutes. Add in pepper flakes, coriander powder and Brandy or Sherry. Stir everything together and cook for a minute. Season with salt.
Place arugula, apricot wedges and gooseberries in two serving plates. Top with beef liver. Sprinkle some chopped parsley and pink peppercorns over.

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Sirloin Steak with Garlic Bok Choy

Wednesday, July 07, 2021

You can use any cut of steak for this recipe, but sirloin is naturally lean and more afforable. It's delicious on its own with a bold beefy flavour and firm texture, also cooks well with marinades and sauces. Using beef broth and brandy to the pan sauce not only enhances the flavour but makes the sauce rich and creamy. If you don't want to use alcohol, then simply leave it out.
Sirloin is taken from the hip of the cow and tends to be slightly chewy as it's on the leaner side. I would suggest to get top sirloin, which is more tender and suitable for high heat pan searing and grilling, but be careful not to overcook them since the meat can start to turn tough and dry beyond medium.

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Biftekia Greek Meat Patties

Monday, July 05, 2021

These Greek patties, Biftekia, are packed with the Mediterranean flavours, juicy and super delicious. They are great for picnics and garden grill parties.
Biftekia, also known as “Greek hamburger”, are very popular in Greece. The smaller meatball version is called keftedes. Traditionally, the ground meat (beef, pork or lamb are all fine) is marinated with herbs (thyme, oregano, dill, parsley or rosemary) and allow the mixture to marry in the fridge, the longer the better. Overnight would be ideal. If you want to keep it low-carb, substitute almond meal for breadcrumbs.

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Persian Cucumber Salad with Smoked Paprika Vinaigrette and Za'atar

Saturday, July 03, 2021

Take the humble cucumbers to new heights with this easy, refreshing salad tossed with smoked paprika vinaigrette and sprinkled with a homemade za'atar. Any cucumber will do in this salad, but I just love the mini thin-skinned Persian variety. It's perfect as a side for an outdoor grill.
Persian cucumbers are thin-skinned and only grow to be about five to six inches long and remain quite narrow. They are crispier and have a mild and sweet flavour. You can use other mini cucmbers too.
Za'atar is typically a combination of dried oregano, thyme, and/or marjoram with sumac and toasted sesame seeds. You can purchase this middle Eastern spice mix or easily make your own at home.

Salad & Smoked Paprika Vinaigrette	Za'atar Spice Blend
120 ml Extra-virgin olive oil 3 tbsp Sherry vinegar 1 Shallot, minced 1 tsp Dijon mustard 3/4 sp Smoked paprika 1/4 tsp Salt 1/4 tsp Freshly ground pepper 750 g Persian cucumbers, quartered lengthwise 1 tbsp Chopped fresh dill Pink peppercorns, to garnish, optional	1 tbsp Dried thyme 1 tsp Dried oregano 2 tbsp Sesame seeds, toasted 1 tbsp Sumac 1/2 tsp Salt

Place olive oil, vinegar, shallot, Dijon, smoked paprika, salt and pepper in a blender or a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Blend or shake until well combined.
To make a za'atar, just stir together all ingredients in a small bowl.
Toss cucumbers in a large bowl with the dressing. Chill, tossing once, for 1-2 hours. Just before serving, add dill and toss to combine.
Arrange them on a platter. Sprinkle some za'atar and pink peppercorns if using.

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Easy Spelt Carrot Bread

Thursday, July 01, 2021

This easy, quick carrot bread would make a great breakfast with Greek yoghurt and fresh seasonal fruit. The grated carrot and honey give this bread wonderful soft crumb texture and mild sweetness. If you want to pamper yourself with something extra and richer, top the bread with a generous smear of (nut) butter or even cream cheese frosting!

100 g Whole spelt flour
140 g Refined spelt flour
12 g Baking powder
1 tsp Ground ginger
1/2 tsp Ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp Ground cloves
1 Large pinch of nutmeg
1 Large pinch of salt
220 g Finely grated carrots
80 g Honey
2 Large eggs
100 ml Olive oil (or avocado oil)
80 g Rum soaked raisins
4 Left over seedy crackers for the topping (or walnuts), break into smaller pieces
2 tsp Raw brown sugar for the topping

Preheat the oven to 190C/375F. Grease a 21x10x8cm loaf pan and line the bottom and sides with parchment paper.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flours, baing powder, spices, and salt. Peel and grate the carrots, set aside.
Place honey, eggs, and olive oil in another bowl. Beat until combined. Add the flour mixture in 2 batches and stir with a spatula until just combined. Add in carrot and raisins. Fold to combine.
Scrape the batter into the prepared baking pan. Top with seedy crackers or walnuts. Bake for about 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean that is inserted in the center and the top is golden brown and crunchy. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

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Stuffed Chicken Leg Quarters with Radish Tops over Pea Pepita Hummus

Tuesday, June 29, 2021

Create a truly flavour-packed meal with this delicious, yet budget-friendly stuffed chicken leg served on a bed of creamy pea pepita hummus. The leafy green tops of cherry radishes are are typically under-appreciated and very often thrown away. Don't let radish leaves (carrot tops, and beet greens) go to waste. Instead, try them to make pesto, add to the salads or combine with herbs and spices to make the stuffing for your roast.

	Pea Pepita Hummus
1 bunch Radish tops, chopped 2 tbsp Chives, chopped 2 tbsp Flat parsley, chopped 2 Garlic cloves, minced 1 tsp Cumin seed powder 1 tsp Fennel seed powder 1/2 tbsp Lemon zest 1 tsp Pink salt 1/3 tsp Black peppercorns 3 tbsp Olive oil 3 / 1-1.2 kg Chicken leg quarters 1 tbsp Butter	300 g Frozen peas, blanched, refreshed 15 g Chives, chopped 1 clove Garlic, chopped 100 ml Extra-virgin olive oil 2 tbsp Freshly squeezed lemon juice 2 tbsp Tahini 30 g Pepitas Salt Chopped chives, to garnish Cherry radishes, to garnish

Place chopped radish tops, chives, parsley, garlic cloves, spices, lemon zest, pink salt and black pepper in a food processor. Process until finely chopped and combined. Stir in 2 tablespoons of olive oil to make a paste.
Place a chicken leg skin-side down. Feel for the thigh bone with your fingers then, with a sharp knife, carefully cut down through the flesh either side of the bone. With the tip of the knife, cut around the bone and scrape away the flesh, leaving the bone as clean as possible. Twist the bone at the joint with the drumstick and, with scissors or a knife, cut out the thigh bone and the back bone, leaving the drumstick bone in place. Save the bones for the stock.
Spread one third of the radish top stuffing on the chicken thigh. Roll it up and secure the stuffing with toothpicks. Brush the skin with a little bit of remaining olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Repeat with the rest of the chicken legs.
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F. Heat the butter in a frying pan and brown the chicken legs. Transfer to a roasting tin and roast for 25–30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. The chicken is cooked when the juice runs clear with no trace of pink when the thickest part of the leg is pierced with a skewer.
To make the hummus, place the peas in a bowl. Cover with boiling water and set aside for 3 minutes or until tender. Drain.
In a blender, add peas, chives, garlic, olive oil and lemon juice and whiz to combine. Add tahini and pepitas, and whiz until smooth. Season to taste with salt.
Spread some pea hummus on a plate. Slice the chicken and remove the toothpicks. Place it on the top of hummus. Sprinkle some chopped chives over. Garnish with cherry radish and drizzle some pan juice over if desired.