Haloumi with Marinated Strawberries
Download this recipe (DOC 30k)
This is not only extremely easy to make, but it looks fabulous and tastes even better
Ingredients:
- 400 g haloumi cheese
- 2 punnets small strawberries (de-stalk, wash, dry)
- ¼ bunch baby basil (buy Greek variety if possible)
- 2 punnets small, baby micro herbs
- 25 ml approx caramelised balsamic from ‘The Cheese Tent’
- ½ lemon (juice only)
- 50 ml good quality olive oil
Method:
- Cut the strawberries into quarters depending on the size of them. Save a few whole, small ones to garnish with as per my photo. About 5 minutes before serving, drizzle the balsamic over the strawberries. Add 2 teaspoons of sugar if you are using normal balsamic vinegar
- Pick off the washed leaves of basil and add these along with the mirco herbs to a small bowl
- Cut the haloumi into six even-sized slices
- Heat a non-stick pan until it is really hot. Add the slices of haloumi and cook for about 30 seconds, turning once. Squeeze ½ the lemon juice over this just before you take it out of the pan
- Place one slice of haloumi into the centre of your chosen entrée platesed
- Spoon even amounts of the strawberries in the middle of each slice, allowing them to spill over the edge a little for effect
- Squeeze the rest of the lemon onto the prepared herb leaves and add a drizzle of olive oil. Toss quickly and arrange a small handful of the leaves attractively on top of the strawberries
Some Tips from Alison:
- If you can’t find caramelised balsamic a good quality balsamic vinegar is acceptable, but it will need to be sweetened with a little white sugar
- There is no need to use oil when cooking the haloumi as it contains its own oil but remember to get the pan nice and hot before you put it in or it might stick
- Slice the cheese in advance and make sure it’s covered and refrigerated
- Cut the strawberries close to the time of serving or they will spoil
- Prepare the herbs on the day to avoid wilting
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Vietnamese Chicken Salad
Download this recipe (DOC 28k)
This is vibrant, tasty, quick, fun and funky!
Ingredients:
-
(Serves 2)
- 100g Wombok/Chinese cabbage (shredded finely)
- ½ medium lime (juice only)
- 20g beansprouts (topped and tailed)
- ½ medium red chilli (sliced thinly)
- ½ cooked chicken breasts or legs (shredded)
- ¼ small bunch of coriander (washed and chopped). Save a few sprigs for garnish
- ¼ small bunch of Vietnamese mint or use normal mint at a push! (washed and chopped)
- 25g salted peanuts (chopped roughly). Save some for garnish
The Salad
The Dressing
- ½ clove of garlic (peeled and crushed)
- ½ medium red chilli (chopped finely, seeds removed if you don’t like it too hot)
- 15 ml Asian fish sauce (Nam Pla)
- 5 ml rice wine vinegar (or normal white vinegar is ok)
- 15 ml warm water
- ½ tablespoon of castor sugar
Method:
- Prepare all of the ingredients for the salad
- Make the dressing by combining all of the above ingredients and stirring until the sugar is dissolved
- When you are ready to serve this salad (and not before or it will go soggy!), mix all the ingredients in a large bowl and moisten with the dressing
- Divide the ingredients into 2 nice bowls and garnish with some chopped peanuts, coriander leaves and red chilli
- Enjoy on a warm summer’s day or evening with a nice glass of crisp, cold white wine or beer!
Frittata
Download this recipe (DOC 14k)
Now this really is fun and very fast. It is just like an Italian version of an omelette, only easier to make. This can be made the day before. Simply refrigerate, cut and reheat the next day and then quickly warm through in the oven just before you need it. Perfect …
Ingredients:
- 12 extra large eggs
- 200 g goat’s cheese (crumbled randomly)
- 100 g mature cheddar cheese (grated)
- 100 g roasted red capsicum (cut into thin strips)
- 18 pitted black olives (halved)
- ¼ small bunch coarsely-chopped dill leaves (save some dill sprigs for garnish)
- sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper
- 50 ml olive oil
- 6 tbsp ricotta
Method:
- Crack all the eggs into a bowl and whisk well with plenty of seasoning
- Carefully fold in the capsicum, olives, dill and both cheeses to the egg mixture
- Brush the olive oil over the non-stick baking tray or alternately line the tray with baking paper and then pour in the egg mixture
- Rearrange the ingredients if they have settled in one area
- Place into a hot oven of about 180°C and bake until the eggs set and are a nice, golden colour about 15 to 20 minutes tops. If the eggs have set but still look pale and not golden, place them under a hot grill to finish
- Remove and allow to cool and settle for a couple of minutes
- Place a chopping board directly over the top of the tray and carefully but quickly, holding onto the board and the tray, flip it over and out. If you have taken the coward’s way out, you can merely slide the frittata out by gently pulling the baking paper and frittata onto the board. Easy!
- Use a sharp, serrated-edged knife to cut it into 12 even pieces. Place 2 pieces attractively onto each plate, slightly overlapping. Add a spoon of ricotta on top. Finish with a few sprigs of the dill leaves and a good grind of black pepper on each piece. See my photo if you’re not sure
Some Tips from Alison:
- A good tip is to invest in a really good, non-stick baking tray (26 x 32 cm approximately). I can assure you that you will be very thankful for this tip when you go to turn it out. If this is your first try with this tray and you don’t trust it, line it with baking paper. It is a real safety net
- Don’t be shy with the seasoning
- Be bold in rearranging the ingredients after you have poured the mixture into the pan. Your aim is to make sure everyone gets an equal amount of olives, capsicums and cheese
- Cut the dill close to serving time as it otherwise tends to go black and spoil