Tzatziki

I make a Cypriot version of this Greek meze with an emphasis on mint and garlic, although its not unknown to use dill or parsley, I'd quite like to try it with coriander. Watch this space.

This is good with pita, falafel, jacket potato, although it was traditionally served as an accompaniment with meat.

You need-

Natural Yogurt/Greek Yogurt

A cucumber

Garlic

Fresh mint

Salt

Grate the cucumber. Strain the water off by leaving it in a sieve for a few hours, you can speed this process up by applying pressure to the grated cucumber- using a wooden spoon or a tin can but this might stretch your sieve. Salt can be used to help draw out the water but be aware that whatever salt you add will end up in your tzatziki too. I like to chop the cucumber slightly as I don't like the stringy strips of cucumber. The idea is basically to remove the water to prevent the tzatziki from becoming watery.

Mix this with the yogurt, then add crushed garlic, chopped mint and salt to taste.

Et voilá! I fucking love this stuff, literally eat it out the bowl with a fork.

Thai Style Puy Lentil Soup

A very satisfying and slightly unusual soup.

Super super quick and super easy if you have Thai curry paste close to hand.

You need:

Puy Lentils

Bay leaves (or Kaffir Lime Leaves for a more authentic Thai flavour)

Shallots

Thai Green Curry paste

Coconut milk

A lime

Fresh coriander

Dark Soy sauce

Salt and rice vinegar

Browning sauce

Flavourless oil, for frying

Boil up the puy lentils. Salted water, with a bay leaf or a Kaffir Lime leaf.

When soft drain, remove the cooking leaves but retain the cooking water

Dice the shallots and fry in vegetable or sunflower oil.

Add a few generous tablespoons of Thai green curry paste.

Add most of the lentils to fry.

When the shallots have softened add a tin of coconut milk and some chopped coriander.

Leave to simmer for three/four minutes. Blend the soup using a hand-blender.

Right, when I cooked this it came out a pale-green colour, which although pretty was not too appetizing. I added some dark soy sauce for flavour and some browning (not brown, browning!) sauce to add depth of colour. You really only need a tinnnny amount of this stuff, it hardly tastes of anything but is great for darkening gravy etc. I fucked up and mistook it for soy sauce once.... don't do that.

Add the juice of half a lime (I would have added the zest had it not already gone into the curry paste earlier) The lime is, I think, essential for making the soup something really wonderful.

Add salt and rice vinegar to taste.

When I was happy with the soup I added a few extra un-blended lentils for texture.

Serve with some chopped coriander on the top.

Red Potato Gratin

Good served with something bitter or sharp to cut through the thickness of the cream.

As cooked by Jake, but probably inspired by Jean-Sylvain, who puts cream in anything and everything. (But hey, he's french.)

Red potatoes

White onione

Single cream

Fresh parsley, chopped

Mustard, salt and pepper.

Slice the potatoes and put in cold, salted water and bring to the boil.

While they are heating up, slice the onion into rounds and mix mustard and pepper into the cream to taste. (Or whatever to taste)

Drain the potatoes.

Arrange the potatoes and onion in an ovenproof dish, add salt. Potatoes absorb salt so you will need more than you expect. Top with cream and fresh parsley.

Bake until the top has browned.

Serve.

Sesame, Ginger and Soy Stir Fry

Very simple but very YUM. The orange of the pepper looks especially good against the green.

Obviously you can replace the vegetables with whatever you like though. :)

We used;-

Sesame seeds

Sesame oil

Fresh Ginger, diced

2-3 cloves of fresh Garlic, crushed

Green chili

Dark Soy sauce

Light soy sauce

Vegetable oil

Savoy Cabbage leaves

An orange bell Pepper

A Courgette

Spring onions

2-3 Shallots

Slice the shallots into rounds, and the rest of the vegetables into strips roughly the same size.

Fry the shallots and the spring onions, add the garlic/ginger/chili.

Stir stir stir stir stir

Meanwhile, dry roast sesame seeds.

Add the rest of the veg, more garlic if desired.

Add the roasted sesame seeds and a dash of dark soy.

Stir it up.

Serve with noodles, dress the noodles with a little more of the light soy sauce and sesame oil. Spoon the vegetables over the noodles.

Seriously, its fucking amazing.

Pizza alla Genovese

'Alla Genovese' means 'with pesto'

Inspired by http://expeditions-in-vegetarianism.blogspot.com/2010/02/pasta-new-potatoes-and-green-beans-with.html

Pesto
Garlic oil
Olive oil
New potatoes
Asparagus/Green beans (can use one, or both)
White onion
Red onion (only a small amount)
Mozzarella
Rocket
Parmesan cheese
Black pepper

Slice asparagus down the middle and trim the ends off green beans, drizzle with lemon juice and butter/olive oil and grill. While they're cooking, finely slice some new potatoes and rings of white onion. Dice some red onion into very small parts. When the vegetables have grilled, slice them up ready to go on the pizza.

Brush the pizza base with garlic olive oil.
Replace the tomato sauce with pesto.
Arrange the toppings on the pizza base. Top with mozzarella, sprinkle the finely diced red onion on the top for a contrast in colour.
Put pizza in the oven.
When the cheese is just starting to brown, remove the pizza and top with rocket, drizzle on some extra olive oil.
Return the pizza to the oven, finish cooking.
If you're feeling very fancy when the pizza is cooked you could finish it with parmesan cheese and black pepper, I think it really rounds off the flavours.

Aubergine and Chickpea Tagine

Delicious when served with almond and lemon cous cous.

1 white onion

1 Aubergine

1 Can of chickpeas (or dried chickpeas, soaked overnight and cooked through)

Tomatoes (can't remember how many)

Spices;

Corriander, Tumeric, Chili, Cumin,

other stuff ill do it later