Prawn Skewer With Avocado Puree

Ingredients:

Pack of shrimps, pre-boiled or fresh, peeled
1 ripe avocado, peeled
Bunch of fresh coriander leaves
1/4 small chili pepper
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
skewers
salt&pepper
*

Last kiss of summer. The prawn skewer was barbecued on a disposal set on a deserted island and was liked by everyone. Such a simple thing to cook. Just marinade the prawns in a mix of olive oil, dash of lemon juice, finely chopped coriander and chili pepper, salt and ground black pepper. Stick them onto the skewer and grill, bake or fry on a pan for a few minutes. Prawns do not take too long, especially if already pre-boiled. Avocado pure is made by mixing the avocado with chili pepper, lime juice, drop of olive oil, salt and pepper with an immersion mixer. Easy peasy. Serve with whatever you like. Could be couscous, rice, bread, tortilla chips.
Bon Appetit!

Chicken Breast Fillet With Pear and Sage

Ingredients:

2 medium sized chicken breast fillets, pounded softly

1 big pear, peeled and sliced

1/4 cup pecan nuts, crushed finely

2 tbsp butter, soft

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon honey

Dash of fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup Parmigiano cheese, grated finely

Bunch of fresh sage leaves

Few fresh oregano leaves

toothpicks

salt&pepper

*

Back to the good old chicken. This recipe was a great success and again the combination of sweet and salty flavors never fails. Start with preparing the filling by grating the Parmigiano cheese, chopping the fresh herbs finely (keep some of the sage leaves aside for later), crushing the pecan nuts and placing all of the above into a bowl with a tablespoon of soft butter, pinch of salt and pepper. Mix it all together until you have a firmer paste. Pound the chicken breast fillets so that you can roll the meat. Smear the paste on the inner side of the breast fillet and place a slice of peeled pear in the middle. Roll the breast so that the pear is in the middle, fasten with toothpicks. Preheat oven to 200C. Heat up the olive oil on a saucepan and place the chicken breast wraps on the pan. Fry from all sides quickly in high heat so that the meat seals. Remove from the frying pan and place it on roasting pan, put it in the oven and let it roast for about ten to fifteen minutes until done. Melt a tablespoon of butter on the frying pan you used before, add a dash of fresh lemon juice and place the rest of the pear slices in the pan. Add rest of the chopped sage leaves and a bit of honey. Cook the pears until they are soft. Once ready, place the chicken wrap and the cooked pears on the plate, serve with rice or potatoes. Don't forget to take all the toothpicks out from the wrap.

Bon Appetit!

Roasted Aubergine With Couscous Filling and Feta Cheese

Ingredients:

1 larger aubergine

50 g couscous
2 stripes prosciutto ham, chopped roughly
1/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled
Handful dried apricots, chopped
Handful pine nuts
Bunch of fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
Pinch of cinnamon powder
Pinch of grained nutmeg or powder
1 tbsp virgin olive oil
salt&pepper
*

Tasty not only summer meal with a bit of exotic Arabic feel to it. Wash the aubergine and prick it couple of times with a fork, place it whole on a baking paper in a baking pan and bake in oven at cca 200C for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile place couscous in a bowl and pour boiling water over so that it just covers the amount, put a lid over and let it rise. Take out the aubergine and cut it in half. Scoop out the soft inside but be careful not the penetrate the sides. Chop it finely and add it to the already risen couscous along with chopped prosciutto ham, apricots, mint leaves, pine nuts, olive oil and season with salt, pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir all together and fill the aubergine with the mixture. Sprinkle with crumbled feta cheese, put back into oven and bake for another 10 minutes or so until the cheese starts to brown. Serve on a bed of salad leaves and optionally with white yogurt dressing which can be made from Greek yogurt with salt, pepper, dash of lemon juice, chopped fresh mint and coriander leaves. If you prefer vegetarian version, just omit the prosciutto ham.
Bon Appetit!

Spanish Gazpacho

Ingredients:

1/2 cucumber, peeled and seeded

1/2 red bell pepper, cored and seeded

2 tomatoes, sliced and seeded

1/4 red onion

1 celery stalk

1 cup tomato juice

1/2 cup ice cubes

2 tbsp virgin olive oil

1 tbsp lemon juice or white vinegar

1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

Bunch of fresh parsley

1/4 chili pepper

salt&pepper

*

The best food in hot hot summer days. Period. She fell in love with this soup while living in South of Spain and truly, there was nothing else she could possibly eat during temperatures as high as 43C. Refreshing, healthy, light, super easy. Just chop roughly all the vegetable ingredients and put them into mixer along with the herbs, seasonings and tomato juice. Mix it well. The ice cubes will chill the soup immediately. The longer gazpacho sits, the more the flavors develop. Serve with bread.

Bon Appetit!

Goat's Cheese And Pear Salad

Ingredients:

1 bag mix of salad leaves

1 pear, peeled and sliced

1/2 pack soft goat's cheese

Handful walnuts

Dressing:

1 tbsp pink pepper corns

2 tbsp balsamic vinaigrette

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp honey

1 tbsp mustard

salt&pepper

*

Salads are great anytime, but in this warm weather they are almost a necessity. This one is again super easy to make and the mix of sweetness of the pear with the sharpness of the goat's cheese a great combination. Simply place washed salad leaves on a plate or in a bowl, add cheese, sliced pear and walnuts. Prepare dressing in a separate container by mixing all the ingredients well together until you have a compact liquid. Pour over the salad and all is ready. Serve with bread.

Bon Appetit!

Lamb Chops Marinated In Chili And Mint Sauce

Ingredients:

4 smaller lamb chops

1 cup of rice

1/2 fresh chili pepper

Bunch of fresh mint leaves

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp honey

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

salt&pepper

*

Sometimes a little shift from the usual chicken and fish is needed. Lamb was not everyone's favorite but this marinated version had rather a success. Put the lamb chops into marinade made of honey, olive oil, a bit of lemon juice, finely chopped mint leaves and chili pepper, salt and pepper for at least a few hours and store in a fridge. Fry on a sauce pan with a lid or grill on a barbecue if possible for about 20 mins. Serve with rice or potatoes.
Bon Appetit!

Smoked Mackerel Salad With Beetroot And Dill Yogurt Dressing

Ingredients:

250g baby potatoes, boiled

1 smoked mackerel fillet, boned and torn into pieces

2 middle sized bulbs cooked beetroot, sliced

1 cup rucola leaves 

Dressing:

1/2 cup low fat Greek yogurt

1 tbsp chopped fresh dill

1 tbsp pickled capers

1 tbsp lemon juice

salt&pepper

*

This time a little Nordic inspiration. This meal is packed with vitamin C, B6 and B12, antioxidants and healthy omega 3s fatty acids, just be cautious of the beetroot which has a tendency to stain everything pink. Once the potatoes are boiled soft, cut them in half, mix with rucola leaves, pieces of mackerel and sliced beetroot.  In a separate bowl or cup prepare the dressing by mixing half of the yogurt container with finely chopped fresh dill, tablespoon of  capers with a bit of the pickled liquid, a squeeze of lemon juice, salt and pepper and  stir all together. Pour the dressing over the mix and the meal is ready. Add a boiled egg if you fancy or use fresh spinach leaves instead of rucola if you prefer.

Bon Appetit!