Category Archives: Dinner

Greek Lamb Souvlaki, Garlicky bean mash and Tzaziki

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Delicious lamb skewers, perfect for any occasion.

Makes about 8 – 10 Skewers

INGREDIENTS:  Lamb Souvlaki

  • 2 lbs. lamb, cubed,  cut from leg or shoulder
  • 5 tbsp. olive oil
  • 2 cloves of garlic, grated
  • 1/4 tsp. Chili flakes
  • 1/2 lemon (juice)
  • 1 tbsp. fresh Oregano, or 2 tsp. dried
  • 1 tbsp. fresh Thyme, leafs only, or 2 tsp. dried
  • 1/2 tsp. dried mint (dried works better than fresh in this case)
  • 1/2 tsp smoked sweet paprika
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 10 metal or wooden skewers (soak wooden)

INGREDIENTS:  Tzaziki sauce

  • 1 cucumber
  • 1 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1/4 of a cup extra virgin olive oil
  • IMG_128018 oz. thick Greek yogurt
  • a squeeze of lemon juice
  • a pinch of salt

INGREDIENTS Garlicky Bean mash 

  • 2 cans of white beans
  • 1 tbsp. + 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped fine
  • 5 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 1 sprig of rosemary
  • 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp. chicken stock powder

INSTRUCTIONS:Lamb Souvlaki

  1. Prepare the marinade for the lamb Souvlaki. Soak the skewers if they are wooden to prevent burning.
  2. In a large bowl combine all the ingredients without the salt! Adding the salt at this stage would result in dry meat as it will extract the moisture from the lamb.
  3. Cover with plastic wrap and let marinate overnight for the best result. If you are in a hurry, just marinate while you prepare your coals.
  4. Remove the lamb from the marinade and thread the pieces onto your wooden or metal skewers. Season the lamb generously with salt just before grilling.
  5. When the coals are covered in a thin layer of grey ash, it’s time to grill. Make sure there are no flames. Grill the lamb for about 4-5 minutes, (depending on how big you’ve cut the cubes), turning to grill evenly.

Tip: Place Pita bread or flat bread on the Bbq to heat up for a minute or two. Serve with a Greek Salad and Tzaziki

INSTRUCTIONS: Tzaziki

  1. Remove the skin and the seeds of the cucumber and grate it into a large bowl. Season with salt and leave aside for 10 minutes.
  2. Wrap the grated cucumber in a towel and squeeze as hard as you can to remove the liquid. Place the cucumber in a bowl and add the remaining ingredients.
  3. Taste and add more salt if necessary. Leave to chill for a while in the fridge if you can. Left overs must be stored in the fridge.

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INSTRUCTIONS: Garlicky Bean Mash

  1. Start by frying 4 garlic slices for decorating the bean mash.
  2. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a little saucepan. Peel and slice the cloves of garlic in thin slices.
  3. Fry gently in the oil until golden. Be careful not to burn them as they will taste very bitter. It should take about 3  minutes on medium heat. Remove from oil and transfer to kitchen paper to drain. Pour the oil into a little bowl and reserve. We will add this to the mash later.
  4. Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan a gently fry the onion until golden, about four minutes. Add the sprig of rosemary and the remaining garlic. Fry for another minute before adding the cumin and the drained beans.
  5. Cook the beans for about 10 minutes adding a little water if necessary. Remove from heat. Also remove the rosemary.
  6. Transfer to food processor. Process until the mash is smooth. Add one tablespoon of water and 1 tablespoon of the reserved garlic infused oil. Return to pan to heat up gently if necessary.
  7. Put in a bowl and drizzle with some of the remaining oil and scatter over the fried garlic slices. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

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Not quite what you’re looking for? How about this Skewered Chicken Ras el Hanout on home made Flatbread with Sun dried Tomato Hummus and Garlic Dill Yoghurt dip.

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Stuffed Pork Tenderloin over creamy Polenta with Sherry gravy and crispy fried Sage leafs.

Serves  2           

This is a recipe that I have been making for years, at least 15 or so. I always make it for informal dinner parties for friends and family when you want something different but not too complicated or fancy.

To be honest with you, I don’t even remember how I came up with this recipe but I do know that guests have always loved it. It is an unusual combination of ingredients but that’s what makes it work. I guess you’ll just have to try for yourself.

You have to stuff the tenderloin first. Then you can cook the polenta and the prepared tenderloin at the same time,  since the cooking time is about the same.

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Ingredients Tenderloin;

1 Pork Tenderloin weighing about 12 – 14 oz

1 thin slice Serrano ham or Parma ham

1 tbsp. Ketjap Manis

1 tbsp. Apricot Jam

1 spring onion

Salt and Pepper

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 glass dry Sherry

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Ingredients Polenta;

1 C. Polenta

2 C. milk

1 1/2 C. Chicken stock, good quality

3 tbsp. butter

1/3 C. Parmesan Cheese, grated

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Method;

Start by preparing the tenderloin. Lay it out on a chopping board and make a deep cut lengthwise but not all the way thru, about halfway. Open up and flatten with the palm of your hand.

In a little bowl combine the apricot preserve and the ketjap and spread all of it in the middle of the tenderloin. Cover with the ham and put the spring onion on top. Now close the tenderloin and fasten with kitchen twine.

Meanwhile bring to a boil the milk with the chicken stock. Add the polenta and stirring now and then cook for about 18 to 20 minutes. Just before the end add the butter and half the parmesan cheese. Taste the polenta and add salt and pepper (if necessary).  Reserve the other half for serving.

Heat a frying pan on the stove and add butter and olive oil. Cook the tenderloin, browning it all over and turning every few minutes. Give the polenta a stir now and then.

The tenderloin will take about 18 minutes, remove to  cutting board and cover loosely with tin foil. Remove the twine and slice.

Add the sherry to the pan with the meat juices and scrape to loosen  the crusty bits.

To serve, place a good amount of polenta on a plate, serve with a few slices of the tenderloin and the sherry gravy, Serve with more parmesan cheese on the side. Place a few crispy sage leafs on the polenta.

To make the crispy sage leafs, just fry them in the the pan alongside the tenderloin,frying a few leafs at a time just for two minutes or so, place them on kitchen paper until ready to use.

Enjoy

Myra Xo

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Looking for more great recipes to try?  Be sure to check out this Pollo al Ajillo, Chicken in Garlic Sauce .

Crispy Fish Fajitas with Pomegranate, Avocado Chunks, pickled Onion and Cilantro Tzaziki.

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Crispy fish in a Taco is one of the better things in Life. The soft Tortillas and the crispy fish with the cooling sauce is just food heaven.

I can’t say that its super fast to make because there’s a bit of prep work involved. But you could easily just make the fish and use store bought Tzaziki if you are short of time. Any leftover Tzaziki can be used on sandwiches.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 lb. firm white fish cut in large-ish chunks
  • 1/2 C. fine polenta +  1/2 C. white flour, mixed
  • 2 eggs beaten
  • 1/4 C. milk
  • 1/4 C. vegetable oil for frying
  • Taco seasoning
  • 2 large onions, sliced thin
  • 1/4 C. lemon juice and some beet juice (optional)
  • 2 Avocados, peeled and sliced in to wedges, sprinkle with lemon juice

Cilantro Tzaziki:

  • 1 cucumber, washed and grated coarse
  • 1 C. Plain Yoghurt
  • 1/4 C. mayonnaise
  • 1 clove of garlic, peeled and grated
  • salt and pepper
  • a handful of Cilantro, chopped

To serve:

  • 8 Tortillas to serve, whole wheat or regular
  • 2 C. shredded Iceberg lettuce to serve
  • Lime wedges to serve
  • 1/2 C. pomegranate seeds to serve (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS:

Start by grating the cucumber, put everything in a tea towel and squeeze out as much juice as you can. Next put it in a bowl. Add the yoghurt, mayonnaise, cilantro, garlic, salt and pepper. Mix and set aside.

Next put the fish chunks in one bowl, season generously with taco seasoning.

In an other bowl, beat the two eggs and add the milk.

In a third bowl, mix the polenta with the flour.

Dip the fish in the egg mixture, then the polenta-flour and put on a separate plate.

Get out a frying pan and heat the oil. Fry the fish for about five minutes on medium high heat. Take out of the pan with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.

Meanwhile heat the tortillas. To serve spoon a generous amount of the  cilantro tzaziki on the tortilla and some shredded iceberg lettuce, then the crispy fish on top. Add some avocado wedges and sprinkle with onion slivers and pomegranate seeds. Serve with lime wedges.

Enjoy

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Looking for more great recipes to try?  Be sure to check out this Cajun Jumbo Shrimp Tacos with Corn, a Peach & Koriander Salsa and Roasted Pepper Aïoli 

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Pollo al Ajillo, Chicken in Garlic Sauce .

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Pollo al Ajillo is one of my favorite Spanish dishes, besides Fideuá and Paella. This particular dish has tons of Garlic, White wine, Rosemary, Thyme and good Olive oil. You can serve it with potatoes cooked along with the Chicken or leave them out and just serve with some crusty Baguette.

Preheat an oven to 350°F (180°C).

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 tbsp. unsalted butter
  • 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • 10 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, about 2 1⁄2 lb. or 1 whole Chicken cut in to 12 pieces
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper or use Poultry seasoning if you like
  • 12 garlic cloves separated, unpeeled
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
  • 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped fine
  • 1 tbsp. flour
  • 1 glass dry white wine
  • 3/4 – 1 cup chicken broth
  • 6 medium peeled potatoes, about 3⁄4 lb. (375 g) total, cut in slices or quarters
  • 4 fresh thyme sprigs, 4 fresh sprigs Rosemary
  • 2 bay leafs
  • 1 tbsp. finely chopped Rosemary
  • Some parsley to scatter over for serving.

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INSTRUCTIONS:

In a large, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper. Working in batches as needed to avoid crowding, add the chicken to the hot pan, skin side down, and cook, turning once, until golden brown on both sides, about 6 minutes per side. Transfer each batch, skin side up, to a large baking dish or a round one (like mine). Scatter over the chopped rosemary and put the remaining thyme and rosemary twigs tucked between the chicken pieces. Set aside.

Pre heat the oven to 375° F.

Do not wipe the pan clean and keep it over medium-high heat. Add the remaining olive oil to the pan.

Add the garlic cloves to the saucepan and the chopped onion cook, stirring often, until lightly browned and beginning to soften, add the sliced garlic and 1 tbsp. flour. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the wine, stock and bay leafs and let bubble for a few minutes.Pour the sauce over the chicken.

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Wash the potatoes, leave the skin on and cut them length wise in four. Tuck between the chicken pieces. . They’ll absorb the chicken flavour and will taste amazing.

Bake in the oven uncovered for about 40-50 minutes. The potatoes should be tender and the chicken opaque throughout and the juices should run clear when pierced with a fork. Serve immediately scattered with some freshly chopped parsley.

Enjoy!

Great served with Green Beans with Chorizo & Thyme