Roasted Bell Pepper Salad

I tried this recipe ages ago ... I'm pretty sure I clipped it out of a magazine.

It's another of those with no real measurements.  

Roasted bell peppers (capsicum), I love all three colors but here I just used red and green.  Sliced.

Red onion, thinly sliced

Black olives, sliced

Feta cheese, crumbled

Olive Oil
Sherry Vinegar
Sea Salt
Pepper

Spread the bell peppers on a plate.  Top with red onion, black olives, feta cheese.  Drizzle with the oil and vinegar.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Let set for 30 minutes. 

Delicious.

I keep forgetting to take pictures of the food I'm making!!  Grrr...Wanna make this one again soon since it was so yummy and EASY-PEASY, so I'll try and remember to take a picture then.  I found the original recipe here, but made a few modifications.

Spinach Salad

serves 4-6 (with LOTS of extra dressing)

Ingredients

Dressing:
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup olive oil
sugar to taste
sea salt to taste
Optional: fresh ground pepper to taste (I left this off cause I don't really like pepper)

Salad:
6 cups fresh baby spinach (I just used one bag)

 - NOTE: I didn't actually measure any of the following...just sprinkled and tossed till it looked right, but if you like measurements...

1/2 cup chopped nuts (the original recipe called for walnuts...I had pecons and LOVED the substitute...don't think I'll ever use the walnuts)
1/4 cup crumbled feta
1/4 cup dried cranberries (the original recipe said you could use any dried fruit but the cranberries were delish, so I'll probably just stick with them)

Instructions

Put dressing ingredients in a bottle and shake well.  The cheaper your balsamic, the more sugar you'll need.  I used about 2 teaspoons and it tasted lovely, so just taste and add as needed. 
Toss spinach with nuts, feta and fruit. Give dressing another shake and drizzle over individual servings.  There was LOTS of dressing left over, but it can sit out on the counter (or in the fridge) for use on other salads.  I may never buy another balsamic vinegrette again because this one was so yummy and easy!

Lemony, Garlicky, Cuminy Grilled Eggplant

I picked our first eggplant out of our garden the other day. I got this recipe over at Fine Cooking. I changed it a bit. Omitted a few steps and ingredients. Here's what I did ...

For the vinaigrette:

1 clove garlic, minced
Salt
Juice of a small lemon
1 small shallot, very finely diced

1.5 tsp sugar (may not need this but my lemon was very, very sour)
3 TBLS olive oil
1/2 tsp. ground cumin

For the eggplant:
1 eggplant, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch-thick rounds
Olive oil
Kosher salt.
Feta cheese
Fresh cilantro 

Make the vinaigrette: Combine all ingredients and adjust to taste.  Set aside for flavors to combine.

Grill the eggplant: Salt both sides of eggplant.  Prepare a medium-high charcoal or gas grill fire. Brush both sides of the eggplant slices with olive oil.  Grill 3 to 4 minutes each side.

To serve: Top grilled eggplant slices with vinaigrette, feta, and herbs.  Serve immediately.

Chicken Florentine

In an attempt to find yummy recipes that fit the diet we are currently one - we redesigned a chicken florentine recipe...it was SO yummy that we put it on the menu for a second week in a row! This is an easy, must try!

Chicken Florentine






Chop red peppers into tiny pieces (about the size of pimentos). I used 1 1/2 peppers because we had a half that needed using, but it wasn't enough. 1 would probably be fine though.

Layer fresh baby spinach into a baking dish with the red peppers. We use a round, glass baking dish. The spinach will cook down a lot, so pack in as much as you can (if you like spinach as much as we do!). The layers go: spinach, red pepper, spinach, red pepper, sprinkle of feta cheese, spinach, red pepper, spinach, red pepper, sprinkle of feta cheese.













Trim fat from five, boneless chicken thighs. Lay the chicken pieces on top of the spinach layers. The five pieces are enough to completely cover the top of the baking dish, basically sealing in the spinach layers. Spinkle the chicken with seasoned salt.











Cover the baking dish with foil and bake at 375 for 50-60 minutes (or until the chicken is done), uncovering the dish for the last 20 minutes.










The spinach will cook down to almost half the size and there will be LOTS of yummy juice. Serve over rice or eat as is. This serves 3 to 4.

Ranch Style Dip (with optional green extra)

So .... I wanted to make a dip that used greek yoghurt as the base. I found a few online for ideas and then combined them to make this. It was nice. You'll notice that the two photos are pretty different. I forgot to add the spinach until today (when I found it in the microwave where it was defrosting last night !!! ha ha) But ... it was good BOTH ways and next time I might not even worry with the spinach because it was kinda like ranch before the spinach went in !

Anyway, here's what I did ...

500g greek yoghurt
1/2 cup reduced fat feta, crumbled pretty small
500g spinach (optional - especially if you forget it !)
1/4 small red onion, finely diced
2 Tablespoons minced fresh parsley
2 Tablespoons garlic flakes
1 teaspoon dried dill
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
salt and pepper

Mix all ingredients. Refrigerate for at least an hour so that flavors combine ! I served with carrot sticks, cucumber slices, red and yellow capsicum (bell pepper) strips, cauliflower and broccoli florets.

Bonnie Salad

One of my go to, throw together salads that I love ...

iceburg lettuce, i love it's crunch !
chopped tomato
chopped cucumber
chopped avocado
crumbled feta cheese
pine nuts
usually there would be sliced red onion but i don't see any in the photo

topped with a vinaigrette or italian dressing
or like this one ... just a sprinkling of your favorite vinegar, olive oil and rock salt

easy peasy
yummy yummy

the mini-me ~ a bella russia original

last night we did pizza night with friends

it is tradition with these friends that you make your signature pizza on your first visit

so, last night ... it was Bel's first visit ... and she pulled off a ripper

THE MINI-ME

she calls it

You will need ...

Pizza dough
Tomato based pizza sauce
Kalamata olives, diced
Red onion, slivered
Feta cheese, finely diced
Broccoli, finely diced
Sun dried tomatoes, finely diced
Fresh parsley
Mozarella

Yogurt or sour cream
Garlic, crushed
Fresh chives, chopped

Here's how you make it ...

Mix yogurt (or sour cream) with garlic and chives to taste. Set aside.

From Bel ... and I quote "The key with the mini-me is the spacing and finely chopped-ness. It is a vegetarian dish from the backstreets of Florence. The recipe has been passed down through families over centuries and was initially dated back to some time near AD250."

Everything after her first sentence may or may not be fictional ....

Using your favorite pizza dough, spread it with a tomato based pizza sauce, evenly space all ingredients (as you will see demonstrated in the photo below). Top with a light sprinkling of mozzarella. Cook in pizza oven, BBQ or oven .... you decide.

Top with garlic chive yogurt ...

Pumpkin Lentil Salad - UnP Version

So ... I've posted this recipe before ... but last night I made it with a couple small modifications to suit our Unprocessed Year requirements ... It was just as good. If not better ...

1 kg pumpkin ... I like kent or butternut but any that is good for roasting would be fine.

1/3 cup fresh squeezed orange juice - I used my citrus juicer & small oranges ... took 30 seconds !
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tsp honey
2 tsp Moroccan seasoning
1/2 a red onion
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 can lentils
spinach and rocket mixture
feta

So .... spray your pumpkin with olive oil and roast in bite size pieces in a 200C oven - 20 minutes or so.

Make dressing by combining orange juice and 1/2 the olive oil, honey and Moroccan seasoning.

Heat remaining oil in a frying pan over med heat. Cook onion and garlic for a couple of minutes ~ until soft. Add lentils ... heat through.

In serving bowl, combine lentil mixture, pumpkin, greens, and feta. Top with dressing.

I served this with whole wheat foccacia (recipe coming tomorrow), olive oil and dukkah for dipping.

Pumpkiny Fritters

I got this recipe from one of my favorite cooking blogs. Possibly my favorite. I changed it very very little. Like not really at all ! Here's what I did ....

2 cups grated kent pumpkin

1/4 cup fresh herbs - I used parsley and garlic chives
a couple spring onions - chop 'em up
1/4 cup crumbled feta
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 egg
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons oil

Mix all ingredients minus the oil ... I accidentally mixed the oil in and it was fine so don't worry if you make that mistake too ! Heat the oil ... if you haven't mixed it in ! And then scoop the mixture into the pan and cook til golden brown on both sides. He said about 4 minutes each side but mine took a bit longer than that ... just watch 'em so they don't burn !

Serve with Tsatsiki ....

Aunt Jo's Stuffed Peppers ~ my way.

My rendition of Aunt Jo's stuffed peppers.
We are not overly fond of cous cous round here so I substituted quinoa.
I also mashed the chickpeas (garbanzo beans) as I don't like them whole.
It's a foible.
One of my many.

The verdict.
A bit dry.

But ... we ate it as leftovers with this chicken and topped with the sauce
and liked it much better. Next time ... we have a sauce with it !!

Pumpkin {Lentil} Salad

I loved this.
Rory thought it was ok.
Next time I might make him some chicken on the side, then he might like it ! :)

Here's the recipe that I modified from one I found in a magazine.

1 kg pumpkin ... I like kent or butternut but any that is good for roasting would be fine.
1/3 cup orange juice
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp moroccan seasoning
1/2 a red onion
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 cans lentils (I actually only use 1 can but you could use two if you like lots of lentils!)
spinach and rocket mixture
feta

So .... spray your pumpkin with olive oil and roast in bite size pieces in a 200C oven - 20 minutes or so.

Make dressing by combining orange juice and 1/2 the olive oil, sugar and moroccan seasoning.

Heat remaining oil in a frying pan over med heat. Cook onion and garlic for a couple of minutes ~ until soft. Add lentils ... heat through.

In serving bowl, combine lentil mixture, pumpkin, greens, and feta. Top with dressing.

Serve with toasted turkish bread. I did ours in the sandwich press ... topped with olive oil and dukkah.

PS ... this was great as leftovers along side
a delicious omelet cooked by the omelet master - Rory !

Baby Pea Salad

My Mom gave me this recipe a few years ago. It is so yummy !
I can't believe I haven't posted it here before now !!

500g frozen baby peas
1/2 cup slivered almonds
a few chopped chopped spring onions
crumbled feta cheese - we like lots
3/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
black pepper to taste

Thaw peas. Combine with almonds (toast first if you like), onions, feta and mayo. Mix in vinegar and then season with pepper. This is better after it sits for a while. Try to make it at least a few hours before you want to eat it.

Greek Croustade

This is my Aunt Lori's recipe ...
I'm cutting and pasting from the email she sent me !

GREEK CROUSTADE

The original recipe has it all wrapped in phyllo dough which is fabulous but more time consuming so we just make it as a side dish. If you double the recipe it makes a nice 9x13 pan. I have also put a spoonful on a strip of phyllo and folded it up into a triangle. You can even freeze those and pull them out at a later date and bake them.

10oz frozen chopped spinach - cook according to pkg - squeeze out excess water
1/4 c chopped onion
3T butter
3T flour
1/4 t crushed tarragon
1 cup milk
2 eggs - beaten in a bowl
1 cup cottage cheese
1/2 cup crumbled feta

In a saucepan, cook onion and butter until tender. Stir in flour & tarragon. Add milk all at once. Stir til thick and bubbly. Stir 1/2 of hot mixture into eggs and then return all to saucepan. Stir in cheeses and spinach. Stir thoroughly to break up spinach. Bake in an oiled pan at 375 for 35-40 minutes. I always watch for the top to start to brown.

***

I put a sheet of puff pastry under mine since I don't really like working with phyllo ... I think next time I'll put a sheet of puff pastry on top too !! The kids loved this 'pie', as they called it !!

Yummy Salad with a Radish Dressing

I got this recipe out of A Year In A Vegetarian Kitchen by Jack Bishop.
It is so delicious ! I've made it a number of times ....

I've adapted it a bit to suit our tastes.
Here's my adapted version ... if you want the original you'll have to buy the book !

For the dressing
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano leaves
1 med garlic clove, minced
salt and pepper
6 tbls good olive oil
a bunch of small*radishes, thinly sliced ( about 1.5 cups) - I made this one time but couldn't find radishes. It was just as good without them

Whisk everything but the oil and radishes in the bowl you intend to make the salad in. Add the oil and whisk til smooth. Add the radishes. Toss to coat. Set aside til you make the rest.

*radishes get spicier the bigger they get

For the bread
8 small slices country bread, cut 1 inch thick
good olive oil
salt (I used Himalayan rock salt)

Pre-heat your sandwich press, or grill. Brush the bread with the oil and sprinkle with salt. Grill ( or do in the press like I did !! ), turning once.

For the salad
Tender lettuces ... I used butter lettuce ... torn into bite sized pieces. It said 12 cups. I don't think I used that much.
2 cups cherry tomatoes
kalamata olives ... how ever many you fancy
crumbled feta cheese ... again ... to your liking

Uh ... make a salad with those ingredients in the bowl with the salad dressing. Toss to coat.

To serve
Mound the salad high on the toast.
Serve immediately.

Enjoy !!!

Zucchini Ankara

My dear friend Kim prepared this one day when we were visiting, and I LOVED it! It is really simple to prepare and so good for you!

Zucchini Ankara

2 cups chopped onion
3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
3 zucchini or yellow squash, cut into half-moons about 1/2 inch thick
1 tsp dried marjoram
1 cup cooked, drained, garbanzo beans
1/2 cup sliced pitted black olives, preferably salty Greek ones
1 Tbsp. ground cumin
juice of a lemon
salt
black pepper
5 ounces feta cheese

Sauté the onion and garlic in olive oil until onion is translucent.
Add the squash and marjoram and cook on medium heat, stirring often,
until the squash is just tender. If the squash hasn't released enough
liquid to simmer in, add 1/4 cup of water. This should be a juicy
dish. Add the beans, cumin or mint, lemon, and seasonings.
Remember that if the feta that will be added later is quite salty, little
or no salt will be needed in the vegetables themselves. Continue
cooking until everything is thoroughly heated. The squash should
not become overly soft.

Adjust lemon and herbs to taste, and ladle the vegetables over rice
or couscous. Top with grated feta and serve immediately.

We'll try *THIS* variation next time.

Yummo Spinach Parcels

This one burst open ... Look at all the yummies inside !! I got this recipe off the back of a Puff Pasty Package. I modified it a tiny bit ... I'll post the modified recipe here.

1 onion
garlic
baby spinach, chopped
300g ricotta cheese
150g feta cheese
salt and pepper
fresh mint
1 egg
Puff Pastry

Saute onion and garlic. Add spinach cook til wilted. Mix cheeses in a bowl, add sauteed mixture and fresh mint. The recipe called for 1/2 a bunch, but I probably only added a tsp. I thought that was too much. I think it really only needs a HINT of mint ... if any at all !! Stir in beaten egg. Cut a sheet of puff pastry into four squares. Fill with 2 tbls mixture. bring corners of the pastry into center of parcel. ( it said to brush edges with water ... I forgot and it didn't matter ) When you've made all the parcels, bake on cookie tray lined with baking paper. Bake in moderately hot oven (190C) for about 20 minutes ... or still golden.

The original recipe said to brush the parcels with a beaten egg. I also forgot to do this. OOPS ! Again ... didn't matter !!

These were so yummy ... straight out of the oven, and later reheated in the microwave for dinner, and then again the next day for lunch !!

*** EDITED to add ... I made these again and used lemon thyme instead of mint ! Liked that much much better and will do it that way from now on !!

Also, only made as many as I needed, saved the remaining mixture for the next day ... am actually waiting for the oven to pre-heat to cook them now !!