Panzanella
As we near the end of summer, tomatoes are at their ripest and best. Keep cool yet satisfied on a warm day with this delicious and flavourful salad Italian bread salad.
Serves 2
Ingredients
1 tin tomatoes
2 red peppers
700 g mixed coloured tomatoes
2 ciabatta rolls or 1 ciabatta bread
1 bunch basil
1 ball buffalo mozzarella
4 tablespoons olive oil (4 tablespoons)
red wine- or Sherry vinegar (to taste)
salt
pepper
Method
1
Preheat the oven to 220 °C. Place the peppers in a roasting tray and roast until black. Alternatively, blacken over an open flame on a gas stove. Transfer to a bowl and cover with cling film. Allow to stand for a few minutes.
2
Lower the oven temperature to 180 °C. Cut the ciabatta into rough cubes. Place them in a roasting tray and bake in the oven until they have dried out and are crunchy. Set aside to cool.
3
Place the tinned tomatoes in a bowl and blend until smooth using a stick blender. Season with salt, pepper, red wine- or sherry vinegar and the olive oil. This dressing should be slightly too sour.
4
Peel the peppers; discard the seeds and slice into strips. The juices that have been released from the peppers can be added to the dressing. Slice the tomatoes into wedges.
5
Pick the basil leaves from the stalks. Tear the mozzarella into pieces. Mix the ciabatta cubes, tomatoes, peppers and basil in a bowl with the dressing. Season with salt and pepper.
6
Divide the salad between two plates and top with the torn mozzarella.
Tequila Chicken
Bring the sun home with this exciting and easy way with chicken. An ideal dinner idea for during the week.
Serves 2
Ingredients
4 bone-in chicken thighs
2 limes
1 green chilli pepper
2 cloves garlic
1 small bunch coriander
2 ruby grapefruit
1 small bunch mint
1 bunch watercress
1 bunch French radishes
75 ml Tequila
2 tablespoons olive oil (2 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon whole grain mustard (1 teaspoon)
salt
pepper
Method
1
Preheat an oven to 220°C. Rinse the limes. Finely chop the chilli, garlic and coriander. Grate the zest from the limes.
2
Place the chicken thighs in a bowl with the lime zest, garlic, coriander and chilli. Squeeze the juice of 1 lime over the chicken and add the tequila, salt and pepper. Mix all the ingredients well together.
3
Place the chicken thighs in a roasting dish and roast in the oven for 30-35 minutes.
4
Peel the grapefruit and thinly slice. Pick the mint leaves, cut the stalks off the watercress and remove the leaves from the radishes. Wash the radishes and cut lengthways in quarters. Add them to the watercress along with the mint leaves and grapefruit slices.
5
Mix 2 tablespoons olive oil with 1 teaspoon grain mustard and the juice from the remaining lime; mix through the salad. Divide between 2 plates, lay the chicken on top and serve.
Vegetarian Hamburger with Pickled Carrot Slaw
We've all spent the summer barbecueing and the likes of hamburgers, sausages and steaks but sometimes it's time to take one of those familiar items and give it a more conscious twist. Here is our recipe for vegetarian hamburgers. There are a number of good versions available in the supermarkets. It's best to try out a few and find out which your favourite is.
Serves 2
Ingredients
2 hamburger buns
2 vegetarian hamburgers
4 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon miso
1 large carrot (300 g)
75 g rocket
2 tablespoons olive oil (2 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar (2 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon sugar
salt
pepper
Method
1
Peel the carrot and coarsely grate. Place in a bowl with 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon sugar, salt and pepper. Set aside to pickle.
2
Place the mayonnaise in a bowl and whisk through the miso. Set aside.
3
Cut the hamburger buns open. Heat a frying pan with 1 tablespoon olive oil and toast the buns on the cut side until golden. Remove from the pan.
4
Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and fry the hamburgers until golden, about 2-3 minutes on each side.
5
Spoon the carrot slaw on to the bottom half each bun. Lay a hamburger on each followed by a spoonful of miso mayonnaise. Top with the rocket and serve.