Barbecue Marinade

You will Need

meat (steak, chicken, pork, etc.)
1 part olive oil
2 parts lemon juice
2 parts Soy sauce
optional
ingredients		 garlic

Method

  1. Put the marinade ingredients in a plastic bag (in the proportions 1 olive oil to 2 lemon juice to 2 soy sauce).  Include the garlic, if wanted, at this stage.  Vary the quantities (teaspoons, tablespoons, etc.) according to the amount of meat.
  2. Mix it all up well, add the meat and seal the bag securely.
  3. Put in the fridge for at least 20 mins (ideally overnight).
  4. Cook gently over the BBQ, or alternative put in a dry, non-stick frying pan and cook until cooked properly.  The flavour in a pan will be much more intense than on a BBQ.  If in a pan, cook until the liquid turns to a sticky goo.  If there is too much to evaporate, pour some off.

Stuffed Butternut Squash

Ingredients

1 large
(or 2 small)		 butternut squash (about 1.5 kg)
50 g butter
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
200 g Feta cheese
1 tbsp basil leaves, shredded
salt and pepper
olive oil

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 190°C.
  2. Make sure the outside of the squash is scrubbed clean. Cut the squash in half lengthways and scoop out the seeds and soft fibres.
  3. Put in an ovenproof dish, put a little chopped garlic and a small nut of butter in each cavity, brush with olive oil and season well.
  4. Bake for about an hour, until the flesh feels very tender when pierced with the tip of a knife.
  5. Carefully scoop out the soft flesh, and the buttery, garlicky juices, into a bowl, leaving a 1cm-thick layer of flesh still attached to the skin, so the squash holds its shape. Roughly mash the flesh.
  6. Fold the feta and basil into the soft squash, along with some more salt and pepper.
  7. Spoon the filling back into the two empty squash halves, return the squashes to the oven.
  8. Bake for a further 15 minutes before serving.

Cypriot Chicken

A very quick and simple yet tasty recipe.

Ingredients

small bunch of parsley
small bunch of basil
8 sun-dried tomatoes (from a jar)
2 or 3 garlic cloves
100 g feta cheese
zest from 1 lemon
4 chicken breasts
4 sprigs of rosemary
olive oil for cooking

Technique

Chop the herbs and sun-dried tomatoes with a little of their oil, on a board.  Add the crushed garlic, feta and lemon zest.  Mix well.

Make a pocket in each of the chicken breasts.  Stuff each pocket with a quarter of the stuffing mix.  Spear shut with the rosemary sprigs.

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan.  When hot, put in the chicken breasts.  Cover lightly with greaseproof paper lightly scrunched around.  When golden, turn and cook the other side.

Cut into slices and serve.

Lamb Tagine

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil for cooking
500 g lean lamb minced
1 large onion roughly chopped
2 large carrots cut into small chunks
2 garlic cloves finely chopped
2 tbsp ras-el-hanout spice mix
400 g can tomatoes chopped
400 g can chickpeas rinsed and drained
200 g dried apricots (use the 'hardest' ones)
600 ml chicken stock hot
120 g pack pomegranate seeds

Method

  1. Heat oven to 180℃.
  2. Heat the oil in a frying pan and brown the lamb on all sides.  Scoop the lamb out onto a casserole dish.
  3. Add the onion and carrots to the pan and cook for 2-3 mins until golden.  Add the garlic and cook for 1 min more.
  4. Stir in the spices and tomatoes.  Season.
  5. Tip the lamb back in, along with the chickpeas and apricots.
  6. Pour over the stock, stir and bring to a simmer.  Then tip it all back into the casserole.
  7. Cover the dish and place in the oven for 1 hour.
  8. If the lamb is still a little tough, give it 20 mins more until tender.  When ready, leave it to rest so it’s not piping hot.

Serve scattered with pomegranate, with couscous or rice alongside.

Lemony Prawn Risotto

Ingredients

1 bag of prawns, defrosted
3 tbsp olive oil, for cooking
1 red chilli, finely chopped
1 litre vegetable or fish stock, hot
1 onion, finely chopped
300 g rice
1 small glass white wine
200 g frozen peas
1 lemon

Method

  1. If the prawns are shelled, peel them, and make fish stock with the heads and shells.
  2. Saute the onion until softened, add the chilli and continue to cook gently.
  3. Add the rice and stir until it’s all covered in the oil.
  4. Pour in the stock and bring to the boil, then turn down to a simmer.
  5. Add the prawns and peas and stir, then leave covered and simmering very gently for 15 mins.
  6. Add the lemon juice and zest if available.  When the rice has absorbed most of the liquid it’s ready.