Fatoosh Salad

Another salad for the festive season, with emphasis on colour as well as flavour.
Enjoy this over the summer when entertaining.
I love  the middle eastern fatoosh. With the addition of mint, it is wonderfully fresh, almost cleansing, and very light, with a bit of added crunch. This salad goes with everything, from steak, kebabs, meatballs, chicken and  lamb cutlets. Use it in place of our green salad, which seems so boring after eating this. The traditional dressing is with lemon juice and oil,  but I like this dressing with pomegranate molasses for a change. The balsamic gives it the tartness of the lemon. If you don't have white balsamic which is slightly sweeter than other balsamic you can use lemon juice.




6 large tomatoes
3 large lebanese cucumbers or the small baby ones are gorgeous but require more cutting
6 radishes
cos  lettuce
1/2 bunch mint
2 good handfuls chopped parsley
1 large red onion
1 large pita pocket
rylstone olive oil
6 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
2 tablespoons white balsamic
2 teaspoons sugar


Chop the tomatoes into slices and then cut each slice into eights. Peel the cucumbers and cut in half all the way down the middle. Remove the seeds with a teaspoon and discard and then slice. ( they will be half slices )Thinly slice the radish and cut in half.
Finely slice the red onion and cut  the slices in half again.
Break the pita bread into biggish pieces and fry in olive oil. Drain on paper towel and set aside.
Shred the lettuce after removing the outer leaves and finely chop the mint.
Place all of the ingredients in a salad bowl minus the fried pita.
Mix the pomegranate molasses with the white balsamic, you may omit the white sugar if you would like it not so sweet or add a little more for extra sweetness.
Just before serving add the pita and the dressing, saving some of the pita to through on top for that extra crunch.

Chilli Chicken Soup

This soup is a meal in its self. It makes a large quantity and is better the next day. For those of you who were ardent fans of Seinfeld, you may remember the Soup Nazi. A New York soup stand vendor who had people queuing for his fabulous food. However he was a cantankerous man and refused to serve anyone who annoyed him or didn't follow the ordering procedure and he frequently ejected people from the queue. This character and his soup were the inspiration for this recipe. It is almost like a Mexican minestrone, rich and hearty. I always serve it with a big dollop of sour cream, some fresh coriander and corn chips.



2 onions
4 cloves garlic
4 chicken breasts (you could also use a ready cooked chicken )
2 potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes
2 carrots peeled and cut in discs and cut again in half
1 small capsicum, diced
1 can kidney beans
1 can corn kernels or 1cup of frozen kernels
2 tins tomatoes
2 cups chicken stock
10 cups water
 freshly chopped coriander
freshly chopped parsley
1 1/2 tablespoons ground chilli or fresh chillies
1 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin
canola oil

Fry the chopped onions and garlic in a little oil, till opaque. Remove and in the same pot saute the chicken pieces until cooked. Chop the chicken and return to the pot, with the onions and garlic. Add the stock and all of the other chopped ingredients. Add as much chilli as you think you would like, but I use at least 2.
Bring the pot to the boil and turn down and simmer for 2-3 hours. Stir the pot at least every 20 minutes, to stop the chicken catching on the bottom of the pot. The soup will reduce, thicken and become dark
when it is done. Serve it with a sour cream, chopped coriander and a side of corn chips.

Vegetable Curry

This is the curry I served with the Indian Roast Lamb. I thought I should share it with you. It is a delightful dish full of vegetables and flavour.
You can change the vegetables depending on what is in season or what you have available at home.
It is also a great vegetarian dish served with some basmati rice, yoghurt, chutney and some naan bread if you desire.

2 medium onions chopped
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves chopped
2 inch piece of ginger or approx 100 grams peeled and chopped
2  green chillies  ( you can increase or decrease this amount depending on your tastes )
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground fenugreek 
2 tablespoons lemon juice
black pepper approx 1/4 teaspoon
4 potatoes peeled and cubed
3 carrots peeled sliced and cut in half if large carrots
1 parsnip peeled sliced and cut in half for larger slices
2 large zucchini sliced into chunky slices and cut in half
you may use any of the following vegetables as well
green beans chopped in half 1 cup OR 1-2 cups broccoli flowers OR 3/4 cup green peas
1 can of chopped tomatoes approx 400 grams
salt teaspoon

Heat the oil in a large pan. I use a wok over a gas flame.
Add the onions, ginger, garlic and chillies and fry until onions are soft and starting to colour.
Meanwhile combine the spices, turmeric, paprika, coriander, fenugreek and pepper with the lemon juice and a little water. Add to the pan and fry with the onion mixture, stirring constantly for 3 minutes. Add extra water if it gets too dry.
Add the chopped vegetables to the pan and fry in the spices for a couple of minutes until totally coated.
Add the tomatoes and salt and cover the pan. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 25 minutes or until vegetables are soft. Check occasionally and stir gently to make sure the vegetables aren't sticking to the bottom of the pan.  Transfer to a serving dish

Roasted Vegetables Greek Style

These vegetables are very popular in the Want household and over the years have become a firm favourite.  My daughter always used to call them "the vegetables with the sticks in them " because of the fresh rosemary and thyme, and as the years have gone by that's exactly what we call it !

The dish is very comforting , the combination of flavours is incredibly tasty and intense. Serve it on its own  or with some feta sprinkled over the top if you want a smart vegetarian option! I usually serve it with a slow cooked lamb, a grilled steak or chicken or as a variation to the traditional  roast vegetables. It is particularly lovely in winter and autumn. They do take at least an hour depending on your oven, so allow time, and a dish large enough to take the two layers without it being too crowded, as it may take a little longer to cook.

I am a great fan of Paula Wolfert and this is where the inspiration for the dish came from.

1/2 kilo sweet potato peeled and cut into chunks
1/2 kilo potatoes, medium in size and cut into wedges
1/2 kilo zucchini rinsed, trimmed and cut into chunks
2-4 large spanish onions, cut into 6 wedges each
6 garlic cloves peeled and slightly crushed
1/2 kilo large fresh ripe tomatoes  sliced 

bunch of rosemary

bunch of thyme

olive oil such as Rylstone Olive Oil

2 Tablespoons sugar

salt and pepper

Set the oven rack to the middle shelf and preheat to 180C. Lightly oil a large baking dish.
Sprinkle the sliced tomato with the sugar.
Scatter half the potato, sweet potato, zucchini , spanish onions and garlic over the bottom of the dish.
Salt and pepper and add some of the herbs. Cover with a layer of the sugared tomatoes and drizzle with a generous amount of olive oil. Repeat with the remaining vegetables, finishing with the tomatoes and more olive oil.
Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, remove and stir to redistribute the vegetables, then bake for another 30-40 minutes.
Serve hot or luke warm, as is, or with feta. Black olives would make a nice addition if serving on its own

Eggplant Frittata

I am not sure where I got the original idea for this recipe. Maybe a very old Gourmet Traveller, its a  variation on the American Eggplant Parmigana. I have been making it for so long and it has become  another family favourite. It can be made ahead and reheated. It is delicious and some have even thought it contained meat!!! This will make enough for 8 people cooked in a large rectangular ceramic baker which you can take to the table. A great vegetarian dish.

3 - 4 large Eggplant thinly sliced

Tomato sauce

Olive oil

100 gram mozzarella
100 gram parmesan

8 eggs, beaten together with some S&P

Extra parmesan to serve

Spray a large rectangular baking dish with oil to stop frittata from sticking. I salt my sliced eggplant, and leave to sweat. There are two schools of thought on this procedure, but I do find it removes the bitterness especially if they are slightly seeded. Rinse and pat dry with paper towel.

Flour the eggplant, heat the oil in a large fry pan, and fry the eggplant, until golden and drain on paper towel.  Cover the bottom of the baking dish with some of the tomato sauce, and layer the eggplant, sauce, a small amount of the beaten egg, and mozzarella, repeating layers and top with remaining egg mixture and mozzarella.  Cook in 180C oven for 30 - 40 minutes.  Serve with parmesan cheese and green salad.

                                                          
  Tomato Sauce

1 Large Onion finely chopped

3-4 cloves Garlic finely chopped  

Fresh tomatoes 1 kilo chopped or tinned tomatoes 2-3 tins

Fresh Basil, Parsley, Chives

Play around with the amounts it’s better to make more than you need. It is also great in a pasta dish.

Gently cook garlic and onions until soft and add tinned tomatoes, salt and pepper, chopped basil etc.  Cook gently for 15 minutes.  If quantity needs to be increased add tomato puree, like Pomi, Sugocasa etc.

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