Parmigiana di Melanzane (modified)

Ingredients:

• 1 large aubergine 
• Minced meat
• White sauce 
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 1 medium onion
• Parmesan cheese
• Olive oil
• Salt & Pepper

Method:

1. Thinly slice the aubergines and with a brush coat with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Cook the aubergines in a non stick pan until browned.  Let them cool on a towelled plate to absorb any extra oil.
2. Dice the onion and cook on low heat (the same non stick pan will do) until soft and just starting to brown.
3. Tip in the minced meat and season. Once the mince meat is browned all over pour in the tomato sauce and let it simmer for about 10 minutes.  Turn off and let it cool down.
4. If you are doing a home made white sauce, this can be prepared while the sauce and aubergines are cooling down.
5. In a baking dish pour some of the minced meat sauce to cover the base so that the aubergines do not stick to the baking dish.
6. Start layering the aubergines, pour over some minced meat sauce, white sauce and sprinkle some Parmesan cheese.
7. Continue layering until all aubergines are finished. Make sure to end with some sprinkled Parmesan cheese on top.
8. Place in a preheated oven at around 180°C for about 20 minutes until it is heated through.  
9. Let it sit before serving as it will be easier to plate.

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Aubergine Rolls

Ingredients:

• 1 large aubergine
• 1 mozzarella
• 2 tomatoes
• A handful of fresh basil
• Parmesan
• Tomato sauce
• Olive Oil

Method:

1. Cut the aubergines into thin slices, brush with olive oil and grill until tender.
2. Let the aubergines cool and in the meantime cut the mozzarella and tomatoes into thin slices.
3. Once aubergines have cooled down, assemble each slice aubergine with a slice of mozzarella, tomato and basil.  Then roll up and place in a baking dish.
4. Once all aubergine slices are done pour over the tomato sauce, pour enough to cover lightly the aubergines.  
5. Grate the parmesan on top and drizzle with olive oil.
6. Bake in oven at around 200°C for 15 minutes.  Just enough to heat the sauce and the aubergines.

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Stuffed Green Peppers

One of the classics ...

Ingredients:

• 2 large green peppers, halved and deseeded
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic
• 250g minced meat
• 4 slices Speck (can be substituted with bacon) cut in strips
• Tomato sauce
• Salt & Pepper
• 4 Eggs
• Olive Oil

Method:

1. In a preheated non stick pan, put in some olive oil and fry lightly the onion and garlic until tender.
2. Add the minced meat and the speck strips and fry until browned.
3. Add the tomato sauce and season accordingly.
4. Spoon the mixture in the halved green peppers.  If peppers are small you can de-seed and fill them up instead of halving them.
5. Put a pan or a pot with some water and put in the stuffed peppers.  Close the pan with a lid and cook for about 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the thickness of the peppers, until the pepper is tender. 
6. Once the green pepper is tender crack an egg on top of each half and put on the lid again.  The egg will cook with the heat from the pepper.

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Pasta with Vegetables

Ingredients:

• 1 Medium aubergine
• 1 Can chopped tomatoes
• 1 small green pepper
• 1 small onion
• Olive oil
• Fresh basil (optional)
• 250gr Pasta of your choice
• Salt & Pepper
• Grated Cheese

Method:

1. Heat a non stick pan with a little olive oil and a pot of water for the pasta.
2. In the meantime cut the aubergine in small cubes and fry for about 10 to 15 minutes until tender.
3. Dice the green pepper and onions and add with the aubergines. 
4. Add the can of chopped tomatoes and season with salt and pepper.  
5. Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions until the tomatoes are heated through.
6. Pour the cooked pasta in the vegetable sauce and mix in some grated cheese.
7. Serve with some fresh basil.

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Chicken Wrap

Ingredients:

• Chicken breast, breaded (store bought or homemade)
• 3 thin slices Speck (can be substituted with bacon)
• Rucola
• Basil
• Ceaser dressing
• Flour tortilla

Method:

1. Cook the chicken breast.  Slice the speck and fry in same pan until crispy.
2. Slightly heat the tortilla.  Spoon the ceaser dressing on top of it.
3. Cut the chicken breast in slices and place on tortilla.  Top with the crispy speck, rucola and basil.
4. Wrap up and toast it to your liking.

There goes a quick and tasty lunch.  Wraps can be freezed so you can be sure you always have them handy and you can make any kind of filling especially with left over meat, chicken etc.

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Vegetable Kebabs

Ingredients:

• 1 large onion
• 3 tomatoes
• 1 large green pepper
• 1 courgette
• 1 piece goat's cheese or halloumi cheese
• 1 chilli
• 1 lemon
• Olive oil
• Salt & Pepper

Extras:

• BBQ
• Wooden Skewers

Method:

1. Put the wooden skewers in a large dish or sink with cold water and let soak.
2. Cut the onion, tomatoes, green pepper and cheese in large chunks.
3. Peel the courgette with a peeler so to make long thin strips.
4. Combine the above in a bowl and then grate in the zest of lemon.
5. Deseed and finely chop the chilli. (Caution! Use gloves otherwise your hands will burn for the rest of evening, night and possibly even morning next day.  Tried and tested!)
6.  Add a drizzle of olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Mix well to coat all ingredients.
7. Skewer the vegetables and cheese alternating in between.  (If you have the gloves handy I still suggest using them at this point too).
8. Grill on a preheated BBQ for about 10 minutes, turning them once or twice, until cooked through and golden.

These kebabs were served as a side dish with grilled tuna steaks.  Ideal dish for summer - healthy, light and very quick.

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Marinated Chicken Wings & Grilled Veggies

Now that the barbecue season is open here is a recipe, which is quick and will not break the bank.  This will make cheap meat into a very tasteful dinner.

Spicy Yoghurt Marinated Chicken Wings

Ingredients:

• 3 chicken wings (cut at the joints to make 6)
• 150g Plain yoghurt
• 1 tablespoon Garam Masala
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed

Method:

1. After cutting the wings at the joint, place in a dish. 
2. Mix the garam masala and crushed garlic in the yoghurt tub, pour on top of the chicken and mix well making sure that all wings are coated.
3. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

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Lemon and Herb Marinated Chicken Wings

Ingredients:

• 3 chicken wings (cut at the joints to make 6)
• 1 tablespoon mixed herbs
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Zest and juice of 1 lemon

Method:

1. After cutting the wings at the joint, place in a dish.
2. Mix the herbs with the olive oil in a cup, add the lemon zest and juice and mix well
3. Pour on top of the chicken wings making sure that the marinade covers all chicken pieces.
4. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

These 2 recipes can be both grilled in an oven or barbecued.

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Ingredients:

• 3 Carrots sliced lengthways
• 2 courgettes sliced
• Broccoli florets
• 2 large onions quartered
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon curry
• Sea salt

Method

1. Preheat the oven at the highest temperature.
2. Wash, cut and place all vegetables in a dish lined with baking paper.
3. Mix the olive oil with with curry and salt and drizzle all over the vegetables.
4. Place dish in the oven and put the oven temperature down to 200°C 
5. Roast for about an hour on until cooked to your liking.

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Summery Salad (with leftovers)

While preparing stuffed zucchini I had some left over minced meat, being summer and its already hot I wanted to do a quick fresh salad and the following delicious receipe was created. 

Ingredients

• Cooked minced meat (seasoned with salt, pepper and some curry)
• Half cucumber thinly sliced
• 1/4 orange bell pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped basil
• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
• Paprika

Method

1. Put the sliced cucumber in a colander and strain as much water as possible from the cucumbers
2. Mix the cooked minced meat with the cucumber, bell pepper and chopped basil. 
3. Mix in the mayonnaise and sprinkle some paprika.
4. Refrigerate until ready to use.

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Turkey and Veggie Pancakes

Ingredients:

For the Turkey 

• 1 Turkey Whole Leg
• 1/2 Cup flour
• Salt
• Fresh Pepper
• Crushed Chilli
• 1/2 Cup BBQ sauce
• Chicken Cube
• 1/2 cup Water
• 1 large onion

Method:

1. Split the turkey whole leg in 2 so to have a drumstick and a thigh.
2. Mix the flour with salt, pepper and crushed chillies.
3. Coat the turkey leg with the flour mix and cook in a hot pan to seal.
4. Remove the turkey leg from the pan and put in a non-stick oven dish.
5. Combine the remaining flour mix with the chicken cube, BBQ sauce, and water.  Pour this sauce over the turkey leg.
6. Cut the onion in lengthways and add to the dish.
7. Coat the oven dish with foil and cook in pre-heated oven at 175°C for 1 hour.  Remove foil and cook for another hour, basting from time to time with the sauce.

For the Veggie Pancakes:

• 1 Carrot grated
• 1 Courgette grated
• 1 Egg
• Flour
• Salt
• Pepper
• Curry

Method:

1. Mix the grated carrot and courgette with the egg, salt, pepper and some curry.
2. Combine flour until you get a thick mixture but not too dry.
3. Put a frying pan on medium heat with a little olive oil.
4. Drop a spoonful of mixture and flattten out with the back of the spoon.
5. Fry until brown and crispy.

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