Delectable Dolmades. Get your Greek on :)

Are you like me and remember certain things that you ate 5, 10, 20 years ago? Memorable tastes are special moments when your mind and senses work so well together; they capture not only what you ate and how amazing it was, but who you were with, where you were and who made it. For me there are many and dolmades take me back to a sunny Sunday afternoon in London many years ago. We stumbled across a musical playing in Southbank, free for passers-by. As we watched a wacky show with elaborate cheese themed head-dresses (random but true!), a vegan friend of a friend whipped out a container of homemade dolmades. I have often thought of those little treasures while tucking into meze plates since, but I hadn’t haven’t had any as fresh and tasty as I had that day. When asked to bring a plate of ‘something savoury’ to a friend’s birthday this weekend, I set about recreating those little gems... I’m proud to report, they are pretty damn good.  The filling is super easy to make, but the wrapping involves some patience. But trust me, the end result is magic. Enjoy. Makes about 30 dolmades.

Prep time: approx. 30 min. cooking time: about 30 min

Kitchen stuff needed: a grater, chopping board, frypan, 1 mixing bowls, sharp knife, one shallow roasting dish

Ingredients from the garden:

20 x mint leaves finely chopped

Other Ingredients

1 cup white rice, cooked

4 oz vine leaves (these can be purchased in a jar at an ethnic food store)

Several cups boiling water

Several cups cold water

1½ T olive oil

½ a brown onion, minced

4 cloves garlic

¼ c dill, chopped

1/3 cup raisins

1/3 cup pine nuts

10 x Kalamata olives

¼ t salt

Black pepper

¾ cup vegetable stock

2 Tblespn lemon juice and rind of a lemon

Let’s do it:

1. Arrange grape leaves flat in bowl, cover with boiling water, and let sit for 2 minutes. Drain, cover with cold water, let sit for 5 minutes, and drain.

2. Place rice in small bowl, cover with boiling water, let sit for 5 minutes, and drain.

3. Meanwhile, heat ½ Tblespn oil and sauté onion and 1 minced garlic clove, stirring frequently, until soft, about 5 minutes.

4. Combine rice, onion mixture, mint, dill, raisins, pine nuts, olives, salt, and pepper in large bowl.

5. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.

6. Line baking dish with grape leaves. Place one leaf on cutting board, vein side up, and cut off stem. Add a heaping spoonful of filling in the center. Fold the sides of leaf over filling, and then roll from stem-end to tip, to make a neat roll. Set seam-side-down in lined baking dish. Repeat with remaining leaves and filling, placing grape leaves cosily together and making two layers if necessary.

7. Cut 3 garlic cloves into large pieces and poke between the grape leaves here and there.

8. Pour stock over grape leaves, then remaining olive oil and 1 t lemon juice.

9. Bake 20-25 minutes, until liquid is absorbed. Drizzle with remaining lemon juice and serve.

Enjoy with friends and accompany with an ice cold Mythos beer 

Soundtrack to get your Greek on (by special Greek Goddess DJ Kat G): Prosopika Dedomena by Giannis Ploutarhos

Recipe adapted from recipe at http://www.theveggietable.com

Tandoori Lamb, Pilau Rice and Mint & Cuc Raita

For 4 extraordinary years we lived in East London. The vibe in this area was always on. From Sundays of markets and fine food from Spitalfields and Upmarket to bar-hopping and galleries of Shoreditch, flowers and cupcakes on Colombia Road, beers at The Ten Bells and curry nights on Brick Lane. We enjoyed a sensational time and made friendships that will last a lifetime. It was a moment time that spanned several years as transients with no real responsibilities, while travelling through Europe on the odd weekend was the way we happily existed.   We enjoyed  regular gatherings with friends on and off Brick Lane where you negotiated more food than you would ever eat for a fixed price. I have still not had a Peshwari Naan that amazing since. At that, this week’s Friday night dinner is a Lamb Tandoori, and I must say that for me the Pilau rice became the unexpected hero of the dish with its foreign spices and amazing aroma’s. Enjoy this, I hope it transports you back to that carefree time in your 20’s that makes you smile.  serves 4.

Prep time: approx. 30 min. Soaking time for rice: 30 min. cooking time: about 30 min

Kitchen stuff needed: Sharp knife, chopping board, Grill/griddle, cling wrap, 3 serving bowls, large saucepan.

Ingredients from the garden:

20 x mint leaves – chopped finely

1 x cucumber – deseeded and finely chopped

Other Ingredients:

Tandoori Lamb:

6 x Lamb fillets
2 x tablespoons tandoori paste
1.5 x cup natural yogurt (half will be used for raita)

Pilau Rice:

1.5 cups x basmati rice (for a more authentic flavour and texture it is best not to use easy-cook rice; however, it will still work and be very tasty if you do)
1 x medium onion, finely chopped
40gm x butter, plus extra to serve

4 x cardamom pods (smashed slightly)

8 x cloves

1 x cinnamon sticks
1 x teaspoon cumin seeds

Pinch saffron threads/or pinch of turmeric if it’s not payday!

2 bay leaves

700ml/1 pint hot chicken stock, vegetable stock or water

Salt

Let’s do it:

1. Combine well lamb with tandoori paste and half yogurt in a large bowl. Cover with cling wrap and pop in fridge (you can make a day ahead if you like or rest for 20 min while you do rice.)

2. Rinse rice through a sieve and then cover with water and leave to soak for 30 min.

3. After 30 min, in saucepan, add butter, onion, cinnamon, cumin, cloves, and cardamom. Bay leaves and saffron. Stir until onions are soft and translucent.

4. Strain rice and add, giving a good stir until well combined with all that spicy buttery goodness.

5. Add stock and bring to the boil and then immediately turn down to a simmer, add tight lid and steam on low for 18 min. Do not be tempted to open lid or you will spoil the surprise. Trust me on this!

6. In separate bowl combine yogurt, mint and cucumber to make your raita. Cover and pop in fridge.

7. Once rice cooking time is up, take of the lid and enjoy the fragrant aromas of all that spicy rice. Using a fork fluff up the rice and add a bit more butter and put lid back on.

8. Using a grill, grill to your liking the lamb fillets for about 4 minutes each side. (less if you like it very rare)

9. Rest lamb under some foil for a few minutes while you prep the rest.

10.         Pop rice out in big serving bowl, along with Raita in a side bowl.

11.         Slice as you like the lamb and enjoy this wonderful tasty Friday night takeaway cooked at home.

Enjoy with an ice-cold longneck Kingfisher (Indian beer, ask your speciality beer man!) or a fine NZ north island Savignon Blanc

Soundtrack for some Friday night curry: Kala by M.I.A

Turkish Cheesy Lamb and Mint Pide

This time last year we took a family trip to New Zealand to visit friends and attended 2 beautiful weddings. Both were in the north island by the ocean and were truly sensational, stunning and memorable in every way. One of the weddings was our kiwi friend marrying her Turkish “delight”. The uniting of this gorgeous couple from different sides of the world was just so special. She carefully read her vows to him in her finest Turkish, and his to her in English. It was an elegant wedding ceremony and one fantastically brilliant party of a wedding reception. With the brides DJ brother on the decks, we danced the night away to cool tunes from all over the world, including some fancy footwork of a traditional Turkish dance-off. We hope to one day soon make it to Turkey, I know from family and friends who go there that it’s so alluring, diverse and simply wonderful. In honour of Mr & Mrs A on your first wedding anniversary, I hope I’ve done this Pide recipe justice x

Prep time: approx. 45 min. Resting time for dough: approx. 1hr, 15min. cooking time: about 40 min

Kitchen stuff needed: Sharp knife, chopping board, 2 x baking trays (1 will do if that’s all you have), baking paper, 3 x mixing bowls, a blender, large frypan, rolling pin.

Ingredients from the garden:

20 x mint leaves

2 x silver beet stalk (or use big handful of spinach instead)

1 x red pepper/capsicum

1 x lemon

Dough Ingredients:

7 gr active dry yeast

1 tspn sugar

1/4 + 3/4 cup warm water

2 & 1/4 cup flour

1 tspn salt

2 tbspn olive oil + 1 tsp olive oil

Topping:

500gm lamb mince

1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled

1/2 cup tasty cheese

2 tbspn olive oil

1 small onion, sliced

1-2 garlic clove, chopped

1/2 cup of water

Let’s do it:

1. Turn on oven to the max temp of 250 degrees (500F)

2. Topping Preparation: Put red capsicum/pepper in oven whole for 20 min or until starting to blacken. Remove and put into plastic bag, tie up and allow the pepper to sweat the skin off for about 5 min.

3. Sauté the onion with olive oil until it is softened, add garlic.

4. Deseed and deskin pepper and pop in the blender and pulse for about 30 second. Then add to onions and add ½ a cup of water. Let sauce simmer gently while you make the dough. (no more than 15 min, add some more water if you need to)

5. Dough Preparation: In a small bowl, mix the yeast, sugar and 1/4 cup warm water. Stir well so the yeast dissolves. Let it rest for 15 minutes.

6. In a large bowl, sift the flour and salt. Add in the bubbly yeast mixture and 3/4cup warm water and olive oil. Mix and place the dough on the lightly floured counter. Knead well for about 10 minutes until it becomes smooth (no more crumbles). Then spread 1 tsp of olive oil inside a clean bowl. Place the dough in it and turn it upside down to spread olive oil all the surface. Then cover it with a clean, damp towel. Put aside for about an hour at room temperature until the dough rises to double its size.

7. Meanwhile, place lamb mince in a bowl and add chopped mint and a clove of garlic and get your hands in there and squish so all combined. Pop in fridge.

8. Place the dough on the lightly floured counter. Press all over with your hands to get rid of any air bubbles. Cut the dough in 4 pieces with a knife. Knead and give a ball shape to each, cover with a damp towel, and put aside for about 15 minutes.

9. Take out a dough ball and flatten with your floured hands and then use a roller give a long oval shape each one.

10. Gather together red pepper sauce, lamb mince, chopped silver beet, and your cheeses.

11. Put baking paper down on your baking tray and assemble the pides directly there (much easier than trying to transfer, trust me, I ended up with upside down pide first time round!)Spread pepper sauce; crumble raw mince, feta, silver beet and cheese on the each dough. Fold the long sides towards the inside, and then twist the ends to give a boat shape.

12.Place the tray on the middle rack and bake for about 15 minutes. Immediately brush butter or olive oil on the edges. P.S: We had two baking trays going at once. Ensures faster Pides to stomach!

Although the prep time was definitely longer, the reward absolutely outweighs the effort of this sumptuous fresh homemade Turkish pide. Serve with a wedge of lemon and few fresh mint leaves.

Enjoy with an ice-cold Efes (Turkish beer, ask your speciality beer man to sort you out!)

Soundtrack for some Turkish delight: Lambaya Puf De by Baris Marco 

Also special mention to www.turkishcookbook.com/ blog for the dough recipe and inspiration.

Easy PEAsy MINT, SILVERBEET & FETA TARTE

Last weekend Melbourne hosted its first “So Frenchy, So Chic music festival” at Werribee Mansion just out of the City. SFSC started as a musical soundtrack to the French Film festivals held here, and has had quite a cult following in the past years. It’s fantastic to see music and foreign culture like this make its way down under. It was a magical day in a sensational setting with new French music, French and local wines and wonderful French food stalls.(Special mention to the salted caramel macaroons, Laurent Perrier champagne & the 26 degree cloudless day!)  Like many others we picnicked in style soaking up the diverse music acts, and even made it to the front of the stage for a dance-off (Miss 2 yr. old rocked out too) to Féfé.. A fantastic French/Nigerian hip-hop rapper act with the backing of a soul band. Very cool, in a way that the Frenchies (like so much they do) just make it work.  Other acts of the day were Asa, Moriarty and Nouvelle Vague. So, in the spirit of all this Frenchiness, my mid-week recipe is a scrumptious and fresh tasting Pea, Silver beet, Mint & Feta Tarte. Bon appetite mes amies.

Prep time: approx. 15 min. cooking time: about 45 min

Kitchen stuff needed: Sharp knife, chopping board, Tarte/quiche tin (mine is about 20cm diameter), baking paper, baking beans (not necessary, but good if you have them), mixing bowl, a fork

Ingredients from the garden:

20 x mint leaves

2 x silver beet stalks (or use spinach instead)

4 x small tomatoes

1 x small cucumber

Other Ingredients

1.5 x sheets of shortcrust pastry (defrosted)

5 x eggs

½ cup x frozen peas

50gm x feta cheese (I use marinated goats, but use any)

50gm x grated parmesan cheese

1 x avocado

S & P to taste

Let’s do it:

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees

2. Remove stalk from silver beet and chop into ½cm strips, do the same for the mint.

3. Put baking paper in tarte tin, and a place sheet of pastry into tin. Use remaining half piece to fill in any gaps. Trim pastry so it’s even around edges

4. Press all pastry in and insert fork multiple times into base of pastry. Add another smaller piece of baking paper on top and add some baking beans (these add some weight to stop the pastry raising too high)

5. Bake pastry base for 15 min

6. Crack all eggs in separate bowl and whisk with fork.

7. Once pastry is out, take out baking beans and top piece of paper. Add chopped greens, peas, feta and parmesan. Arrange evenly.

8. Add egg mixture evening and bake back in oven for 30 – 40 min until egg all cooked through. Take out of oven and rest in tin. How easy was that?

9. Meanwhile, chop tomatoes, cucumber and avocado into small pieces and put in salad bowl.

10.         Cut Tarte into 4 and serve with side salad.

Devour the delicious, healthy and fresh flavours of this light summer dinner/lunch. Makes 4 large pieces of tarte, serves 2 hungry frenchie-wannabes (or 4 if after something really light)  

Enjoy with a large glass of crisp French champagne (of course!)

Soundtrack for a Tarte: So Frenchy So Chic 2012 by Fefe, Moriarty and many other cool French cats...