Summer Pizzaiola Bagels

INGREDIENTS FOR TWO PEOPLE

2 BAGELS HALVED AND TOASTED LIGHTLY / HALF A WHITE ONION CHOPPED FINELY / HANDFUL OF BLACK OLIVES SLICED -rinsed if from a can / TBSP CAPERS / CAN OF TUNA / MAYO / PINCH OF DRIED OREGANO / PINCH OF DRIED CRUSHED RED CHILLIS / 8 CHERRY TOMATOES SLICED CHOPPED (discard the seeds) BALSAMIC VINEGAR / OLIVE OIL / PARSLEY CHOPPED – OR YOU COULD USE CORIANDER / SALT AND BLACK PEPPER

METHOD

Add onion to a bowl plus the capers, olives, tuna, oregano, dried chilli, parsley and tomatoes. Add mayo – enough until you get a nice smooth mixture when you stir all the ingredients gently together. Season lightly.

Add a swirl of olive oil to each half of the toasted bagels. Top with equal amounts of the pizzaiola mixture then add a swirl of balsamic vinegar or balsamic crema.

A wonderful light summer lunch!

Full on Feta Salad

This can be a meal in itself – great for lunch or supper – but I had it last night with lamb chops pan fried with garlic, lemon and parsley.

INGREDIENTS

Salad leaves of your choice

6 baby plum tomatoes halved

1 block of feta rinsed and cut into cubes

12 black olives halved

Half a pointed red pepper thinly sliced

1 stick of celery thinly sliced

3 radishes thinly sliced

Handful of fresh coriander chopped- you could use mint instead

FOR THE DRESSING

6 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 garlic clove crushed

Pinch of sugar

Dash of salt

Grind or two of black pepper

METHOD

1. Make the dressing by whacking the ingredients together in a small bowl.
2. Toss all the there ingredients together in a large salad bowl.
3. Just before serving , which the dressing once more and pour over the salad. 

Get a fork and tuck in!

 

 

Zucchine, limone e fagoli

Courgette ribbons with cannellini beans and a lemon dressing

One here for a friend of mine, Annie Mihell. Saw this recipe, made it for lunch and thought she would love it – so let’s see!

For 4

4 courgettes

1 lemon

400 gm tin of cannellini beans

Some chopped chives

A handful of chopped flat leaf parsley

Salt and black pepper

2 tbsps of extra virgin olive oil

Method

Slice the courgettes thinly lengthways using a swivel blade peeler. Avoid the centre of the courgettes as they are quite bitter for a dish like this. Bring a pan of water to the boil and add the strips for 1 minute, then drain well. Pop into a large salad bowl.

Grate over the zest of half the lemon and squeeze in the juice of the whole lemon. Add the beans, chives and parsley. Season with salt and pepper.

Pour over the oil and mix well. Leave to marinate for at least 5 minutes.

Serve at room temperature with crusty bread. Summer squeezed and sliced for a salad!