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!

 

 

Feta accompli…!

Last Wednesday my kids fancied jacket potatoes – they wanted the ones I do with parmesan and butter. But I had other ideas…..and I had a block of feta! So once the jacket spuds were cooked- olive oil rubbed and salted, I let them cool and split them. Then into a bowl I added the feta, cubed small ( do not forget to rinse your feta first to desalt it ) , 5 spring onions chopped, a red chilli deseeded and chopped, a generous knob of butter and a little pepper and a grind – only a grind mind – of rock salt.

Then once the potato flesh had cooled, I scooped it out and added it to the bowl, taking care not to split the silken crispen skins.

Then after a hearty mix to melt the butter and break down the feta, I restuffed the skins – this amount was more than enough for 8 halves. Then pop them back into the oven at 160c for 10 minutes.

I served these tuberous gems with rocket salad and bresaola.

A simple yet phenomenally taste bud tingling supper – perfect for warming one up in sub zero temperatures. Or simply dispelling the damp January blues that pervade my corner of Hampshire at present.

MINT & FETA – A MARRIAGE MADE IN HEAVEN

On a bit of a feta thing at the moment…possibly trying to pretend it’s warmer than it really is (I refuse to look at the sky at the moment.) Just given you my favourite hot feta dish..now here it is in its more usual guise – being the boss man in this classic salad – love it with lamb chops – or just on its own. Greek salad is always so fresh and attractive. Salata Horiatiki, as the traditional one is known (I’m showing off now!) is so easy to construct and fun too. And it looks so simple and vibrant on a white plate or nestling in a white bowl. It simply shouts ‘summer!’

6tbsp extra virgin olive oil  /2 tbsp fresh lemon juice / 1 garlic clove crushed  / pinch of sugar / salt and pepper / 200 gm feta cheese / a whole Cos lettuce shredded or 1/2 head of iceberg lettuce shredded / 4 tomatoes quartered / 1/2 cucumber sliced  /12 or so black olives  / Fresh herbs such as oregano, flat leafed parsley or basil and definitely some mint !

Make a dressing by whisking together the oil, lemon juice, garlic, sugar salt & pepper in a small bowl. Set aside. Rinse the block of feta under cold running water. Then cube it into about 1 inch squares. (Some Greek tavernas leave it whole smothered in oregano for you to break up at your leisure.) Put the lettuce, tomatoes and cucumber in a salad bowl. Scatter over the cheese. Just before serving whisk the dressing, pour over the salad leaves and toss together. Scatter over the olives and chopped herbs and the mint!

The mint really makes it! Don’t skimp on it!

Let a little feta in to your life…

Posted the recipe for this stunner on April 2nd…ate it today for lunch with my wife and son (grey day outside – this made us all feel more warm and mellow)….he adores it…I used 2 red chillies today for an even more vibrantly tasty, mouth tingling sandwich – also used some gorgeous lightly lightly toasted and olive oiled ciabatta. An irrepressible snack at any time – a great quick lunch. Don’t ask – just make it for folk – a sort of feta accompli…….

Prawn pilaf

I love the Greek name for this dish – Garides Pilafi – sounds more like a Greek centre forward !

Right, bring your chair closer.. this is  a great and terrifically easy dish – once you have mastered it – you can play about with all sorts of combinations.

For 4 people – I am assuming it is people you will be feeding..! 3 tbsp olive oil / 1 onion finely chopped  / 1 red pepper, cored, deseeded and sliced thinly / 1 garlic clove crushed /  225 gm long grain white rice /  700 ml fish, chicken or veg stock  / 1 bay leaf  / salt and pepper /  400 gm peeled cooked prawns. To garnish – a handful of whole cooked prawns, lemon wedges, Greek black olives – well any really… Serve with Pecorino cheese to grate over & cubes of Greek feta cheese – please don’t buy the imitations!

Heat the oil in a large lidded frying pan – I use a large stainless steel sauté pan. Add the onion, red pepper and garlic. Fry for 5 mins. until softened. Add the rice and cook for 2-3 mins., stirring all the time until the grains look transparent. Add the stock, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Bring to boil. Cover the pan with a tightly fitting lid ( I cover first with a layer of foil, then add the lid.) Simmer for 15 mins. until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed. Do not stir during cooking. When cooked very gently stir in the prawns. Remove lid. Cover pan with a clean tea towel. Replace lid and leave in a warm place for 20 minutes. I usually just pop it on the corner of the cooker. Stir then with a fork gently to separate the grains. Serve and garnish with the whole prawns, olives and lemon wedges. Pop the two cheeses on the table to serve with it.

Feta and Chilli Sandwich

This is a family favourite for a light lunch or supper. Take a block of feta. Rinse it under a cold running tap for a moment to wash off the salty brine. Chop up and deseed a red chilli. Chop up a couple of spring onions. Pan fry lightly, very lightly in olive oil. Move to one side and place the block of feta in the pan, whole. Grind a little black pepper over it. Turn up the heat a little and pan fry until it just starts to melt around the edges. Top with the chilli and spring onions. Cut into quarters. Lightly toast 4 halved ciabatta rolls.

Drizzle with a little olive oil. Place a quarter of the feta on each with a share of the chilli and onion mixture. Pop on the top half of the roll, squashing the cheese slightly. Serve as quickly as you are able….!