Homemade Pita Chips with Olive Tapenade and Greek Salad

Crunchy little Pita Chips are fun to make yourself. Buy some pita bread, cut it in wedges, brush it with olive oil and sprinkle with your favorite seasoning (thyme, sea salt, majoram, paprika, etc). Bake it at 375 for 10 to 15 minutes until golden brown. Serve the pita chips with Olive Tapenade, Hummus or a fabulous greek salad and you'll have a great snack, or lunch, or dinner....

Greek Salad

(from Ina Garten)

Ingredients

• 1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and sliced 1/4-inch thick
• 1 red bell pepper, large-diced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, large-diced
• 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 red onion, sliced in half-rounds
• 1/2 pound feta cheese, 1/2-inch diced (not crumbled)
• 1/2 cup calamata olives, pitted

For the vinaigrette:

• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup good red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup good olive oil

Directions

Place the cucumber, peppers, tomatoes and red onion in a large bowl.For the vinaigrette, whisk together the garlic, oregano, mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Still whisking, slowly add the olive oil to make an emulsion. Pour the vinaigrette over the vegetables. Add the feta and olives and toss lightly. Set aside for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to blend. Serve at room temperature.

Olive Tapenade

1 cup Niçoise olives, pitted
1 cup small green French olives (Picholine), pitted
¼ cup Oven-Dried or sun dried Tomatoes, drained
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed if packed in salt
1 garlic clove
1 anchovy fillet
½ tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves
½ tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
½ tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
(¼ tablespoon chopped fresh oregano leaves) optional
½ teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 ½ teaspoons freshly squeezed orange juice

In a food processor, combine all the ingredients except the olive oil and orange juice. Using the pulse button, process until coarsely chopped and well blended. Continue to process, slowly adding the olive oil and orange juice. Refrigerate in a covered container. Use as needed.
Tapenade will keep up to 1 week, refrigerated, in a covered container.

Marinated Poached Fresh Tuna with Caper and Anchovy Sauce

Are you familiar with vitello tonnato? It is composed of cold, poached veal that is thinly sliced. Then it is layered with a sauce made of canned tuna, mayonnaise, anchovies and capers. It has to marinate for at least 24 hours, during which time the flavors of tuna and veal melt and produce something that is like no other dish of meat or fish in tenderness with a sweet and tangy taste.

This dish is very similiar, only that there is no veal. The tuna is marinated in a citrus vinaigrette and comes together in a snap! It almost melts in your mouth with a light and refreshing citrus flavor.

Marinated Poached Fresh Tuna with Caper and Anchovy Sauce

(from Marcella Hazan)

1 celery rib

1 medium carrot

½ medium onion

¼ cup wine vinegar

Salt

1 lb. fresh yellowfin tuna, cut about 1 inch thick

1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic

2 to 3 flat anchovy fillets, finely chopped

2 tablespoons finely chopped capers

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon mustard

Freshly ground pepper

1. In a deep-sided skillet, combine the celery, carrot, onion, vinegar, a pinch of salt and 1 1/2 inches of water. Turn the heat to moderately high, cover and boil for 10 minutes.

2. Put in the tuna steak; when the water in the skillet returns to a boil, adjust the heat so that it simmers gently. Cover and cook the tuna until it is still pink in the center, 5 to 8 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the garlic, anchovies and capers with the lemon juice, olive oil and mustard. Season with salt and pepper and beat with a fork to combine.

4. Remove the tuna from the skillet and pat dry. Slice it 1/2 inch thick.

5. Choose a deep glass or ceramic dish that can contain the tuna in a single layer. Lightly spread some of the sauce over the bottom of the dish. Put in the tuna slices, laying them flat, and cover with the remaining sauce, spreading it evenly. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and let the tuna stand at room temperature for 6 to 8 hours.

5 Layer Mexican Dip

This 5-Layer Mexican Dip is great for parties or Potluck's. It has a wonderful taste and is so easy to make. It can be prepared ahead of time and will feed a crowd. It is much healthier and much lighter than the regular dips (especially store bought ones) because it doesn't contain all the fatty ingredients found in most of them.

5-Layer Mexican Dip
(from Ellie Krieger)

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (15.5-ounce) can black beans, preferably low-sodium, drained and rinsed
• 1 tablespoon minced chipotle pepper in adobo
• 4 tablespoons lime juice
• ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon water
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 cups corn kernels (10-ounce box frozen corn)
• ¼ cup chopped cilantro leaves
• 2 ripe avocados
• 4 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced (about 2 cups)
• ¼ cup thinly sliced scallion
• 1 tablespoon finely diced jalapeno pepper, optional
• ¾ cup shredded extra-sharp Cheddar

1.Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until they soften, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 2 minutes more.

2.Put half of the onion mixture into a food processor with the black beans, chipotle pepper, 2 tablespoons of the lime juice, cumin, water and salt. Puree until smooth. Set aside.

3.Add the corn to the skillet with the remaining onion mixture and cook for about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro leaves.

4.In a small bowl mash the avocado with the remaining lime juice. In a medium bowl toss together the tomatoes, scallion and jalapeno, if using. Season tomato mixture with salt and pepper, to taste.

5.Spread the black bean dip into the bottom of an 8 by 8 glass baking or serving dish. Top with the corn mixture, spreading it out to form a single layer over the beans, repeat with the avocado, then the tomatoes. Top with cheese. Serve with baked chips.

Salmon Waffles

When I had guests the other day I made these waffles as an appetizer. I think they were the best part of my whole meal and I could have eaten nothing else but these waffles. There is salmon in the batter which gives them a nice salty taste and they are topped with some sour cream or creme fraiche to complement the salty salmon. Perfect appetizer.

 Salmon Waffles
(from Dorie Greenspan)


Storing

Waffles are best eaten hot off the iron, although they can be kept for about 20 minutes in a 200 degree F oven. You can freeze freshly made or leftover waffles. Layer them between sheets of wax paper and wrap them airtight. To revive them, thaw, then reheat and recrisp them in a toaster or toaster oven.

• 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1-1/4 teaspoons salt, or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, or to taste
• 1-3/4 cups whole milk
• 2 large eggs
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 3 ounces thinly sliced smoked salmon, cut into thin strips or slivers
• 5 scallions, white and light green parts only,
       halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons snipped fresh chives (or more scallions),
       plus more for sprinkling
• Crème fraîche or sour cream, for serving
• Salmon roe, for topping (optional)

Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper together in a medium bowl. In another bowl or a large measuring cup with a spout, whisk together the milk, eggs, and melted butter. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry and stir everything together gently—it's better to have a few lumps than it is to beat the batter. Stir in the smoked salmon, scallions, and chives. (You can cover the batter and leave it at room temperature for up to 1 hour before waffling; stir well before using)

When you're ready to make the waffles, preheat a waffle iron according to the manufacturer's directions. If your iron is not nonstick, brush it lightly with oil or spritz it with vegetable cooking spray. If you'd like to keep the waffles warm while you're making the full batch, center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 200 degrees F; line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.

When the iron is hot, pour about 1/2 cup batter over the grids, using a spatula to spread it evenly across the surface—you want a thin layer. (Precisely how much batter you need will depend on the size of your iron.) Let the batter bake for about 30 seconds before closing the lid and baking the waffle until it is well browned on the underside—that's the side that will always be brownest and most beautiful, no matter what you do. To keep the waffles warm if you're not serving as you go, place them on the baking sheet and slide them into the oven. Continue until you've cooked all the batter.

Cut the waffles into quarters and arrange the quarters on plates. Top each one with crème fraîche or sour cream, salmon roe, if you're using it, and a sprinkling of chives. Or, if you've made mini waffles, you can create millefeuilles with them, sandwiching the waffles with cream. Count on 3 little waffle stacks per serving.

Open Kibbeh

Kibbeh is a middle eastern dish made of bulgur or rice and chopped meat. Usually it looks like a fried croquette and is stuffed with lamb or beef. This however is an open version from Yotam Ottolenghi. When I made it, my kitchen smelled incredible aromatic! You might have thought you were at an Arabian market (not that I have ever been to one, but that's how I imagine it would smell there). Cinnamon, allspice and coriander are used in this dish. The meat mixture is a little spicy because of the chile but also sweet due to the cinnamon and pine nuts.
I assembled the dish the night before and popped it in the oven on the day I wanted to serve it, which worked really well....

• 
  
• Open Kibbeh
• (Yotam Ottolenghi)
• 
  
• 125 g / 4.4 oz fine bulgur wheat
• 90ml / 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 medium onions, finely chopped
• 1 green chilli, finely chopped
• 350 g / 12.3 oz minced lamb (I used a mixture of beef and lamb)
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 2 tablespoons roughly chopped coriander
• 60 g / 2 oz pine nuts
• 3 tablespoons roughly chopped parsley
• 2 tablespoons self-raising flour
• Salt and black pepper
• 50 g / 1.8 oz tahini paste
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon sumac

Heat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Line a 20cm loose-bottomed cake tin with greaseproof paper. Put the bulgur in a bowl, add 200ml of tap water and set aside for 30 minutes.

Heat four tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan. Sauté the garlic, onion and chilli on medium-high heat until soft, remove from the pan, return it to high heat and add the lamb. Cook for five minutes, stirring, until brown. Return the onion mix to the pan, along with the spices, coriander leaves, salt, pepper and most of the pine nuts and parsley (save some for the end). Cook for a couple of minutes, remove from the heat, taste and adjust the seasoning.

Check the bulgur to see if all the water has been absorbed (strain if not). Add the flour, a tablespoon of oil, a quarter-teaspoon of salt and a pinch of black pepper and, with your hands, work into a pliable mixture that just holds together. Push firmly into the base of the tin so that it is compacted and level. Spread the lamb mix evenly on top and press down. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the meat browns further and is very hot.

Whisk together the tahini, lemon juice, 50ml of water and a pinch of salt – you're after a very thick, yet pourable sauce. Remove the kibbeh from the oven, spread the sauce on top, sprinkle with pine nuts and parsley, and return to the oven. Bake for 10 minutes, until the tahini is just set and the pine nuts are golden. Remove and leave to cool down. Before serving, sprinkle with the sumac and a drizzle of olive oil. Remove the sides of the tin and carefully cut the kibbeh into slices.

Greek Spinach and Feta Pie

Success! This is the first time that I worked with phyllo dough and it didn't break! It is also the first time that I actually thawed the dough as the packaging instructed (I thought I should mention that...) The recipe might look complicated, but it is not. Most of the time it takes to make this recipe is needed for brushing the dough layers with the melted butter. The filling could even be prepared a day in advance. It is a nice dish to bring to a party or potluck and can be served hot, warm or at room temperature.

Greed Spinach and Feta Pie (Spanakopita)
(from Cooks Illustrated)

Why this recipe works:
Microwaving, chopping, and then ridding mature fresh spinach of excess water gave our spanakopita recipe bold spinach flavor. To buffer the assertiveness of feta and to add textural contrast, we added Greek yogurt to the spanakopita recipe. We chose to bake our spanakopita on a baking sheet. Its sides were short enough to allow moisture to escape, crisping the phyllo dough’s bottom crust.

• Filling
• 2 (10-ounce) bags curly leaf spinach, rinsed
• ¼ cup water
• 12 ounces feta cheese, rinsed, patted dry, and crumbled into fine pieces (about 3 cups)
• ¾ cup whole-milk Greek yogurt 
• 4 medium scallions, sliced thin (about 1/2 cup)
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• ¼ cup minced fresh mint leaves
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh dill leaves
• 3 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
• 1 teaspoon grated zest plus 1 tablespoon juice from 1 lemon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon table salt
• ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 
  
• Phyllo Layers
• 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• ½ lb. (14 by 9-inch) phyllo, thawed overnight in the refrigerator
• 1 ½ ounces Pecorino Romano cheese, grated fine (about 3/4 cup)
• 2 teaspoons sesame seeds (optional)
• 
  

1.FOR THE FILLING: Place spinach and water in large microwave-safe bowl. Cover bowl with large dinner plate. Microwave on high power until spinach is wilted and decreased in volume by half, about 5 minutes. Using potholders, remove bowl from microwave and keep covered, 1 minute. Carefully remove plate and transfer spinach to colander set in sink. Using back of rubber spatula, gently press spinach against colander to release excess liquid. Transfer spinach to cutting board and roughly chop. Transfer spinach to clean kitchen towel and squeeze to remove excess water. Place drained spinach in large bowl. Add remaining filling ingredients and mix until thoroughly combined. (Filling can be made up to 24 hours in advance and stored in the refrigerator.)

2.FOR THE PHYLLO LAYERS: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Using pastry brush, lightly brush 14 by 9-inch rectangle in center of parchment with melted butter to cover area same size as phyllo. (If your phyllo is bigger than 14 x 9 like mine was just cut it with a pizza cutter to the right size) Lay 1 phyllo sheet on buttered parchment, and brush thoroughly with melted butter. Repeat with 9 more phyllo sheets, brushing each with butter (you should have total of 10 layers of phyllo).

3.Spread spinach mixture evenly over phyllo, leaving ¼-inch border on all sides. Cover spinach with 6 more phyllo sheets, brushing each with butter and sprinkling each with about 2 tablespoons Pecorino cheese. Lay 2 more phyllo sheets on top, brushing each with butter (these layers should not be sprinkled with Pecorino).

4.Working from center outward, use palms of your hands to compress layers and press out any air pockets. Using sharp knife, score pie through the top 3 layers of phyllo into 24 equal pieces. Sprinkle with sesame seeds (if using). Bake until phyllo is golden and crisp, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool on baking sheet 10 minutes or up to 2 hours. Slide spanakopita, still on parchment, to cutting board. Cut into squares and serve.

Zucchini and Hazelnut Salad

I am not really a friend of cooked Zucchini. However, I like them if they have a little crunch, like they do in this salad. The sliced Zucchinis are grilled for a couple of minutes on each side and then marinated in Balsamic Vinegar and Hazelnut Oil. The salad is served with toasted Hazelnuts and shaved Parmesan and makes a perfect appetizer or light salad. If you don't have Hazelnuts you can replace them easily with Pine Nuts.

Zucchini and Hazelnut Salad

(Yotam Ottolenghi)

serves 4

Ingredients

1/3 cup shelled hazelnuts
7 small zucchini (about 1¾ lb [795 g])
4 tbsp [60 ml] extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper
1 tsp [5 ml] balsamic vinegar
1¼ cups mixed green and purple basil leaves
3 oz [85 g] top-quality parmigiano-reggiano, broken up or very thinly sliced
2 tsp [10 ml] hazelnut oil

Method

Preheat the oven to 300ºF [150ºC]. Scatter the hazelnuts over a baking sheet and roast for 12 to 15 minutes, or until nicely browned. Let them cool down before rubbing them between your hands to remove most of the skins (some should remain). Chop the hazelnuts roughly.

Place a ridged griddle pan on a high heat and leave it there until it’s almost red-hot – at least 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, trim the ends of the zucchini and cut them on an angle into 3/8-inch-thick slices. Place them in a bowl and toss with half the olive oil and some salt and pepper. Place the slices in the hot grill pan and char-grill for about 2 minutes on each side; turn them over using tongs. You want to get distinct char marks without cooling the zucchini through. Transfer to a mixing bowl, pour over the balsamic vinegar, toss together and set aside.

Once the zucchini have cooled down, add the remaining olive oil, the basil and hazelnuts. Mix lightly, then taste and adjust the seasoning accordingly. Transfer the salad to a flat plate, incorporating the parmigiano-reggiano, and drizzle over the hazelnut oil.

Pierre Hermé's Olive Sablés

Pierre Hermé is a french Pastry Chef who is famous for his macaroons. He often makes use of savory ingredients in his desserts: traces of balsamic vinegar, Parmesan, or olives in his cakes and layered dessert cremes. He was the youngest person ever to be named France's Pastry Chef of the Year.
When I read his recipes for olive sables it intrigued me that he used Black Olives and Olive Oil in his recipe. When you bite in this cookie, the first taste you will get will be sweet but then comes the salty olives followed by the base flavor of olive oil. The texture of this cookie is crisp with an light crumbly snap. They are perfect with a glass of wine or champaign or with a cocktail.

Pierre Hermé's Olive Sablés

makes 60

The dough should chill for at least several hours, better overnight and you should use an oil-cured, meaty and chewy olive, canned black olives won't work in this recipe. 

1 large hard-boiled egg, white discarded

2 1/4 cups (300 g) all purpose flour

6 Tbsp (45 g) Potato Starch (I used corn starch)

15 Tbsp unsalted butter ( 1 stick + 7 Tbsp) (215 g), at room temperature

1/3 cup (80 ml) olive oil (a fruity olive oil is best)

1 cup ( 100 g) confectioners' sugar, sifted

2 1/2 oz (about 1/2 cup/ 70g) pitted black olives, preferably oil-cured, chopped

1 teasp / 5 g fleur de sel (optional) ( I used a good pinch)

Grate the hard-boiled yolk onto a piece of wax-paper. Put the flour and potato starch in a strainer set over a large bowl and sift into the bowl, whisk to thoroughly blend.

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until it's soft and creamy. Beat in the olive oil, followed by the grated yolk. Blend in the confectioners' sugar, reduce the speed to low, and add the dry ingredients. Mix until the dough just comes together, then stir in the chopped olives. You'll have a very soft, very pliable dough. 

Turn the dough out onto a work surface, divide it into thirds, and shape each piece into a log about 1 1/2 inches (3,5 cm) in diameter. Wrap the dough in plastic and chill for at least several hours. If you're in a hurry, you can freeze the logs for an hour or so.

When you're ready to bake the sables, center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F/ 160 C. 

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Working with 1 log at a time, slice the cookies 1/4 inch (0,5 cm) thick and arrange them on the baking sheet. (When they break, just press them slightly together with your fingers) - you want to bake these one sheet at a time.

Bake the sables for 15 to 18 minutes, rotating the baking sheet at the midway mark, or until the cookies are firm but not colored. They may turn golden around the edges, but you don't want them to brown. Transfer the cookies to a rack to cool, and repeat with the remaining logs of dough, making sure to use a cook baking sheet each time.

Storing

The logs can be frozen for up to 2 months, there's no need to defrost before slicing and baking.

Ricotta Tart

Think of a savory cheesecake, but much lighter and with Mediterranean flavors. This Ricotta Tart is great for lunch with a green salad, or as an appetizer. The crust needs to be baked beforehand so plan ahead. I also followed Yotam's recommendation and added goat cheese to the filling which gave it a nice, slightly sour flavor.

Ricotta Tart
(Yotam Ottolenghi)
6 - 8 servings

• 200 g/7 oz shortcrust pastry (I used the recipe below)
• 30 g/ 1 oz unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 medium onions, peeled and chopped
• 5 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
• 3 eggs
• 2 yolks
• 500 g/ 17.6 oz ricotta
• 20 g/ 2 Tbsp chopped basil
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 200 g/ 7 oz sundried tomatoes (plus a little of their oil)
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme

1.Heat the oven to 170C/335F/gas mark 3. Roll out the pastry and cut out a circle that is just slightly larger than the base of a 24cm /9,5" spring-form cake tin. Place this inside the tin and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Cover with baking paper and baking beans, and bake blind for 15 minutes. Remove the beans and paper, and bake for another 10 minutes, or until the pastry is cooked through and golden. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool down.

2.Meanwhile, heat the butter and oil in a large frying pan over low-medium heat, then sauté the onions and four of the garlic cloves, stirring from time to time, for 20 minutes or so, until the onions are soft and sweet but haven't taken on any colour. Set aside to cool.

3.Whisk the eggs and yolks in a large mixing bowl, preferably with an electric mixer, until light and airy. Add the ricotta carefully and work just until it is well incorporated. Fold in the onion and garlic mix, basil, salt and pepper, then pour over the pastry and bake for 45-50 minutes, or until just set.

4.While the tart is in the oven, blitz the sundried tomatoes, the picked leaves of three thyme sprigs, the reserved chopped garlic, a pinch of salt and a few tablespoons of the tomato oil – you want a smooth paste. Spread this mix evenly over the top of the tart as it comes out of the oven, top with three whole thyme sprigs, then return to the oven for five minutes. Remove, leave to cool, and serve warmish or cold.

Shortcrust Pastry

150 g / 3.5 oz AP Flour

75 g/ 2.64 oz cold Butter, diced

30 ml/ 1oz Ice Water

Pinch of salt

Mix everything together quickly either with your fingers or with a food processor until a dough forms. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. 

Saffron Couscous, Chickpea and Lentil Salad

Isn't it great when you are looking for a recipe and then when you find one you happen to have almost all the ingredients at home? That's what happened to me when I found this recipe. I used already cooked lentils that I bought at the store, switched the lemon with a lime and replaced the red endive with arugula. The salad combines different textures and the flavor was on the sweet and sour side. Great for lunch or to bring to a Potluck.
Another very good recipe from Yotam Ottolenghi's great book "Plenty"

Saffron Couscous, Chickpea and Lentil Salad
Yotam Ottolenghi
(serves 4)

You may ask, "Why is he cooking three types of carb for one measly salad?" Well, my answer is simple: it's all about texture. Take your average couscous salad and it's almost always a sloppy mush, no matter how much attention has gone into getting flavours in there. Asians tend to derive as much pleasure, if not more, from the texture of their food as they do from the flavour combinations; it makes eating so much more sensual. I try to apply this philosophy wherever I can. In this salad the different sizes of the couscous, lentils and chickpeas, and their different degrees of hardness, create constant surprises to match the wealth of flavors.

• 225 g couscous
• ½ teaspoon saffron strands
• Salt and black pepper
• 260m l boiling water
• 150 g cooked chickpeas (tinned are OK)
• 150 g cooked Puy lentils (follow the cooking instructions given on the packet – they can vary)
• 80 g dried cranberries
• 1 red endive, cut into 1cm-thick slices
• 2 spring onions, thinly sliced
• 4 tablespoons chopped mint
• 3 tablespoons chopped coriander
• 3 tablespoons chopped parsley
• Grated zest of 2 lemons
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 teaspoon nigella seeds
• 4 tablespoons olive oil

1.Put the couscous in a shallow bowl. Add the saffron and a pinch of salt to the boiling water, and pour this over the couscous to cover. Wrap the bowl in clingfilm and set aside for 15 minutes, so the couscous soaks up the liquid. Remove the clingfilm, fluff up the couscous with a fork, then set aside to cool down.

2.Transfer the cold couscous to a mixing bowl, add the chickpeas, lentils and cranberries, and toss. Add the endive, spring onion, herbs, lemon zest, garlic and nigella seeds, stir gently to combine, then stir in olive oil and season to taste.

3.Serve this salad straight away, or chill it for up to 24 hours; the flavours actually improve over time. Before serving, bring back to room temperature and add more olive oil or seasoning as necessary.

Tomato-Strawberry Salad

Since tomatoes are at their peak right now biting into a ripe, juicy one doesn't require much convincing. Nevertheless, pairing it with strawberries seems a little bit unusual.
This salad is a more sophisticated take on the classic caprese. Ripe strawberries balance the tomato and creamy mozarella. The dish is finished with crushed red peppercorns and basil. This salad is a knockout on the platter, however this dish depends entirely on the quality of the ingredients.

INGREDIENTS:

Serves 4

1/2 lb of fresh mozzarella

16 small sweet strawberries, hulled

16 grape tomatoes, halved

sea salt to taste, freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

4 fresh basil leaves, shredded

METHOD:

1. Drain the mozzarella and cut into 8 round slices.

2. Cut the strawberries and tomatoes in halves and place them in a bowl.

3. Season lightly with salt and pepper.

4. Add extra virgin olive oil.

5. Mix the salad gently.

6. Serve the salad with freshly cracked pepper and drizzle the olive oil on top of the mozzarella cheese.

7. Garnish with fresh basil.

8. Enjoy with a French baguette.