Ingredients:

4 beetroots, cooked and peeled
1 red onion, chopped
A handful of chopped mint leaves
Lemon juice
Lemon zest
1 cup natural yogurt
5 gelatin leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon honey
1 ½ fl oz each white wine vinegar, white balsamic vinegar and water

Method:

Line a terrine dish with baking paper. Cut the beetroot into thin rounds and layer some at the bottom of the terrine. Follow with a layer of onion then chopped mint. Repeat and finish with beetroot.

Combine the vinegars, honey, water, salt and pepper and heat together until the honey dissolves.

Soften the gelatin leaves in a covered bowl of cold water. When soft, squeeze the water from the gelatin and add it to the vinegar sauce.

Stir until dissolved and adjust the seasoning. pour the gelatin mixture over the terrine until it is covered.

Press down and refrigerate for at least 6 hours until set.

Mix together the yogurt, lemon juice, lemon zest and some more chopped mint and serve the terrine drizzled with this sauce.

Serve garnished with mint leaves and fresh pepper and arrange some green salad on the side.

(Serves 6)

Ingredients:

(serves 12)

* 1,5 kg butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 3cm pieces

* 2 large rutabagas (swedes), peeled and cut into 1-2cm pieces

* 2 large fennel bulbs, cut into 1-2cm pieces

* 2 small turnips, peeled and cut into 1-2cm pieces

* 1/4 cup olive oil

* 1/4 cup lemon juice

* 2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme or 2 teaspoons dried thyme

* 1 teaspoon salt

* 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Method:

* Place the squash, rutabagas, fennel and turnips in two smaller or one large baking pan. Combine the remaining ingredients; drizzle over vegetables and toss to coat. Bake, uncovered, at 220°C for 55-60 minutes or until tender, stirring twice.

Ingredients:

(serves 4)

* 500g spinach, cleaned and dried

* 1/2 cup bean sprouts

* 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled

* 2 tablespoons sunflower seeds lightly toasted and cooled

* 1/2 cup mandarin oranges, segmented

* 1/2 cup red pepper, chopped into thin slices

* 1 apple Granny Smith, sliced into match stick sized pieces

* yogurt dressing (see recipe)

Method:

Add spinach to bowl, add rest of ingredients and lightly toss. Add yogurt dressing and toss again.

Photograph by Romulo Yanes

Ingredients:

Serves4 (main course) or 8 (first course or side dish)

* 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

* 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

* 1 teaspoon minced garlic

* 2 teaspoons chopped marjoram or oregano

* 1 large eggplant, trimmed and cut into 8 (2.5cm -thick) rounds

* 350 g baby spinach

* 100 g crumbled feta (1/4 lb)

* 1/4 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted

Method:

*Prepare grill for direct-heat cooking over hot charcoal (high heat for gas).

* Whisk together oil, lemon juice, garlic, marjoram, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/8 tsp pepper in a small bowl.

*Brush both sides of eggplant slices with some of dressing. Season with 1/4 tsp each of salt and pepper. Oil grill rack, then grill eggplant, covered only if using a gas grill, turning occasionally, until tender, 12 to 15 minutes total. Cut into pieces.

*Toss spinach with enough dressing to coat and season with salt and pepper. Add eggplant, feta, and pine nuts and toss again.

Notes: Eggplant can be grilled, in batches if necessary, in a lightly oiled hot grill pan over medium-high heat. Eggplant can be grilled 1 day ahead and chilled. Bring to room temperature before using.

The slightly sweet, almost flowery flavor of marjoram adds a delicate note to this Middle Eastern-inspired salad, though oregano is also fine. To be sure the eggplant is tender, slice into it before taking it off the grill—when properly done, it will be moist all the way through.

Ingredients:

* 8-12 fresh red paprika (mild or medium-hot, to taste)

* 4 medium-size eggplants

* 1/2 to 3/4 cup olive oil

* 1 large onion, minced

* 3 large garlic cloves, chopped

* 1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice (or 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar)

* Salt and pepper to taste

* Chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Method:

Roast the paprika and eggplants over charcoal or a gas flame, or bake them in a preheated 230 C oven, until the skin is blistered and darkened. Place the roasted vegetables in a paper bag and let them steam in their own heat for 10 minutes. Peel off and discard the burnt skin along with the steams and seeds. Mash the peppers and eggplant pulp together to form a slightly chunky mass. You can do this with a fork or in a food processor.

Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet and saute the onion until very soft. Add garlic and cook for 2 more minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the pepper-eggplant pulp, mixing well. Slowly drizzle the remaining oil into the mixture, stirring constantly to incorporate all of the oil. Add lemon juice or vinegar, and salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with parsley.

For longer storage fill glass jars without air bubbles in ajvar and top with layer of oil. Preferably store in refrigerator.

Note: Serve as an appetizer to spread on thick slices of country-style white bread or flat pita bread with chunks of feta cheese, or use as a side dish to accompany grilled or roasted meats.

Ingredients:

1/2 of an English cucumber, partially peeled OR

1 whole  cucumber – peeled and seeded

1 cup plain yogurt (preferably Greek yogurt or regular yogurt strained through a cheesecloth)

1/3 cup sour cream

juice of 1/4 lemon

1 tsp. dill weed (optional)

2 cloves garlic, crushed

salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Grate the cucumber and squeeze out all of the juice.

2. Mix all other ingredients in a medium bowl. Add cucumber.

3. Let stand in fridge for at least 1 hour.

4. Serve with pita chips as an appetizer or with Greek meatballs (recipe follows).

Ingredients:

2-cup cooks rice,

4-cups water

1-cup finely chopped onion,

1-tsp cumin seeds,

2-tbsp oil,

1-2 Bayleaf,

Salt to taste,

Coriander leaves for garnish (optional)

Method:

1: Heat the oil in pan and add cumin seeds and bay leaf in it.

2: Add finely chopped onion in it.

3: Cook until they are transparent not golden brown. Sprinkle salt to taste.

4: After that add rice in it and mix.Add water.

5: Cook in law flame until rice is soft.

6: Serve garnished with coriander leaves as side dish to curry or tikka.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups All Purpose Flour

• 1 tsp Superfine sugar

• 1 tsp Dry yeast

• 1 tsp Salt

• 1 tsp Ghee or Oil

• Water as per requirement

Method:

•Take the yeast and dissolve it water taken in a bowl.

•Cover the mixture and leave it aside for 10 minutes.

•Now take the all purpose flour in a shallow tray and make a depression in the center.

•Add yeast, ghee, sugar and salt. Mix them properly.

•Add some more water if it is required.

•Put the mixture on a floured surface and make dough. Knead it well for 5-7 minutes.

•Keep it in a warm place for 1 hour and cover it so that it can rise.

•After due time period, make small balls out of the dough.

•Flatten each ball to make ovals of about 1 cm thickness.

•Put these ovals on a smeared heavy-duty aluminum foil.

•Grill it under a preheated broiler till golden brown color appears.

•Repeat the procedure with rest of the balls.

•Naans are ready to serve.

Ingredients:

(makes 12 rotis)

Whole Wheat Flour (Chapati Flour) – 2 cups

Salt – 1/2 tsp (optional)

Oil – 4 tsp

Warm Water – 3/4 cup

All-purpose flour – for rolling and dusting

Method:

1. In a large mixing bowl, mix Chapati Flour and Salt well.

2. Add Oil and mix until all lumps are gone.

3. Add Warm Water a little at a time to form a medium soft dough ball. Do not overwork the dough.

4. Add few drops of Oil and coat the dough ball. Cover and let it rest for 15 minutes.

5. Heat Tawa or skillet on medium heat.

6. Knead the dough once and divide into golf ball size balls.

7. Dip one ball into the All-purpose flour to coat and roll it out into a thin disc. Keep dipping the rotli into the dry flour to prevent it from sticking to the rolling surface.

8. Shake or rub off excess flour from the rotli and place it onto the hot tawa.

9. Flip to the other side once you see bubbles appear on the surface. Allow it to cook for 10-15 seconds.

10. Increase the stove heat to High, gently pick the rotli up with tongs, remove the tawa off of the flame, flip the rotli over and place onto an open flame.

11. The rotli should balloon up. Flip it over and cook on the other side.

12. Place the cooked rotli into an insulated container and smear it with Ghee or clarified butter and repeat the process for the remaining dough.

Note: Steps 10-11 are optional, but they enhance the flavour. If open flame is not available, they should be baked 1/2 min per side.

Ingredients:

* 275g Basmati Rice

* 18 – 20 saffron threads (1/2 sachet)

* 1 tbspn boiling water

* 1 rounded tspn cardamom pods

* 1 rounded tspn coriander seeds

* 3 tbspn olive oil

* 75g dried cranberries

* 110g raisins

* 50g peeled pistachio nuts

* Salt & freshly ground black pepper

Method:

* Rinse the rice in cold water and drain well.

* Mix the saffron with the boiling water and leave to infuse for 10 mins.

* Add rice to large pan of salted boiling water with the cardamom and coriander.

* Bring to the boil and leave to hard simmer for 8 – 10 mins until rice is al dente (soft on outside but firm in centre). Drain in a colander.

* Heat oil in a large frying pan, add the dried fruit and nuts and sauté for 1 min to plump up.

* Stir in the rice and the saffron liquid, season to taste and stir well to combine.

* Serve.

Note:  This beautifully fragrant and slightly sweet rice dish is great served with cold cuts of turkey or a gammon joint.