Grilled Vegetable Quesadillas with Goat Cheese and Pesto

An easy vegetarian dish requiring minimal preparation. The lovely thing about this meal is that the vegetables can be easily substituted. I used champignon mushrooms instead of Portobello, and aubergine instead of the summer squash. 

Ingredients:
Makes 4 servings

• 1 small zucchini, diagonally sliced into 1/2 cm pieces 
• 1 small summer squash, diagonally sliced into 1/2 cm pieces 
• 1 red bell pepper, stem and seeds removed 
• 1 small red onion, sliced into 1/2 cm rounds 
• 1 large Portobello mushroom, cleaned and sliced into 1/2 cm pieces 
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 
• salt and pepper 
• 4 tortillas 
• 4 tablespoon pesto, divided 
• 125g goat cheese, divided

Directions:
Start by preparing your vegetables. Drizzle the sliced vegetables with 2 tbsp olive oil and season with salt and white pepper. Place vegetables on the grill (or in a grill pan) and cook for approximately 3 minutes on each side or until just tender. Remove the vegetables from the grill and let cool for 5 minutes. Cut the grilled vegetables into squares and set aside. 

To assemble each quesadilla: Spread a tortilla with 1 tablespoon pesto. Divide 1/4 of the grilled vegetables and crumble 1/4 of the goat cheese over them. Fold the tortilla over to close. Place the quesadilla on a lightly oiled grill (or grill pan) and cook for 3 minutes on each side until the cheese in fully melted. 

Adapted from Original Recipe

Chicken with Lemon & Courgette Couscous

A very simple dish full of delicate flavours. Cooks up in a matter of minutes. 

Ingredients:
Makes 4 servings

• 200g couscous 
• 400ml chicken stock 
• 2 tbsp olive oil 
• 2 courgettes, grated 
• 1 lemon, cut into 4 wedges 
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• paprika
• salt and pepper

Directions:
Tip the couscous into a large bowl and pour over the stock. Cover and leave for 10 mins until fluffy and all the stock has been absorbed. 

Heat 1 tbsp oil and fry the courgettes until softened and crisping at the edges. Tip into the couscous, then stir in with plenty of seasoning and a good squeeze of lemon juice from one of the wedges. 

Halve the chicken breasts horizontally and put each piece on a sheet of cling film. Cover with another sheet and beat each piece out with a rolling pin to make it thinner. Season with salt, pepper and paprika. Heat the remaining oil in a large pan and fry the chicken for about 2 mins on each side until cooked through. Squeeze over the juice from the other lemon wedge and serve with the couscous and remaining lemon wedges on the side. 

Adapted from Original Recipe

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Lemon and Artichoke Slow Cooker Chicken

The flavour of this dish is simply amazing. This is by far one of the best slow cooker meals I have cooked to date. It does require some minimal preparation, but believe me it is well worth it. It makes a gorgeous Sunday lunch. I would suggest using chicken thighs, however I tried this recipe with 2 thighs and 2 breasts, and both were equally good. Serve with roasted potatoes or wedges. 

Ingredients:
Makes 4 servings

The Brine:

• 1/8 cup of salt
• 1 lemon, juiced and then sliced
• 4 cups water

The Spice Blend:

• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 1/4 tsp turmeric 
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes 
• 1/4 tsp ground cumin 
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger 
• 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon 
• 1/8 tsp freshly cracked black pepper 
• 1/8 tsp Himalayan salt

The Chicken:

• 4 pieces chicken thighs, skin on
• Salt and pepper to taste 
• 2 tbsp butter 
• 1 large onion, diced 
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped 
• 1 cup light chicken stock 
• 1/8 cup fresh lemon juice
• Zest of 1 lemon

The Add-Ons:

• 1 lemon, sliced
• 1 can artichoke hearts, rinsed, drained and cut in half 
• 1/2 cup caperberries, rinsed 
• 1 tbsp cornflour + 2 tbsp water 
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Directions:
The previous night before you need the meal, set your chicken to brine in a solution consisting of 4 cups of water, 1/8 cup of salt, the juice of 1 lemon and the shells of that lemon. While this step is not mandatory, it will definitely make your chicken a lot tastier and juicier, too! 

In a small bowl, mix together all the spices that make up the spice blend. Set aside. Remove the chicken from the brine and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Set a large skillet over high heat and melt the butter. Add the pieces of chicken, being mindful not to overcrowd the pan, and cook until crisp and golden, about 4-5 minutes per side. The chicken does not need to be cooked through. Remove the cooked pieces of chicken to the bowl of your slow cooker. 

Reduce the heat of the pan to medium and add the onion and garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until onion starts to soften and turn translucent; add the chicken stock, lemon juice, lemon zest and spice blend and scrape the bottom of the pan to detach every little last bit of flavour. Bring to a simmer then pour that over the cooked chicken. Cook on high for a total of 5 hours or low for 7 hours. 

45 minutes to an hour before the end of your scheduled cooking time, add the sliced lemons, artichoke hearts and caperberries. After that time, remove the chicken, lemon slices, artichoke hearts and caperberries to a large shallow bowl or plate and place them in a low temperature oven to keep warm. Strain the cooking liquid through a fine meshed strainer directly into a medium saucepan. Dilute the cornflour in 2 tablespoons of water and pour that into the simmering stock. Bring back to a quick boil and cook for about one minute, whisking constantly, until the sauce thickens. Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve.

Adapted from Original Recipe

Falafel-Stuffed Eggplant with Tahini Sauce and Tomato Relish

This vegetarian dish made it to the top of the "Most tasty and definitely-to-do-again dishes" list. And to top it off, it's also healthy! It does take some time to prepare, but it is very easy to do.  

Ingredients:
Makes 4 servings

For the Tahini Sauce:

• 3 tbsp warm water
• 2 tbsp tahini
• 4 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tsp honey
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 clove garlic, minced

For the Eggplant:

• 2 eggplants
• 3/4 tsp salt, divided
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• 1 tbsp tahini
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can chickpeas (400g)

For the Relish:

• 1 cup chopped tomatos
• 1/2 cup chopped cucumber
• 1/2 red onion, sliced thinly
• 1/2 cup chopped parsley
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Directions:
To prepare the sauce, whisk together the warm water, tahini, lemon juice, honey, cumin and garlic in a small bowl. Season with salt to taste. Set aside. 

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees Celsius. Slice the eggplants in half lengthwise. Score the cut sides with a crosshatch pattern. Place facedown on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 7 minutes or until slightly tender and brown. Remove from the oven and carefully scoop out the pulp, leaving a 3/4-inch edge. Reserve the pulp for another use. Season with salt. 

Combine 1/2 tsp salt, onion, breadcrumbs, parsley, tahini, olive oil, cumin, coriander, black pepper, cayenne, eggs, garlic, and chickpeas in the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Season to taste. Spoon the chickpea mixture evenly into the 4 eggplant shells. Bake for 25 minutes or until the eggplant halves are tender and the chickpea mixture is lightly brown. 

Combine the tomato, cucumber, red onion, parsley, balsamic, and olive oil in a bowl. Stir to combine. Place one eggplant half on each of 4 plates. Drizzle with tahini sauce and top with relish.

Adapted from Original Recipe

Sun-dried Tomato and Mushroom Pasta

A creamy velvety sauce; perfect comfort food!

Ingredients:
Makes 4 servings

• 2 tbsp olive oil 
• 250g mushrooms, sliced 
• 3 garlic cloves, minced 
• 70g sun-dried tomatoes, diced 
• 500ml chicken/vegetable stock 
• 250ml cup heavy cream 
• 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese 
• 2 tbsp parsley, chopped

Directions:
Heat olive oil on medium-high heat, add sliced mushrooms and garlic and cook for about 3 minutes. Add diced sun-dried tomatoes and reduce heat. Carefully add the broth to the pan and continue to cook on medium heat until the mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes absorb some of the broth and the broth reduces by about half. 

Add the heavy cream and bring to boil just for a short moment. Add Parmesan cheese and cook the sauce, stirring, for a couple of minutes, on low-medium heat until the cheese melts. Add the parsley. If your sauce still looks a bit liquid do not continue simmering the sauce to thicken it. You can just add the pasta to the pan and it will absorb some of the sauce liquid. Cook for just a couple of minutes and then serve. 

Adapted from Original Recipe