THE STAPLE VEGGIE HUMUS

I decided to invite my Dad round for dinner on Fathers day. Soon after inviting him I realised that I couldn't cook any weekday meal as this was my way of thanking my Dad for being so awesome....
For me my favourite type of dining is a meal that you can share with friends and family so a Mezze was the perfect choice. I like to get my multi-coloured blanket out chuck some cushions on the floor and pretend that I'm on holiday.

One of the staples of this meal and often the first to go is humus. I eat humus almost every day. There is pretty much nothing that i wont put humus on. Its great not only as a dip but instead of mayo on salads and sandwiches. Home made humus tastes so much better than shop bought. Once you make this there is no going back but the lucky thing is its quick and easy to make.

INGREDIENTS

1 200g can of cooked chickpeas

2 Tablespoons of tahini paste

2 large cloves of garlic crushed

3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

A pinch of salt

half a teaspoon of ground cumin

3 Green olives for decoration (optional)

Half a teaspoon of smoked paprika


METHOD

• Drain the chick peas from the water in the tin and put them in a food processor with the tahini, garlic, salt and olive oil.

• Blitz the mixture until it is smooth. You can also add a little water or more oil if the mixture is too thick

• Pour the mixture into a serving dish and stir in the ground cumin

• For decoration add the olives a dusting of smoked paprika for a touch of colour

This is great served with toasted pitta breads for sharing. Keep an eye on the blog for more mezze recipes coming soon.

GOATS CHEESE SALAD WITH HONEY CROUTONS AND WALNUTS

Being a vegetarian living in the Basque region of France it is fair to say that I ate a lot of cheese. When eating out most of the meals I ate involved bread and cheese. I would regularly have variations of this dish and when I eat it now it makes me think of sitting in the sun with a glass of wine! This is great for having friends round for lunch as it is so quick to prepare but still feels like a treat.



INGREDIENTS

1 Bowl of mixed leaf salad

10 Cherry tomatoes

Half a yellow pepper

1 Quarter of a cucumber

3 slices of French bread

1 tablespoon of honey

3 slices of goats cheese

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar

Half a teaspoon of wholegrain mustard

1 handful of Walnut halves


METHOD

• Place a layer of mixed leaf salad at the bottom of the bowl. Half the cherry tomatoes and thinly slice the red onion. Chop the pepper and cucumber into small cubes and then scatter them with the tomatoes and onion on top of the mixed leafs

• Slice the French stick at a diagonal so you can get 3 long slices that are about 3cm thick

• Place the bread slices onto a baking tray and place under the grill to toast for 2-3 minutes or until the top starts to brown.

• Remove the bread from the grill and turn the bread over to the un-toasted side. Generously spread honey onto the bread and then top with the sliced cheese. 

• Put the bread back under the grill until the cheese melts and starts to go crispy at the edges. Whilst it is cooking prepare the dressing by mixing the Olive oil, mustard and white wine vinegar

• Using a spatula place the bread on top of the salad. Roughly chop the walnuts into quarters and then sprinkle them on the salad. Lastly add the dressing and drizzle some more honey on the goats cheese if desire