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Ingredients:
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 Tbsp. water
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Romaine lettuce (roughly chopped and washed)
4 tomatoes (cut into wedges)
1/2 cup Kalamata olives
1 cucumber (peeled and seeded)
6 ounces feta cut into 4 slices
1 Tbsp. of parsley, chopped
Method:
Place the red wine vinegar in a large bowl. Slowly add the olive oil and whisk continually. If dressing tastes too tart, whisk in water a tablespoon at a time. Season with salt and pepper. Once dressing is emulsified place to one side.
In a large salad bowl toss the lettuce, tomatoes, olives, cucumber and dressing. Divide the salad between 4 plates. Place the 4 pieces of feta on top of each salad. Sprinkle a little chopped parsley on each piece of feta drizzle with a little more dressing and serve.
Ingredients:
For the meat sauce:
2 Tbps. olive oil
2 onions (finely chopped)
4 cloves of garlic (crushed)
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1 pound ground beef
1/2 pound ground pork
1 cup red wine
28 oz of peeled, whole tomatoes
For the béchamel sauce:
1 stick butter
1cup all purpose flour
1 quart full fat/whole milk
1/4 whole nutmeg, grated
salt and fresh ground pepper
For the eggplant layers:
3 eggplants (sliced into ½ inch slices)
1/4 cup salt
olive oil
For the garnish:
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
Method:
To make the meat sauce:
Place a large heavy based pan over a med- high heat. In a little olive oil sauté the onions for 1-2 minutes. Add the garlic and the herbs and cook for 5-7 minutes until onions and garlic are soft, this should be with out color.
Add the ground beef and ground pork. Cook for a further 10 minutes. Add the red wine and deglaze pan. Add the tomatoes and bring to a gentle simmer for 3 hours.
Remove bay leaf and thyme stems.
To make the béchamel sauce:
Place med sized saucepan over a low to med heat. Add the butter and flour and stir with a wooden spoon for 3 minutes. Slowly add the milk and stir constantly until sauce has no lumps. This process will take 10 minutes or so. Season the sauce with a little nutmeg, salt and pepper.
To make the eggplant layers:
Preheat the oven to 175c/350 degrees.
Sprinkle the salt over the slices of eggplant and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Wash the salt off under running water and fry slices off eggplant in a large fry-pan or wok in a little oil (you do not need to cook the egg plant all the way through, simply color either side). Pat the cooked eggplant on paper towels.
To assemble the dish:
Place two ladles of the meat sauce on the bottom of a large oven proof dish (at least 9-inches x 13-inches) and then place a layer of sliced eggplant. Ladle half of the meat sauce over the eggplant then half of the béchamel sauce on top. Repeat this process finishing with a layer of béchamel sauce.
Cover with foil and bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove foil and return to the oven for 15-20 minutes. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve.
Ingredients:
2 sticks unsalted butter (melted)
12 sheets of filo pastry
1/2 cup soft light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped
3/4 cup walnuts (crushed)
1/4 cup organic honey
Method:
Preheat oven to 180c / 375 F degrees. Brush a baking tray with a little melted butter. Place 1 sheet of filo pastry on the tray and sprinkle with a little sugar. Repeat this process with 4 sheets of filo.
Sprinkle half of the raisins, half of the dried apricots and one third of the walnuts and then top with another layer of filo. Butter and sprinkle with sugar as before with another 4 sheets of filo. Repeat dried fruit and walnut layer.
Finish with another 4 layers of filo buttering and sugaring each layer. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.
Score diamond shapes into the top layer of filo. Drizzle with honey and allow to cool completely. Cut into diamonds, sprinkle with remaining walnuts, and serve.