Courgette/Zucchini Feta Cheese & Mint Fritters

                                              Courgette/Zucchini Feta & Mint Fritters

Yes, it's not long until the time of the year again when there's plenty of courgettes ...they taste so much better when they're in season, grown locally and not air-freighted in from the continent.  I found mine in the local farm shop..grown in their poly tunnel and picked that very morning. Couldn't be fresher...that along with mint from the garden,  free range eggs and tangy Greek Feta cheese they certainly make a delightfully healthy starter or snack ...make them smaller to serve at drinks parties and accompany them with a simple Greek Yoghurt & Mint dip...perfect.

This recipe will make around 14/16 medium sized fritters or 24/30 canapé sized bites


The ingredients:-

2 medium sized courgettes/zucchini either coarsely grated or finely chopped
1 red onion finely diced and sauteed in a little oil until soft
2 large eggs...separate the whites & yolks
2 heaped tablespoons of self raising flour
grated zest of half a lemon
1 heaped tablespoon freshly chopped mint leaves
125gms/4oz Greek Feta cheese crumbled
Freshly ground black pepper
Around 1 tsp sea salt (to taste)
oil for shallow frying (I used vegetable oil)

Optional  Greek Yoghurt, mint and few chilli flakes, mixed well together ... seasoned with salt & pepper for the dip ( mint sauce works well for this) 


Method:-

Place the Grated/chopped courgettes in a colander ...sprinkle over some salt and leave to one side for around 10 minutes
Rinse under a cold tap then squeeze out as much water as you possibly can... I place mine into a clean tea towel and squeeze until no liquid is seen
Place all the ingredients in a bowl minus the egg whites & frying oil
Mix together well 
Whip the egg whites until until light & fluffy and fold gently into the courgette mixture 

Pour the oil into a deep frying pan to the depth of around 1" and heat on a medium flame 
it'll be hot enough when a teaspoon of the mixture sizzles as soon as you add it. Don't put it on a high flame as the fritters will burn before being cooked through too cool and the fritters will be soggy.

Place dessert spoons of the batter ...around 6 at a time into the oil, fry for around 2 minutes then flip over and repeat... they should be crisp & golden brown,  
Place on paper kitchen towel and keep warm while you continue to fry the rest of the batter.

Arrange on a warm plate and serve with a bowl of minted yoghurt or sweet chilli sauce.

If you would like more posts like this then please help &  leave me a comment below 

Bulgar Wheat Salad with Pears, Pomegranate & Feta Cheese

                             Bulgar Wheat Salad with Pears, Pomegranate & Feta Cheese

Pomegranates have to be the jewels of the food world.  They make any dish burst into life with their iridescence quality. I've used them here for this colourful, delicious, abstract salad. Pretty as a picture.

A light refreshing & healthy dish that will grace any table, makes a delightful starter or lunch. It's a perfect time of the year for this....pears & pomegranates are both in season and are great value for money just now. There's a delicious contrast in flavours with this salad, sweet, sour, sharp & salt along with plenty of different textures with a nice crunch from the Pomegranate.    



To serve 4 portions as a starter or side dish or 2 for a main meal

1 cup of Bulgar wheat simmered in 5 cups boiling water for 15 minutes ...leave until all water is absorbed
2 Ripe but firm pears cored and sliced lengthwise into 8 pieces per pear (I used Conference)
2 Pomegranates Seeded  * see below for tips of de-seeding
1 red onion finely sliced
4 oz Feta Cheese
handful of flat leaf parsley chopped
handful of mint leaves chopped ( substitute of 2 tsps of mint sauce if you don't have it)
2 tsps sesame oil
1 tsp Ras-el-Hanout  * see below
the juice of half a large lemon.
½ tsp sea salt
good grind of fresh black pepper


Method

Cook the Bulgar as per packet instructions or as I mentioned above
Leave until it is just warm..if all the liquid hasn't been absorbed then drain well
Place in a large bowl
Add the Sesame oil, the lemon juice, salt, pepper, Ras-el-Hanout mix together
Add the parsley, mint, red onion, pomegranate seeds & pears gently fold everything together
Pile on a plate and crumble of the Feta Cheese and sprinkle with a little extra chopped parsley.
Serve  

* Ras-el-Hanout is a Moroccan Spice Mix that includes dried ginger, coriander,paprika, nutmeg, cloves and cardamom amongst other spices. It also has a sprinkling of scented rose petals added.  It's such a versatile mix that I use in a lot of my dishes.  You can buy it readily in most UK supermarkets
You could substitute this with a little dried cumin, allspice, paprika & coriander.  Just use 1 tsp of this combination

Pomegranates from our Turkish Holiday

* To easily de-seed a pomegranate, roll it on your work surface with a firm hand.  You will feel the seeds coming away beneath the skin.  Cut in half, either bang the skin with a wooden spoon over a bowl and they will start to fall out or just remove them with your fingers discarding any of the bitter pith that lies between the seeds. I'd suggest you use gloves for this...pomegranates will stain your hands.

   

Pasta with Beetroot, Feta & Pine Nuts

Delciously healthy vegetarian fodder, cheap as chips too.

Beetroot is a great favourite...not so much the pickled in jars kind but the fresh sweetly roasted or boiled kind.

I grew the beetroot myself and they were picked, cooked and on the table within hours...some of the wonderful leaves & stems are included along with the cooking liquor......waste not want not.... this gave a wonderful colour to the actual pasta as well as adding a real depth of flavour to the dish.

Feta, Pinenuts and a good glug of decent Balsamic vinegar added to produce a wonderful flavour combination......just perfect for a summery lunch.

For 2/3 decent portions I used

6 medium sized beetroot....washed well. leaves removed and saved. Chop the stalks finely and slice through the leaves

if you buy the beet without leaves then substitute with a little spinach, Swiss chard or similar greens 

1 small onion finely diced

2 tbsps aged balsamic vinegar

a little olive oil for frying

a handful of toasted pinenuts

around 6oz of Cavatappi, macaroni or penne or similar pasta

1 tsp sea salt or so

fresly ground black pepper to taste

3/4oz Feta Cheese crumbled

1 tsp dried oregano

a little extra virgin oil for drizzling

Method

Cover the unpeeled beets with water in a saucepan, add a tsp or so of salt, bring to the boil and simmer until cooked through....approx 35 minutes

Leave in the pan until cool enough to handle.......keep the cooking liquor, it adds an incredible earthiness and you lose none of it's flavour & goodness

it also turns the pasta red....so lovely.

When cool enough to handle, gently remove the skins and chop into approx 1" cubes

Put the pan with the cooking liquid back on the stove and bring to the boil.

Add the pasta and perhaps a little more boiling water and cook as per packet instructions.

Meanwhile, add a little olive oil to the a frying pan,  sautee the onion until transluscent

Add the beet stalks first, cook on for a couple of minutes then add the leaves

Throw in the balsamic vinegar...and stir through, heat for a minute or so

Add the cooked pasta to the pan and toss everything together

Add the feta stir through....check your seasoning

Sprinkle over the Pinenuts, the oregano and drizzle with the extra virgin olive oil 

The pasta turns a lovely shade of red when cooked in the saved beetroot liquor

How the make filo triangles, these are cheesy, leeky.

Cheesy Leeky Filo Triangles

I love to make these little filo triangles. These are filled with a cheese & leek mixture, but they are wonderful made with Spinach & Feta cheese or even with  sweet filling such as apple & cinnamon. Just use your imagination and away you go !

I have used JusRol frozen filo sheets here. Each packet should make around 24 triangles

Open up the sheets cut the sheet in half then place on top of the other half. Cut this pile in half, and place on top, cut again and you will have 48 strips of filo. Keep the pile covered with a damp tea towel to stop it drying out while your making them.

Brush with oil or butter and place a second strip on top

Add a couple of teaspoons of the filling and make the first fold upwards

Brush a little more butter up the strip.

Fold up & over to the left, then up and over to the right until you reach the top.

Tuck under any excess and you will have your triangle

place on a buttered oven sheet, brush with melted butter or olive oil and bake in a hot oven 230c for around 10-15 minutes or until crispy, and golden brown

Recipe For the Cheesy leeky triangles 4oz strong cheddar cheese grated 1 large leek, rough leaves removed, finely sliced & sauteed in a little oil or butter a little grated nutmeg, black pepper & salt to taste. Just mix together & follow the pictures. *The one rule is to never overfill them or they will burst when baking*. Recipe For the spinach & feta the recipe is almost the same, use the regular packet of spinach, cooked & with every last bit of water squeezed out , 4oz Feta, add a couple of finely chopped spring onions & a little chopped mint, nutmeg & salt and pepper as before plus 1 egg yolk to bind. You can brush with olive oil instead of butter if preferred