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 

Spanakopita

Spanakopita, Greek Spinach & Feta Pie or at least my version of it 

I'm a great lover of Greek Food and this is one of my favourite things to eat Spanakopita.
A really delicious concoction of Feta cheese & Spinach encased in layers of crispy, buttery filo pastry.
I didn't have enough Feta but I had some soft Goat's cheese in stock so I added that to the filling, it was a triumph !!!!
I've even made this with mature cheddar and it worked out so well so just use what ever cheese you have to hand.
I used a 10" square tin

you will need

a packet of filo sheets  ( I used fresh Theos, I'm not too keen on Jus Roll filo for this, it's too thick although it's great for so many other dishes)
500g Spinach, washed & cooked. Squeeze out every drop of water and chop well
350g Feta Cheese  (I used 200g and 150g Goat's Cheese but whatever cheese you have...it's great with cheddar)  crumbled /grated
a handful of toasted pinenuts and a few untoasted to top the pie
1 tbsp fresh chopped mint (or 1tsp mint from a jar)
1 red onion finely chopped and sweated in a little olive oil
a good grating of nutmeg
1 egg
seasoning to taste
melted butter around 2-3 oz

Method

Rub the tin with buttered paper
Set to oven to 200c/400f/6gas
remove 8 of the sheets of filo from the box, keep covererd with a damp cloth while you build the pie up.
Mix all the filling ingredients together well & check the seasoning.  You shouldn't need much salt as the Feta is very salty already.
begin by layering 4 sheets of filo on top of each other brushing over melted butter between each layer. First layer laid sideways, the second from top to bottom, repeat. (4 layers in all)
Add the filling
Repeat the layering of filo as above.
Trim off any overhanging pastry.
Scrunch this up and place on top of the buttered top layer
Sprinkle over a few untoasted pinenut and brush with remaining butter
Bake in the centre of the oven for around 10 mins.
Turn the oven down to 180c/350f/gas4 and continue to bake for around another 10-15 minutes
The pie should be a crispy golden brown.
remove from the oven, leave to cool on a cooling tray.
Turn out while still slightly warm and serve.

This pie is best served at room temperature and is ideal for picnics and packed lunches.

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.