I didn't go to the Cup this year, but instead had a most pleasant champagne afternoon tea. I made a selection of finger food and we watched the race on TV. It was a nicely paced day - sleeping in, then heading out for a walk to buy the ingredients, and spending a few leisurely hours in the kitchen. Oh god I just realised I wrote "paced" in an entry on racing, I'm making naff jokes without even realising it! That's daytime drinking for you...
Eggplant Rolls with Minted Goats Cheese
Makes 10-12 depending on the size of the eggplant
1 large eggplant
Olive oil
120g of soft goats cheese
2 tablespoons of chopped fresh mint
Salt and pepper
1. Cut the eggplant into thin slices (about 5mm). Brush with olive oil and grill each side until golden brown (or you could use a BBQ grill or chargrill pan).
2. Crumble the goats cheese and mash the mint into it. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Once the eggplant slices are cool, spread a spoonful of the minted cheese onto one end of each slice and roll up.
Carrot Dip
This makes a pretty big batch - either halve it or keep half aside for another day!
500g of carrots, peeled and finely chopped
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 brown onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
60ml of orange juice
Salt and pepper
1. Cook the carrots until tender - you can either steam them for 15-20 minutes, or cook them in a covered pan in a couple of centimetres of boiling water for a few minutes. Drain once cooked.
2. Heat the oil in a frying pan over a low to medium heat. Add the onion and gently cook for a few minutes. Add the garlic and cumin and cook for another couple of minutes until the onion is soft and the garlic is fragrant.
3. Blend the carrot, onion mixture and orange juice until smooth, and season with salt and pepper.
4. Once cool serve with crackers or toasted bread.
Asparagus, Avocado and Salmon Tortillas
Makes 12 to 16 depending on whether you get a bag of 6 or 8 tortillas!
6 or 8 asparagus spears, ends trimmed and spears cut in half (or use 12 to 16 spears if you want each roll to feature a fancy spear end!)
1 large avocado or 2 smaller avocados
Squeeze of lemon juice
Salt and pepper
210g of canned salmon, drained
6 or 8 corn tortillas or mountain bread (get the square ones if you can) cut in half
1. Blanch the asparagus in boiling water for one minute. Drain and cool in iced water. Drain again and set aside.
2. Mash the avocado with a squeeze of lemon juice, salt and pepper.
3. Soften the tortillas by briefly heating in the microwave (wrapped in papertowels) or in the oven (wrapped in foil).
4. Spread each tortilla with the avocado mix, sprinkle some salmon on top, and place an asparagus spear on the end. Roll up, and if needed secure with a toothpick.
Corn and Courgette Fritters
Makes 32 small fritters.
310g tin corn kernels, drained, or a cup of fresh or defrosted corn
150g courgette, grated
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 of a cup of milk
1 cup of self-raising flour
1/2 a teaspoon of ground cumin
150g courgette, grated
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 of a cup of milk
1 cup of self-raising flour
1/2 a teaspoon of ground cumin
Salt and pepper
Sweet chilli sauce (Mae Ploy brand preferably)
Sweet chilli sauce (Mae Ploy brand preferably)
1. Whisk together the corn, courgette, eggs and milk. Switch to a spoon and gradually stir in the sifted flour, cumin, salt and pepper.
2. Heat a little oil in a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Using a soupspoon, place spoonfuls of the mixture in the pan and cook in batches. Turn them once and cook until golden and cooked through. Drain on a paper towel.
3. Serve with sweet chilli sauce as a dipping sauce.
2. Heat a little oil in a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Using a soupspoon, place spoonfuls of the mixture in the pan and cook in batches. Turn them once and cook until golden and cooked through. Drain on a paper towel.
3. Serve with sweet chilli sauce as a dipping sauce.
No comments:
Post a Comment