We heard about this dish on The Food Programme on BBC Radio 4 as described, lovingly, by Leyla Kazim on a program about Cyprus and halloumi/hellim. We couldn’t wait to try it. Constructed from the description by Leyla and trawling the internet for quantities. Delicious comfort food and a new way with halloumi (for us at least).
Turkish macaroni – serves 4
200g halloumi
2 tbsp dried mint
400g wholewheat pasta, we used penne
2 litres good chicken stock
1-2 lemons
a large handful of fresh mint leaves, chopped
Finely grate the halloumi cheese and mix with the dried mint.
Cook the pasta in the chicken stock until al dente.
Put some of the cheese and mint mixture in the bottom of four bowls. Ladle some pasta and stock over each portion, then sprinkle with another layer of cheese and mint. Add another layer of pasta and finish with a final layer of cheese. Sprinkle over the fresh mint and squeeze some lemon juice over each to taste.
Another recipe for using up leftover cooked lamb. It doesn’t take very long so you could try it mid-week.
Wine Suggestion: This is delicious with a red with a good amount of age, where the gentle, aged spices and characters meld with the food. This isn’t always easily to hand, so Domaine Gayda’s Grenache from the border of the Languedoc and Roussillon was a more than adequate substitute, with the peppery spices from the grape providing a natural warmth and a juicy red fruit.
Leftover lamb pilaf – serves 4-6
1 onion, roughly chopped
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely sliced
½ tsp ground allspice
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
350g basmati rice
700ml chicken stock or lamb stock
50g dried barberries (or you could use dried cherries or cranberries)
50g dried figs, quartered
500g leftover cooked lamb, in chunks
75g feta cheese, crumbled
2 tbsp chopped flatleaf parsley or mint
35g toasted almonds, chopped (or pistachios)
seeds from ½ a pomegranate
Greek yoghurt to serve (optional)
Heat a splash of oil in a large heavy saucepan and cook the onion until soft and golden. Add the chilli, allspice and garlic and cook for another minute, then add the rice, stirring to coat in the oil. Add the stock and dried fruit and season well with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover with a lid. Cook for 20 minutes or until the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is tender. Don’t be tempted to stir it! If the rice isn’t tender after 20 minutes, add a little boiling water, cover again and cook for another 4-5 minutes. If the stock isn’t completely absorbed, turn up the heat to quickly boil it off.
Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a frying pan and quickly fry the lamb until warm and crispy. Season, then fork through the rice with the feta, herbs and nuts. Transfer to a large dish and scatter over the pomegranate seeds. Serve with some yoghurt on the side if you like.
(Original recipe from Food from Plenty by Diana Henry, Mitchell Beazley, 2012.)
A great combination and nice to cook something meat-free on the barbecue. Serve with naan breads – we get ours from the local takeaway. You need to get started a few hours ahead.
Wine Suggestion: Nothing complex or too heavy with this so focus on pleasurable fruit and balance. For us tonight Umani Ronchi’s organic Serrano. A Montepulciano – Sangiovese blend from Rosso Conero, in the Marches. Youthful and vibrant which suited us perfectly for a summer barbecued dinner.
Barbecued tikka paneer with fresh mango chutney – serves 4
150g natural yoghurt
3 tbsp tikka curry paste, we use Patak’s
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
3 cm piece of ginger, finely grated
300g paneer, cut into 18 cubes
1 green pepper, cut into 18 pieces
1 red pepper, cut into 18 pieces
1 red onion, cut into 6 wedges
vegetable oil, for brushing the grill
a small handful of coriander leaves, roughly chopped
naan breads, to serve
FOR THE FRESH MANGO CHUTNEY:
left over red onion from the kebabs (see below)
1 large mango, finely diced
150g cherry tomatoes, finely diced
1-2 red chillies, finely chopped
a few sprigs of mint, leaves finely chopped
1 tsp caster sugar
juice of half a lemon
Put the yoghurt, curry paste, garlic, and ginger into a large bowl, season with salt and pepper and mix together. Add the paneer and peppers. Peel off the outer 2-3 layers of each onion wedge and add these too (keep the rest for the chutney), then fold everything together gently. Cover and put into the fridge for a few hours, or if short of time leave at room temperature for an hour.
To make the mango chutney, finely chop the leftover onion and put into a bowl with the mango, tomatoes, chillies and mint and stir to mix. Stir in the sugar and lemon juice to taste, then set aside.
Get your barbecue on and hot, then brush the grill with vegetable oil to prevent the kebabs from sticking.
Thread the paneer, peppers and onions onto kebab skewers and cook for 12-15 minutes or until lightly charred.
Sprinkle coriander over the skewers and serve with the mango chutney and naan breads.
(Original recipe from Charred by Genevieve Taylor, Hardie Grant: Quadrille, 2019.)
A great dish for using up the end of a tub of cream with just a few ingredients that you might well have already.
Wine Suggestion: Central Italian whites just seem to sing with this dish and the La Piuma Pecorino which is light as a feather, citrussy and floral hits the spot; and is a bargain to boot.
Tagliatelle with broad beans, cream & mint – serves 2
150g broad beans, blanched and skins slipped off
2 tbsp olive oil
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
100ml double cream
a small handful of mint, finely chopped
75g pecorino, finely grated
200g dried tagliatelle
Get the pasta water on, then start the sauce.
Whizz half the beans in the small bowl of a food processor to get a rough purée.
Warm the 1 tbsp of the oil and the garlic in a heavy-based saucecpan for a minute or two to soften the garlic but without letting it colour.
Add the puréed broad beans, to the pan and cook for a minute, then add the double cream and the rest of the broad beans. Stir in the mint and bring to a simmer. Add half the pecorino and season to taste – careful as the cheese is quite salty.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta in lots of salty water then scoop straight out of the cooking water and into the pan with the sauce. Toss to combine and add a little more pasta cooking water if needed to make a sauce. Serve with the extra pecorino for sprinkling over the top.
We love this fresh salad, the perfect side dish for so many summer dishes. You can crumble some feta over the top before serving if you like.
Fattoush – serves 4
FOR THE SALAD:
2 flatbreads or pitta breads (about 120g in total)
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 small Persian cucumbers or 1 small regular cucumber
4 tomatoes (about 450g in total)
75g Romaine lettuce, roughly chopped
3 scallions, finely chopped
10g mint leaves, finely chopped
20g parsley leaves, finely chopped
75g feta cheese (optional)
FOR THE DRESSING:
1 tbsp sumac
3 tbsp lemon juice
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Preheat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/Gas 6.
Toss the pitta breads in the olive oil, then bake in the hot oven for 10 minutes or until very crisp. Leave to cool then snap into chunky pieces.
Cut the cumcumbers in half and scrape out the seeds with a teaspoon. Chop into 1-2cm pieces and put into a salad bowl.
Cut the tomatoes in half and scoop out the seeds, chop the flesh into pieces the same size as the cucumber and add the bowl with the crispy pieces of bread. Add the lettuce and herbs.
Mix the dressing ingredients together and season with salt and pepper. Pour over the salad, then use your hands to toss everything together. Adjust the seasoning to taste, then crumble over some feta if you like.
(Original recipe from Zaitoun by Yasmin Khan, Bloomsbury, 2018.)
This is good to serve with drinks for a crowd. You will need some flatbreads or pitta for dipping.
Wine Suggestion: An aperitivo type of drink; Negroni’s if you like, or for us Jérémie Huchet’s Muscadet Les Montys le Parc. A special “lieu-dit”, a vineyard recognised as something special and unique that allows a longer growing season than surrounding vineyards due to the aspect and soils. More depth and roundness than their classic Muscadet, but still with a lovely minerailty and mouthfeel and great length. Serious, and yet still with a sense of playful fun.
Spiced beetroot yoghurt – serves 6
500g cooked beetroot (not in vinegar)
3 tbsp ground coriander
20g mint, leaves finely chopped
500g Greek yoghurt
1 tsp nigella seeds
olive oil, for drizzling
Drain any juice off the beetroot, then whizz with a hand-blender to get a coarse-textured purée. Add the ground coriander, lots of salt and pepper and the mint (keep a little to garnish) and mix together well. Stir in the Greek yoghurt.
Season again to taste, then serve sprinkled with nigella seeds, the rest of the chopped mint and a drizzle of good olive oil. Serve with pitta, flatbreads or toast.
(Original recipe from Sirocco by Sabrina Ghayour, Mitchell Beazley, 2016.)
Sometimes the simplest of recipes turn out the best. This one is absolutely delicous and depends on the ingredients being good as there is nowhere to hide.
Wine Suggestion: Find an easy mediterrranean dry white with a touch of sappy, minerality and you’ll have a good match. We had no Greek white’s to hand but had the La Piuma Pecorino from the Abruzzo so we enjoyed the light melon, pear and citrus flavours and light herbal, camomile and green almond touch on the fiinish.
Fennel with Peas & Halloumi – serves 2
300g fennel, trimmed and thinly sliced
3 tbsp olive oil
250g halloumi, sliced
FOR THE DRESSING:
250g frozen peas, defrosted in a colander under cold running water and drained
30g basil leaves
20g mint leaves
150ml olive oil
Warm the 3 tbsp of oil in a very big frying pan. Place the fennel in the pan in a single layer and season lightly. Cook until the fennel is browned on one side, then turn and continue to cook until soft.
Place the halloumi in the pan, tucking it in wherever you can so it browns on the pan. Allow to turn golden on both sides.
To make the dressing tip the peas, basil, mint and olive oil into a food processor and whizz until almost smooth, the texture should be slightly smooth. Spoon over the fennel and cheese and serve.
(Original recipe from Greenfeast: autumn, winter by Nigel Slater, 4th Estate, 2019.)
We couldn’t find cougettes to plant this year so we haven’t been cooking them nearly as often. Definitely one of the vegetables we miss the most in the colder months. You can of course buy a good-quality fresh pesto if you don’t feel like making it, though there is something very satisfying about pounding your own.
Wine Suggestion: We looked for a wine with a herbal streak and remembered the Ch Vignelaure La Source white from Provence. Made mostly of Vermentino with a dash of Semillon for body and Sauvignon Blanc for a crisp grassiness, this has both the body to work with the food and freshness to remind us of summer. Grapefruit and peach flavours, hints of white blossoms and a southern French, sassy finish.
Courgette & broad bean risotto with pesto – serves 4
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp butter
350g courgettes, cut into small dice
a pinch of chilli flakes
a pinch of grated nutmeg
2 scallions, finely sliced
zest of ½ a lemon
150g risotto rice
75ml dry white wine
750g warm vegetable stock or chicken stock
80g broad beans, podded and blanched for a minute, then skins removed
20g Parmesan, grated, plus extra to serve
FOR THE PESTO:
1 clove of garlic
1 tbsp toasted pine nuts
a large handful of basil leaves, plus extra to garnish
a handful of mint leaves
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp grated Parmesan
If you are making the pesto, do that first. Crush the garlic to a paste with a pinch of salt using a pestle and mortar. Add the toasted pine nuts and pound to a coarse paste, then tear in the basil and mint, pound again to break them down. Stir in the oil and cheese and season to taste.
To make the risotto, warm the butter and oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the courgettes, chilli flakes and nutmeg and season. Fry for about 5 minutes or until the courgettes have softened and turned golden. Add the scallions and lemon zest and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the rice and stir for a couple of minutes until translucent and coated in fat.
Add the wine and cook until almost evaporated, then add the stock a ladleful at a time, stirring until absorbed. Keep adding stock for 20-30 minutes, stirring all the time, until the rice is tender.
Stir in the broad beans and warm through for a couple of minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the Parmesan. Allow to sit for 5 minutes, then swirl in about half of the pesto (keep the rest for something else).
Serve in warm bowls with basil leaves and extra cheese sprinkled on top.
Do try and find Italian sausages for this, they’re much meatier and richer. We buy a brand called Levoni. You can also use fresh tomatoes if you can find fantastic ones but otherwise we’d recommend a good-quality tin.
Wine Suggestion: This was made after an online wine tasting Jono was running which focussed on Grenache, so naturally we had to try them with this. The amazing Domaine de Cébène Ex Arena from Faugeres was our pick. Mostly old vine, low yeilding Grenache with a touch of Mourvedre, grown on sand. This is perfumed and complex with vitality and energy. The deep red berried fruit is both rounded and structured with a bass note of earthy black fruits and forest floor. Very elegant but also big enough to stand up to the meaty and rich pasta.
Fusilli with Sausage – serves 4
4 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
400g Italian sausages, skins removed
150ml white wine
1 x 400g tin plum tomatoes
a handful of mint leaves
400g dried fusilli pasta
grated pecorino, to serve
Gently warm the garlic and olive oil in a large pan, then crumble in the sausages. Turn the heat up and cook until they are no longer pink (as you would with mince).
Add the wine and bubble until evaporated, then add the tomatoes and cook for 5-10 minutes or until thickened. Add the mint and taste for seasoning, sausages can be quite salty so you might not need any.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta until just al dente in lots of very salty water.
Drain the pasta but keep a little cooking water in case you need to thin the sauce. Stir the pasta into the sausage sauce and simmer for a few minutes. Serve in warm bowls with pecorino sprinkled over.
(Original recipe from An A-Z of Pasta by Rachel Roddy, Fig Tree, 2021.)
We like to have soup for lunch but tend to get out of the habit in the summer months. This one is suitably summery and really captures the flavour of courgette.
Courgette and mint soup – serves 4
3 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic, sliced
6 courgettes, halved lengthways and thinly sliced
750ml veg stock
150ml crème fraîche, plus a bit extra to serve
a small bunch of mint leaeves, chopped
Heat the oil in a large saucepan, then cook the onions withs ome salt for about 10 minutes or until soft but not browned. Add the garlic and cook gently for a few minutes, then add the courgettes and cook gently for 20 minutes.
Add the vegetable stock and bring to the boil for a few minutes. Whizz the soup until smooth, then stir in the crème fraîche and mint, then whizz again. Season.
Serve in warm bowls with some extra crème fraîche and mint leaves to garnish.
(Original recipe by Adam Bush in Olive Magazine, June 2020.)
We’ve been a bit quiet on here because we’ve been spending our evenings outside in the sunshine. This week looks less promising weather-wise so we should get all the recipes we’ve tried posted.
Wine Suggestion: We’d pair this with a current favourite, from Sartarelli’s side project, the Colline Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi from the rolling hills of Marches, Italy. Fresh and lightly floral, the green apple and pear flavours emphasise the lovely fresh broad beans and the hints of sage and green almonds match the cream and chilli.
Broad beans, mint & chilli pasta – serves 2
200g podded broad beans (we use frozen)
200g pasta e.g. penne
2 tbsp olive oil
4 scallions, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, finely sliced
1 red chilli, remove the seeds and finely slice
1 lemon, zested, plus 1tbsp of juice
a knob of butter
30g Parmesan or pecorino, finely grated, plus some extra to serve
2 tbsp double cream or crème fraîche
a large handful of mint, roughly chopped
Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the broad beans for 2-3 minutes, depending on their size. Scoop them out of the water with a slotted spoon, then rinse under cold water to cool. Pop the beans out of their skins and set aside.
Bring the water back to the boil again and add some more salt. Cook the pasta until al dente, skimming off any scum from the surface of the water.
Meanwhile, warm a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the oil, scallions, garlic, chilli, lemon zest and a pinch of salt and cook for a few minutes without colouring.
Add the butter and broad beans and season with black pepper. Stir to coat the beans in the sauce and crush a few of them with your spoon. Remove the cooked pasta from the water with a slotted spoon and add to the pan with the beans. Add an extra couple of spoons of pasta cooking water if you need, then the Parmesan. Toss until the sauce is creamy and glossy, then pour in the cream, followed by the lemon juice and mint. Season to tate and serve in warm bowls with some extra cheese.
(Original recipe by Rosie Birkett in Olive Magazine, June 2021.)
This is so simple for mid-week and the colours are just fab! Healthy too and generous portions.
Roast onion, chickpea & halloumi salad – serves 2
2 red onions, peeled and each cut into 8 wedges
400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 tsp ras el hanout
extra virgin olive oil
250g cooked Puy lentils – we used a tin but you can of course cook them yourself or buy one of those pouches
100g roasted red peppers, cut into strips
a large handful of mint leaves, finely chopped
a large handful of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
2 tsp pomegranate molasses
250g packet of halloumi, sliced
2 tbsp pomegranate seeds
Preheat the oven to 220C/200C fan/Gas 7.
Line a baking tray with baking paper. Spread the onion wedges and chickpeas over the tray, then sprinkle with the ras el hanout and some salt and rub gently to coat, then drizzle with oil. Cook in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until the chickpeas or golden and crunchy.
Meanwhile, mix the lentils, roast peppers, mint and half the chopped parsley in a bowl. Drizzle over 1 tbsp of oil and the pomegranate molasses and season well with salt and pepper. Mix well and divide between serving plates.
Heat a large non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat. When hot, add a little oil, then fry the halloumi slices for a couple of minutes on each side or until golden brown.
Spoon the onions and chickpeas over the lentils, then top with the halloumi and scatter over the pomegranate seeds and parsley to serve.
(Original recipe from Lose Weight & Get Fit by Tom Kerridge, Bloomsbury Absolute, 2019.)
This is a great little side salad to serve with Middle Eastern flavours. Here we had a chicken roasted with garlic and preserved lemon. Lots of delicious flavours on the plate.
You need to roast chicken for 20 minutes at 190C/375F/gas 5 for each 500g, plus an extra 10 minutes.
Wine Suggestion: a red wine … with chicken … of course you can. We chose the Cantos de Valpiedra, a single estate Rioja, as we wanted hints of Moorish and Middle Eastern spices which tempranillo is good at transmitting. The Cantos is super elegant and smooth and has such a supple weight that it effortlessly matched the chicken and salad.
Herb salad with pomegranate & pistachios – serves 6
juice of 1 orange
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp clear honey
a small bunch of dill, roughly chopped
a small bunch of mint, leaves picked and torn
a bunch of scallions, finely sliced
100g mixed salad leaves
seeds from 1 pomegranate
100g pistachios, roughly chopped
Whisk the orange juice, vinegar and honey together in a small bowl with some seasoning.
Tip rest of the ingredients into a large salad bowl, drizzle over the dressing and gently toss to serve.
Such a simple and foolproof way of cooking rice from Ottolgenghi Simple. This gives a lovely texture and the salsa is delicious. We served with pulled lamb shawarma but it would be great with all sorts of dishes.
Baked mint rice with pomegranate and olive salsa – serves 6
400g basmati rice
50g unsalted butter, melted
800ml boiling water
50g mint (leave 40g on the springs and shred the leaves of the remaining 10g for the salsa)
150g feta, crumbled into 1-2cm pieces
FOR THE SALSA:
40g pitted green olives, thinly sliced
seeds from a small pomegranate
50g walnut halves, lightly roasted and roughly broken
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
1 small clove of garlic, crushed
Preheat the oven to 230C fan or as high as your oven goes.
Put the rice into a high-sided roasting tin, about 20 x 30cm. Season with ¾ tsp of salt and plenty of pepper, then pour over the melted butter and boiling water. Top with the mint sprigs and cover tightly with foil. Bake for 25 minutes, until the rice is fluffy and the liquid absorbed.
Meanwhile, mix all of the salad ingredients, except the mint leaves, together in a bowl with ¼ tsp of salt. Mix well and set aside.
When the rice is ready, pull the leaves off the mint sprigs and scatter them over the rice, then sprinkle over the feta. Just before serving, stir the shredded mint into the salsa and spoon over the rice.
(Original recipe from Ottolenghi Simple, Ebury Press, 2018.)
You need cooked beetroots for this. You can of course buy them pre-cooked in vac packs but they’re much nicer when you cook them fresh. Just give them a good scrub, dry with paper and wrap in tin foil. Roast for about an hour (or as long as it takes) at 200ºC. Let them cool before making the salad. We served this with roast chicken and the next day with a ham salad. Make this up at least an hour in advance to allow the flavours to mingle.
Beetroot & mint salad – serves 4 to 6
4 tsp caster sugar
4 tbsp balsamic vinegar
juice of 2 lemons
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
12 cooked beetroots, finely sliced into rounds
a small bunch of mint leaves
Whisk the sugar, vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil and a pinch of salt in a small bowl.
Put the sliced beetroot into a bowl. Roughly chop half the mint leaves, and add to the beetroots before pouring over the dressing. Leave in the fridge for an hour or so.
To serve, drain off some of the marinade, arrange the slices on a platter and scatter over the rest of the mint.
(Original recipe from Skye McAlpine’s A Table for Friends: The Art of Cooking for Two or Twenty, Bloomsbury, 2020.)
There was a little bit of leftover ricotta in our fridge, and some courgettes and mint in the garden, which improved Tuesday’s freezer dinner immensely!
Courgettes with mint & ricotta – serves 2 as a side
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp unsalted butter
2 large courgettes, sliced
zest and juice of ½ a lemon
a pinch of chilli flakes
35g of ricotta (or whatever quantity you have)
a small handful of mint leaves, roughly chopped
Heat a large heavy frying pan over a medium heat. Heat half the oil with half the butter, then add half of the courgettes in a single layer. Cook for 2 minutes, then turn the heat to low and continue cooking for 5 minutes, don’t be tempted to move them as you want them to take on plenty of colour.
Turn the courgettes, then grate over some lemon zest, pour over half the lemon juice and season with salt, pepper and chilli flakes. Leave for another 5 minutes or until very tender. Remove to a warm platter and repeat with the remaining courgettes.
Top the courgette with spoons of ricotta, drizzle over your best olive oil and scatter over the mint to serve.
Roast the cumin seeds in a dry frying pan for a few minutes, then put into a pestle and mortar and coarsely grind.
Spoon the yoghurt into a dish, then mix the cumin, salt, sugar, mint and pomegranate seeds. Keep a few pomegranate seeds and mint leaves aside aside to garnish.
(Original recipe from Made in India by Meera Sodha, Fig Tree, 2014.)
Try this on the side next time you make a curry. It’s fresh, crunchy, delicious and also slaw-like, so would be good in a naan bread with some spicy chicken or lamb.
Indian Summer Salad – serves 6 (easily halved but the leftovers are ok for a day in the fridge too)
3 carrots, grated
a bunch of radishes, very finely sliced
2 courgettes, very finely sliced
half a small red onion, finely chopped
a small handful of mint leaves, roughly torn
FOR THE DRESSING:
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tbsp olive oil
Put the carrots, radishes, courgettes, onion and mint into a large bowl.
Mix the white wine vinegar, Dijon and mayonnaise and salt & pepper together, then gradually whisk in the olive oil.
Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine.
It’s courgettes with everything in our house this week, not that we’re complaining! We had this couscous as a side for a barbecue and the leftovers were great for lunches. Also a good recipe for using up any herbs you have, you don’t have to stick to combination suggested, one or two would be fine.
Couscous with courgette, fried onions & herbs – serves 6
2 onions, sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
2 courgettes, grated
300g couscous
400g tin chickpeas, drained
600ml vegetable or chicken stock
juice 2 lemons
6 spring onions, sliced
small bunch mint
small bunch coriander
small bunch dill
handful rocket, chopped
Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and cook the onions gently until softened, then increase the heat and let them crisp up a bit.
Put the courgettes, couscous, and chickpeas into a large bowl and pour over the stock. Cover tightly with clingfilm an set aside for at least 15 minutes.
Roughly chop the mint, coriander and dill together.
Fork the couscous to separate the grains then use to stir in the lemon juice, fried onions, scallions, herbs, rocket and plenty of seasoning.
Serve this with
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