Sweetpotato salad with feta cheese and spring onions

This is the easiest salad ever and a good option as work lunch. I made it in the morning, when I had nothing in the house apart from these 3 ingredients and then took it with me, because it is that quick to make. Needless to say better, much cheaper and more filling than any salad available from the canteen. This little number will get you out of the rut. I enjoy the combination of sweet, smoky and the salty, slight sharp taste of the feta.

This easy recipe is also mentioned in my article “Never buy lunch again, make it yourselfwith these great ideas” so have a look for more delicious ideas to put the dreaded work lunch back on the map, leave people in your office jealous and wondering how you can put it all together. We have a few nosy people in my office that always have a look at others lunches, it feels quite good when the envy your lunch over their own same old boring sandwich.

Ingredients make 1:

1 large sweet potato

40gr feta cheese

1-2 spring onions

Smoked paprika

Salt & pepper to taste

1 tsp olive oil

3-5 tbs water

For the dressing:

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp olive oil

2 tsp apple cider vinegar

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Cut the sweet potato into small blocks of about ½ cm and chop the spring onion. Heat the oil in a medium sized pan and add the sweet potato. Get the sweet potato browning in the pan; add smoked paprika, salt and pepper. After a few minutes the sides should be nicely coloured but the sweet potato isn’t totally cooked yet.

Turn the heat up high and add the water straight into the pan, cover and then return to a medium heat.  Turning it up high will just ensure that the water comes to a boil right away; we have no time to waste in the morning before work. This will steam the remainder of the potato through and through. Give the pan with cover on a shake a couple times while waiting so no potato gets burned. Sweet potatoes usually soften faster than normal potatoes, but they also contain more sugar so shaking them up is essential.

Prep your Tupper ware dish and mix all the ingredients for the dressing in a glass and mix it all up. I use an old mustard glass, close and shake them all together, saves a bit more time. Taste and adjust the dressing if necessary.

Make sure all water has evaporated from the pan, add the sweet potato to your container, sprinkle the spring onions and crumble the feta on top. A pinch more pepper and you are done, ready to take to work.

Grilled polenta with spicy tomato sauce

This tasty vegetarian meal is done in no time, is gluten free and makes a lovely starter or even main. You can buy the readymade polenta in your high street supermarket for close to nothing. It is also great to keep a couple packets as spares, for the days where you want a quick meal. In Austria, polenta is a common ingredient, used either creamed or as block, since in the UK I haven’t had it as much, mainly because it doesn’t seem to be as popular or perhaps not as known. I stumbled across it one day and since then use it much more frequently. 

The ingredients are something everyone, most likely, has in their home. It is perfect for adding a twist to common ingredients.  I use Austrian pumpkin seed oil to drizzle over it, it is possible to get it around the world but it might be tricky to find. Health food stores might stock it but you can also order it online. It is cold pressed oil that it is great on salads and has an amazing flavour. Yes, I am totally bias on this one. If you haven't got this to hand, some olive oil will work nicely too.

Ingredients to make 4:

1 packet of readymade polenta

1 tin of chopped tomatoes

1 tsp chili flakes

2-3 dashes of Worcester sauce

2 tsp sugar

1 dash balsamic vinegar

1 red onion

1 tbs butter

5-6 cherry tomatoes halved or quartered

3 tbs Olive oil

1 tsp mixed herbs

1 tsp smoked paprika

1-2 spring onions

Fresh basil leaves

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tbs pumpkin seed oil

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Let’s start with the spicy tomato sauce. You will need a pan and keep it on a low heat. Chop the red onion finely, add butter to the pan and once melted, add the red onions. Turn up the heat, add sugar and let the onions caramelise for a few minutes. Keep an eye on it as we don’t want them to burn.

Add the chili flakes and give it a stir, leave for another minute then add the tin of chopped tomatoes and also about half a tin of water. Keep the pan uncovered on a medium heat. Add Worcester sauce, balsamic, smoked paprika and the cherry tomatoes. The sauce should now have a deep red colour. Turn the heat on low and let the excess water evaporate. It should usually take about 10-15 minutes, give it a stir every so often.

The marinade is super simple. Add olive oil, mixed herbs, salt and pepper in a bowl and mix. Cut the block of polenta into 8 slices and evenly coat each slice in the marinade.

Heat up a skillet pan and make sure it is very hot before placing the polenta on it. This will ensure you get the lovely charred lines on it. You won’t need any oil as the marinated slices already have all the oil you need.  

Give each slice about 5 minutes before checking. Moving it too much about won’t give them the lovely charring we are looking for. It also depends on the thickness you have cut it but 5-7 minutes on each side should be sufficient when cut thinly.

When the tomato sauce has evaporated most of its water and is a thick sauce it is time to dish up.

The picture has 2 portions on it, because it looked nicer, but 2 per person should be sufficient as starter and you can add more if you have it as a main.

Garnish with basil and spring onions, bon appétit.

Goat's cheese filo parcels on tomato carpaccio and honey mustard dressing

I have often had this dish and it's varieties when living in France and fell in love with the mix of goat’s cheese and honey.  So when I cooked for 8 of my family and friends in June, I needed something that is easy to prepare and gives me time to spend with the guests in the mean time. This was the perfect solution.

It is a simple dish that through its sheer simplicity, makes a great dinner party starter.

Originally I used different colour tomatoes but then I forgot to take a picture. The picture here is from the evening meal and as I liked my own dish that much I had the same again next day for lunch (top picture).

We bought the tomatoes at a farmers market so the taste was outstanding, the tomatoes were just right and slightly sweet. This dish is at its best when the tomatoes compliment the filo parcels, so try to get ripe tomatoes, otherwise they might have a bit of sharpness that doesn’t bring out the best side of it. 

I also use my rainbow pepper grinder to season the dish. Black pepper is ok but the mixed ones just add a level of sophistication to this simple dish.

Ingredients make 4:

1 roll of goat’s cheese

1 packet filo pastry

4 Different colour ripe tomatoes

1 packet of rocket

1 shallot to sprinkle the dish

For the dressing:

6 tbs olive oil

6 tbs white wine vinegar

3 tbs whole grain mustard

2-3 tbs of runny honey (to taste)

2 tbs water

Salt and mixed peppercorns for seasoning

So lets start with the filo parcels. Cut the cheese into 8 slices.  Then lay out one layer of filo pastry, place the goats cheese in the middle and wrap it up, the way you do it is up to you. 

On the pictures I decided to go for the simple and easy way. If you have some butchers string you can also use 2 filo sheets per cheese slice and then wrap them up in a “purse shape”. Whatever tickles your fancy.

When you are done with the parcels, sprinkle them with a tiny amount of water, then cover with cling film. Filo pastry dries out super quick and will break during baking, so it is important to keep the pastry moist. In france they have a bit thicker pastry which is slightly easier to handle but with this trick they will turn out good too.

Next heat the oven to 200C and whilst this is heating up we can turn to dressing the plate with super thin slices of tomatoes in different colours and also a bit of rocket, task done. I know some people say to cut tomatoes with a serrated blade but I disagree. I would suggest cutting them with a big, normal knife, which is either super sharp or has been sharpened before attempting to cut the tomatoes. The weight and sharpness of the knife will then just glide through the tomato, without any effort whatsoever. If you get ripe tomatoes this is essential otherwise they will look butchered and not as nice.

For the dressing take an empty jar, add and mix all ingredients, then close and give it a shake. You perhaps will have to adjust the taste, so make sure you try it. If too sharp add a bit more honey, we want the dressing to be sweet but not overpowering, so if too sweet add a bit of vinegar and salt. Once you played around with it, you will get the hang of it quickly. Also add a couple tbs of water, shake again and we can move on to the filo parcels.

Once the oven is warm place the parcels in the middle of the oven and bake for about 10-15 minutes depending on the oven, if you are unsure have a look. The filo pastry should be golden brown but not burnt. If you decided to go for the “purse shape” it might be trickier with the bits on top, filo is burning notoriously quick, once the “golden brown” stage has been reached, so make sure you keep an eye on it.

While you are waiting, add the dressing to the salad, not too early as it will cause the salad to wilt. 

When the parcels are ready place them in the middle of the plate, drizzle with a bit of honey and voila, start wowing your guests!