Tag Archives: summer

Tortilla Crêpes

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This recipe is just French toast made with wheat tortillas instead of bread.

But it’s a brilliant idea. So if you’re looking for a quick and tasty idea for Sunday breakfast or brunch, or a quick snack to feed the grandkids when they call in, look no further.

The time-saving idea of turning a packaged tortilla into a light and fluffy pancake was invented by the late Kenny Shopsin, a self-taught cook who ran a grocery store and restaurant in New York, with his wife Eve. Kenny was a colourful character who had certain rules, for example anyone using a mobile device rather than engaging in conversation risked being kicked out. Since his death in 2018, the business has been run by his daughter Tamara and her two siblings.

I’m going to try making a savoury version, so watch this space.

1 punnet strawberries
2 tsp runny honey
2 Tbs cream
2 eggs
2 tsp maple syrup
1 packet thin wheat tortillas or soft tacos
Butter for frying
Extra maple syrup or honey to serve (optional)

Wash the strawberries, then halve or slice into a bowl. Drizzle with a little honey.

In a bowl wider than the tortillas, beat cream with eggs and maple syrup using a fork. Add one tortilla and turn to coat. Leave it submerged while you heat a little butter in a small non-stick frying pan. When the tortilla is well soaked, drain off excess egg mixture and place the tortilla in the pan. Cook until golden and puffed one one side, then turn and cook on the other side. Cook remaining tortillas. The egg mixture will be enough for 4 tortillas – maybe more – depending on their size.

Serve two tortillas per person, garnished with the strawberries. Drizzle with extra maple syrup or honey, if liked.

Serves 2

Lithuanian Pink Soup

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The proper name for this delicious cold beetroot soup is Šaltibarščiai which means cold beets in Lithuanian. My Lithuanian friend Jurate who gave me the recipe says most people call it Pink Soup. It’s a creamier version of the well-known beetroot soup called Borscht.

If you have time, cook your own beetroots, but ready-cooked beetroots from the supermarket work well and save time.

This soup is perfect for a hot summer’s day. Serve it as a starter or, with the addition of boiled new potatoes, as a main course. Jurate serves hardboiled eggs separately in a bowl, for guests to peel and chop onto their soup, if they like. My husband is not a big fan of hardboiled eggs and prefers the soup without the egg, so you choose.

Delicious and very refreshing on a warm summer’s evening.
500g cooked, peeled beetroots
600 ml buttermilk or kefir (see note below)
2 stock cubes dissolved in a little hot water (chicken, vegetable)
Cider vinegar and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 small Lebanese cucumbers, thickly sliced and halved or quartered
Optional extras for serving:
Fresh crusty bread such as sourdough and butter
Hardboiled eggs, one per person
Boiled new potatoes, served hot

 

Grate beetroots coarsely and mix them with the buttermilk or kefir and the stock cubes. Add a splash of cider vinegar and some black pepper, to taste. If you’re in a hurry, with no time to grate the beetroots, just whiz them in a blender or food processor. If necessary adjust the thickness of the soup by adding more buttermilk, kefir, yoghurt or water. I didn’t find it needed any additional salt, but taste and see what you think. Add a tablespoon or two of cider vinegar, to taste.

Chill for several hours. Serve in bowls garnished with the cucumber chunks, the dill and the hardboiled eggs, halved or chopped. Or serve the eggs in a separate bowl for people to help themselves and peel themselves. Serve with crusty bread and, if you want to make a more substantial meal, buttered steamed new potatoes.

Serves 6

Note: instead of buttermilk or kefir, you can use 400ml of thick plain yoghurt thinned down with about 200ml water.

Salmon with Labneh & Grape, Almond & Herb Salad

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This dish serves six as a main or 10-12 as part of a buffet. It’s one to bring out on special occasions and while it looks impressive it isn’t complicated to make. The pomegranate seeds give the dish a festive look for the holiday season.

I bought the salmon at Costco and it didn’t have skin. I used curly-leaf parsley because that’s what we have in the garden. The photo shows the salmon on the foil. It was for our extended family and we couldn’t be bothered using another serving plate, so we served it from the baking tray.

1 side of salmon, pin bones removed (1kg to 1.5kg)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Topping:
4 cups plain thick Greek yoghurt
Finely grated rind 1 lemon
Lemon juice to taste
1 clove garlic crushed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Salad:
70g almonds, slivered or flaked, toasted
200g seedless green grapes, halved
1 mild long red chilli, seeded and thinly sliced
2 Tbs baby capers
¼ cup each parsley (preferably flat-leaf), dill and mint, roughly chopped
2 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Seeds from 1 pomegranate

Make the. yoghurt into labneh. Line a sieve with a piece of cotton muslin. Tip the yoghurt in, then stand the sieve over a bowl, cover and refrigerate overnight. Next day scrape the labneh (it’s basically just very thick yoghurt) into a container and refrigerate until needed. Discard the liquid which has come out of the yoghurt.

Preheat oven to 150°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper or foil and lightly spray with oil. Lay the salmon on top and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 12-15 mins then slide onto a serving tray to cool. Mop up any juices with paper towels. Can be made ahead to this stage and kept in the fridge, covered. But it’s really no trouble to do at the last minute.

Mix labneh with remaining topping ingredients and spread over the salmon. Mix the salad ingredients and pile on top of the labneh. Top with the pomegranate seeds.

If liked, garnish with lemon wedges, although we decided they weren’t necessary.

Serves 6 as a main or 10-12 as part of a buffet

Roast Beef Salad with Quick Caesar Dressing & Croutons

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This is a great way to use up leftover roast beef or leftover cooked steaks from last night’s barbecue. It’s so quick and easy. Just make sure that the meat is nice and pink in the middle, otherwise it will be tough.

I haven’t put quantities because this is one of those recipes you do by eye. To make a vegetarian version, use quartered hard boiled eggs instead of beef.  Even some people who say they hate anchovies have become converts to this Caesar salad dressing. It really packs a punch and I suggest you make double and try it with other salads.

Once I discovered how easy it was to make croutons in an air fryer I’ve been making them all the time, to serve with soups and salads.  Here is a recipe for the crunchiest pork crackling ever, made in an air fryer. Indeed, if you put “air fryer” in the Café Cat search box you will find quite a few recipes. I’m definitely a convert!

A word of advice. If you decide to buy an air fryer, get a cheap basic one which just has a button for time and another for temperature. Don’t buy an expensive model which takes up half the kitchen bench and has so many bells and whistles you’ll be reluctant to use it.

If you want to be fancy, remove the crusts from the bread and make small, dainty croutons. Mine are large and rustic.

Salad greens – preferably something crunchy like cos lettuce
2 slices bread (or more)
Olive oil
Rare roast beef sliced then cut into smaller pieces
Quick Caesar dressing:
½ cup mayonnaise (preferably home made)
3 anchovies (canned in oil)
1 clove garlic crushed
1 Tbs lemon juice
1tsp Worcestershire sauce|
1 tsp mustard (I used hot English)
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1-2 Tbs water

Arrange salad leaves, broken into bite-sized pieces, on individual plates. Cut bread into cubes, mix with a little olive oil, then cook for 7-10 minutes on high in an air fryer – shaking the pan every now and then – or in a hot oven for 10-15 mins, until golden brown.

Process all ingredients for dressing in food processor then scrape into a jar or bowl. It will  keep in the fridge for 2-3 weeks.

Arrange beef and croutons over the lettuce and drizzle with some of the dressing. Sit back and enjoy with a glass of wine.

 

 

Lobster or Prawn Benedict

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This recipe makes a breakfast, light lunch or dinner fit for a king.

If you live somewhere you can buy lobster or crayfish for a reasonable price then use that. If not, prawns work well in this recipe. Instead of seafood try using ham or some steamed chopped spinach.

1 brioche bun, split in two or 2 thick slices brioche loaf
150g shelled lobster or prawn meat, roughly chopped
2 large eggs, poached
Snipped chives
Quick Hollandaise sauce:
60g butter
2 egg yolks
Lemon juice to taste (3-4 tsp)
Salt to taste
Pinch of cayenne pepper

While the brioche buns or slices are toasting and the eggs are poaching, make the sauce. Melt butter in a bowl or jug in the microwave. With a hand whisk, mix in the egg yolks, lemon juice, salt and cayenne. Zap in the microwave for  12-15 seconds, then whisk again vigorously. If it’s a bit too thick, whisk in a tablespoon of hot water. Don’t overcook it as you will end up with scrambled egg!

Place the toasted brioche on two warm serving plates. Spread some hollandaise sauce on each, then top with the lobster or prawn meat, divided in two. Arrange a poached egg on each serving, then spoon over more hollandaise and garnish with chives. If liked, arrange the other half of the toasted bun on the side of the plate.

Serve immediately.

Serves 2

Zucchini Ricotta and Basil Tart

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This quick and easy recipe for a zucchini tart uses bought puff pastry and is delicious served with a mixed salad.

1 sheet of ready-rolled puff pastry
2-3 zucchini (courgettes)
2 Tbs olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
250g fresh ricotta cheese
Finely grated rind and juice of 1 lemon
2 Tbs finely chopped basil
2 cloves garlic, very thinly sliced
½ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
3 Tbs pine nuts (optional)
1 egg, beaten
1 handful fresh basil leaves
Extra virgin olive oil

Lay pastry square or rectangle on a paper-lined baking sheet and preheat the oven to 200°C. Thinly slice the zucchini lengthwise using a vegetable peeler. Place in a bowl with the olive oil and seasoning and mix well with your hands to coat well.

With a fork, mash the ricotta with the lemon juice and rind and seasoning. If it’s a bit stiff add a drizzle of olive oil. Mix in the chopped basil. Spread the ricotta mixture evenly over the pastry, leaving a border of a couple of centimetres or one inch around the edges.

Layer the zucchini slices on top of the ricotta, overlapping the slices in parallel rows and doing several layers. Arrange the garlic slices over the zucchini before covering them with the last layer of slices. Sprinkle the grated Parmesan over the zucchini. Brush the beaten egg around the edges.

Bake for 25 minutes, or until golden brown and puffed. Halfway through the cooking time, sprinkle with the pine nuts, if using.

Place the fresh basil leaves in a food processor and process, adding enough oil to make a thick sauce. Drizzle the basil oil over the tart before serving.

Serves 4-6

Watermelon Sorbet with Olive Oil & Maldon Sea Salt

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This recipe is easy to make and never fails to impress. Serve it in shot glasses as a palate cleanser between courses or as a very light starter or dessert. The combination of sweet watermelon sorbet, fruity olive oil and salt flakes is amazing.

2 cups water
1 cup sugar
1½ kg watermelon, rind removed, cubed
Juice of half a lemon (or more, to taste)
1 egg white
To serve:
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt flakes

Place water and sugar in a medium saucepan and heat, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved.  Bring to the boil and boil for 5 minutes.  Cool.  Puree the watermelon cubes in a food processor.  Push through a fine sieve, pressing hard on the solids.  You should have at least 600ml juice.

Add syrup and lemon juice to watermelon juice and mix well.  Tip into a shallow plastic container and freeze for 4-5 hours, covered, or until almost solid.  Scrape sorbet into a food processor, add the egg white and process until smooth.  Return to the plastic container, cover and freeze again.

Serve a scoop or two per person in a shot glass.  Drizzle with a good slug of extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with a few salt flakes.

Serves lots and keeps for up to a month in the freezer

Ratatouille

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The end of summer is a good time to make ratatouille. The tomatoes are full of flavour and you may even have some in your garden. We also have zucchini, so I only had to buy the eggplants, onions and peppers. While you can use green peppers, I prefer red or yellow as they’re sweeter. Once made, ratatouille can be frozen for several months. Ifyou have a glut of veggies, this is a good way to use them.

Ratatouille is a delicious Mediterranean side dish to serve at a BBQ or buffet. Serve some with a couple of fried eggs on top and some crusty bread for a satisfying lunch.

500g onions, coarsely chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
olive oil
500g-600g ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
2 Tbs tomato paste
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp thyme
2 bay leaves
3 large capsicums (peppers) green, red or yellow, cut into strips
500g-600g eggplants, (aubergines) cut into 2cm cubes
500g-600g zucchini (courgettes) unpeeled and cut into fat sticks
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Chopped parsley to serve

Heat 2 Tbs olive oil in a large frying pan and cook the onions and garlic over gentle heat, stirring often until soft and slightly golden. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, thyme, bay leaves and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, for 5-10 minutes. Place in a large heavy-based saucepan.

Wipe out the frying pan, heat a little more olive oil and then fry first the peppers, then the eggplant, then the zucchini, adding more oil to the pan as necessary. As each vegetable is ready, add it to the casserole.

If you have an air fryer you might find it easier to “fry” each vegetable in there rather than in a frying pan, which is what I did. Just place the chopped vegetable in a bowl and mix with a drizzle of olive oil, then tip it into the air fryer and cook on high for about 10 minutes, stopping and shaking every few minutes. When they look sufficiently fried, tip them in with the tomatoes and onions. Using an air fryer allows you to use less oil.

Simmer on low for about an hour, stirring from time to time. If it starts to stick add a little water.

Check seasonings, remove bay leaves and serve at room temp, garnished with parsley and a drizzle of olive oil.

Salmorejo with Seafood Medley & Goat Cheese Mousse

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Salmorejo is a Spanish soup, made from tomatoes, bread, olive oil and garlic. It’s served cold and is best described as a smooth Gazpacho. My son-in-law, who is a fabulous cook, served it when we were visiting earlier this year. I had never tried it before and thought it was delicious, so he sent me his recipe.

Having decided to use it as a base for a medley of seafood, I was concerned that when I heated it up in the microwave the Salmorejo might split, but it didn’t. It behaved perfectly.

Salmorejo relies on good quality tomatoes, so if it’s the middle of winter and the tomatoes in the supermarket are looking pale and unloved, use a couple of tins of good quality Italian tomatoes. As you can see from the photo, I didn’t do a very good job of making the goat cheese mousse into a beautiful shape with two spoons. The pressure was on to get the plates on the table for our guests before it got cold, so I ended up just putting rustic blobs. It still tasted good though.

Salmorejo:
600g ripe tomatoes
1 baguette
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 Tbs sherry vinegar (or red/white wine vinegar)
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt to taste
Fish:
1 small piece of skinless white fish per person (I used Ling)
1 small piece of skinless salmon per person
1 large scallop per person
1 large green (raw) prawn per person
50g butter, melted
1 clove garlic, crushed
Salt and pepper, to taste
Basil oil:
½ cup fresh basil leaves
Olive oil
Goat Cheese Mousse:
1 cup whipping cream
100g soft goat cheese

Skin tomatoes, remove cores and place the rest in a blender. Remove the “guts” from the baguette. You should have 2-3 cups. Keep the outer crusts for another use.

Add 2 cups of the bread, vinegar and garlic to the blender. Blend until smooth, adding the olive oil through the chute with the motor running. Add salt to taste. Add more bread if necessary, to achieve desired consistency. Refrigerate till serving time.

Remove shells from prawns, leaving the heads and tips of the tails intact. Melt the butter with the garlic and  season to taste. Use it to brush all the seafood on both sides. Can be prepared ahead to this point and kept in the fridge.

Make basil oil by blending the basil with enough oil in a blender or food processor to make a thick sauce. For the goat cheese mousse, whip cream with electric beaters until thick then add the goat cheese and continue to whip until combined. Keep in the fridge.

At serving time, grill or pan fry the seafood. I cooked the prawns and scallops in the air fryer and the fish on a paper-lined tray in a hot oven. They took about 10 minutes max.

To serve, heat the Salmorejo in a microwave, ladle into 8 serving bowls and top with the seafood. Place a blob of goat cheese mousse in the centre and drizzle some basil oil around the edge. Serve with crusty bread and follow with a green salad – we had fresh rocket from the garden with toasted pine nuts.

Serves 8

Scotch Eggs in the Air Fryer

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A hard boiled egg, wrapped in sausage meat, coated in breadcrumbs and deep fried becomes a Scotch egg.

There are various explanations regarding the origin of the name of these traditional British snacks. They were first mentioned in Britain in publications from the early 1800s, so they have been around for quite some time.

The advent of the air fryer makes cooking them so much easier and healthier. Instead of deep frying, just give them a quick spray with a can of oil before they go into the air fryer.

Served at room temperature they make a perfect addition to lunch boxes, summer buffets and picnics.

Serve with Spicy Tomato Sauce (recipe below) for dipping.

6 large eggs, hardboiled and peeled
600g pork sausages
1 very small onion, grated (optional)
1 tsp mixed dried herbs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup (or maybe a bit more) panko breadcrumbs (or ordinary breadcrumbs)
Fresh herbs or thinly sliced spring onion to garnish
Spicy Tomato Dipping Sauce:
½ cup tomato ketchup
1 Tbs Worcestershire Sauce
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 Tbs vinegar
1 small onion, grated
1½ Tbs honey
½ tsp hot English mustard
2 tsp grated fresh ginger

While the eggs are boiling, remove the casings from the sausages and discard them. Mix the sausage meat with the onion, herbs, salt and pepper. Divide the mixture into six and flatten each portion into a circle about four inches (10cm) in diameter. Place an egg on each, wrap the sausage meat around the egg and pinch to close any holes an make a nice oval ball. Roll each one in beaten egg then breadcrumbs, patting them in to cover evenly. Can be made ahead to this point and kept refrigerated for up to several hours. My eggs were not very big so I hardboiled 7 rather than 6.

Place the Scotch eggs in an air fryer in one layer and preferably not quite touching. Spray lightly with oil then cook at 200°C for about 20 minutes. After 10 minutes turn them over and spray again.

Remove from air fryer when cooked and leave to cool. Serve cut in half, garnished with herbs or spring onion and with the sauce for dipping.

Makes 12 egg halves

Sauce: heat ingredients together in a saucepan, then cool. Use as a dipping sauce for Scotch eggs, sausage rolls and empanadas.