Grilled Eggplant and Barley Platter

Grill 3/4inch eggplant rings on a grill-skillet or on your charcoal grill outside. Flip every 2-4 minutes. Add sunflower oil or olive oil (a drizzle here and there) as the eggplant tends to soak it up fast. Sprinkle with salt and pepper just a bit. Its ready when golden and soft and the auroma fills the room.

Cod Bake with Okra and Leaks

A delicious fresh Cod fillet, lightly toasted in spices and oven baked with fresh okra, leaks, carrots and chives. Recipe coming soon.

Veggies with Couscous

The Lemon Beef

Beef Steak marinaded in oils, herbs, garlic and lemons, breaded and pan fried. Cauliflower with butter toasted bread crumbs. Carrot Fries. Passion fruit, kiwi, cucumber salsa.

Ingredients:

Salt, pepper
Beef
Cauliflower
Carrots
Cucumber
Kiwi
Passion Fruit
Parsley
Dill
Bread Crumbs
White Flower
Vegetable Oil
Butter
Lemons
Garlic

How to make this:

THE BEEF:

Marinade your steak or beef kabobs in a cup of oil, squeeze some lemon into it, add salt, pepper, rosemary, chopped garlic, and oregano. Let marinade for about an hour. Let sit over night in your fridge and its even better.

Take a cup of bread crumbs and mix with 1/2 cup of white flower. Add some freshly chopped parsley and dill, some salt and pepper and give it all a toss.
Break and beat an egg in a small bowl.

Dip the beef into the egg then roll it in the crumbs/flower mix.

Pre-heat a pan for about a minute. Place the crumbed beef onto the pan and pour all the leftover marinade (with all the herbs and lemons) onto the beef. Cover the pan. Let fry for about 2 minutes. Flip. Do the other side. It should smell fabulous. Little chunks of beef will cook quickly, especially the marinaded ones. Once they are golden/brown and the room is filled with awesome smells you can turn the heat down.

THE CAULIFLOWER:

Wash and cut into smaller portions.
Boil in water with some salt for about 3 minutes.
Melt about a tablespoon or two of butter in a pan, throw the leftover crumbs and flower mix, add some crumbs if need to. Toast the mix a little in the butter.
Remove the cauliflower from the water and place into the pan. Mix it with the crumbs and butter, heat, the cauliflower should golden and pic up the mix. Salt.

THE CARROTS:

Slice into thin, narrow strands.
Pre-heat about a cup of vegetable oil.
Place the carrots in the oil.
Deep fry like french fries.
Salt.
Once they turn bright orange and begin to get that crispy, fried look - they're done.

THE SALSA:

Chop a medium sized cucumber.
Chop a kiwi.
Mix everything in a small bowl.
Add two Passion Fruits (just the inside)
Add lemon or lemon juice.
Add some cranberry juice.
A dash of salt and white pepper.
A bit of olive oil if you prefer.

Its refreshing and interesting and great with your fried beef steaks.

Arrange nicely and serve.

Beef Couscous Stew

Simple Veggie Stew

Melted Eggplant

Ingredients:

Eggplant
Polenta*

Cheese (in this picture I used sharp cheddar)

Fresh Baby Spinach and/or Basil

Tomato

Garlic

Olive Oil or Sunflower Oil
Parsley, Dill

Salt, Pepper, Spices

Steps:

Eggplant:
Take a medium sized eggplant.
It should be dark purple, firm, not bruised or soft, or wrinkly.

Slice it lenghtwise into 1/4 inch or 1/2 inch slices. (1/4 inch cooks faster)

Pre-heat a pan with oil, salt, some crushed garlic.
Lay the slices separately across the surface.
Keep the heat medium, or low.

Eggplants take about 12-20minutes to cook this way.
They should be golden brown on the outside and buttery inside.

It should smell like pan fried or sauteed veggies.
Keep adding oil accordingly as they soak up a lot of it.
When done, turn the heat off.
Place a thin slice of cheese on each eggplant and fold once.

Let sit for about a minute.

Polenta:

In a separate pan: Pre-heat with some oil, salt, garlic.
Slice the polenta into 1/4inch or 1/2 inch slices (1/4 inch looks nicer)

You can get pre-packaged polenta at the grocery store.

Gently place in the pan on medium heat.

Sprinkle some parsley and dill on top. Give it a squeeze of lemon juice.
Gently turn it over when it begins to golden on one side.

Be careful with the polenta because it can be fragile and you want it to keep its shape.

Golden on the other side.
You should know it is done when the whole thing turns yellow.

It should smell like cornmeal or grits.

Presentation:

On a little plate:
Lay out some Fresh baby spinach leaves (2 or 3)

Place the polenta on top.
Cut a Fresh slice of tomato (make sure its really red and juicy and smells good, otherwise it'll taste dull and watery and ruin the entire dish)
Take the eggplants off the pan and place on top of that.

Voila! Add a few leaves of fresh parsley for looks and taste and serve.

Wine: Shiraz, Malbec
White: Pinot Gris

Great appetiser or snack or light meal. Enjoy!

*polenta is a porridge or mush usually made of ground corn (maize) cooked in salted water. Cheese and butter or oil are often added. Polenta can be eaten hot or cold as a porridge; or it can be cooled until firm, cut into shapes, and then baked, toasted, panfried, or deep-fried. It is a traditional food of northern Italy.

Poached Egg Scallions

This is one of my favorite things to make for breakfast!

Ingredients:

Egg

Piece of ham (Canadian Bacon)

Fresh tomato

Spinach leaf (or 2)

Slice of baguette, or toast

Bacon

Parsley

Scallions

Salt

Frying pan

Butter

How to make it:

Crack the egg over a boiling pot and smoothly slide it into the water.

It will start to make little white antenas in the water, thats ok.

Boil until white and round all over.

Meanwhile:

Cut a nice big round slice of your favorite tomato.

Cut a slice of Fresh French Baguette.

On a little pan:

Put a teaspoon of butter, let melt.

Toast the bread for a little on both sides until it looks golden and delicious.

It should still be a little soft and fresh inside, not cooked to a crisp, ok.

Chop up some bacon.

Take the toast off the pan.

Drop the bacon in the pan.

Fry the bacon a little, just enough so its toasty but not crispy.

Final Presentation:

Plase the toast on the plate

On the toast put down a few fresh Spinach leaves(add sause: optional: see sause below)

Put the tomato on top of that

Salt, Pepper

Take a fresh slice of Canadian Bacon, make a ring, place on top of tomato

Place the egg inside the ring

Sprinkle with fried bacon, choped scallions, parsley, (add your favorite fresh herbs)
Now serve with a delightfull proud grin as if you just created a masterpeice.

Enjoy.

Sauce:
(Don't add the sauce if you want to keep it light)

In the same little frying pan add some heavy whipping cream or half-and-half.

The frying pan should still have some butter and fried bacon juices on it.

Salt, pepper, herbs.

Mix in a teaspoon of Mayonnaise.

Stir while cooking.

Add a table spoon of your favorite melting cheese: chedar, swiss, mozzarela, jack, even romano will do.

Stir until it becomes slightly more dense.
Pour over the toast before all the other ingrediens go on it.

Or pour over the whole sandwich when its all put together. Its yummy!

Zucci Shtooki