See, these two were mentally planned before the weekend arrived. Paul & Lissy had tentatively invited us to a BBQ. Or, more precisely, they'd invited us to a tentative BBQ. Being England and June, this was purely tempting fate. As it turned out they made us a lovely meal, so I took two 'additions.' Incidentally, a one year old adored both of these.
I call these Greek-inspired ideas, but in actuality, they're more closely inspired by the flavours and combinations I've encountered numerous times in Turkey. Both of them are delightful, could expand do feed a crowd, and simplicity itself.
The pasta. I made enough to be picked at by 4 and there was pleny left. Into a pan of salty water on a rolling boil, tip 300g dried pasta. Any short pasta will do; I used penne this time. Now get on with the rest. In the bowl you'll serve it in, mix equal quantities of greek yoghurt and creme fraiche. The amount you use is dictated by how 'gloopy' you like a pasta salad. For the record, I like a light coating, rather than a coagulated mess. Into (for example, 4tbsp of each) add 2tbsp good olive oil, and season well. Then, mince a garlic clove, and add the zest and juice of 2 lemons. Finally, take a cucumber, and de-seed it, and dice it finely, and add it. Then, decide on the herb you'd like to use - mint, parsley, coriander, basil, or a heady combination of a few. By this point, the pasta will probably be ready. Drain it, and then thoroughly rinse through with cold water. Fold the cold pasta into the yoghurty mixture, and place in a bowl. If transporting on a car journey, wedge thoroughly in the boot between an old sofa throw and a road map.
The pancakes. Take 2 courgettes and grate coarsley into a bowl. Add 3 spring onions, very very finely chopped to this, and mix. Then scatter with a light dusting of dried chilli flakes and season. Beat 2 large eggs in a mug, and then add this, and combine. Finally, stir in 5-8 tbsp plain flour (depending on how much you need to make the mixture a thick-ish pancakey dough.) Finally, a pinch of bicarbonate of soda stirred in will make this light and summery, rather than doughy and leaden. Heat a little olive oil in a frying pan, and once hot (the best way I've found to test is to flick a few drops of cold water at the pan; if it sizzles excitedly, it's hot) add two separate spoonfuls of the mixture to the oil. Crucially, you don't want these two thick, and might need to do some judicious 'flattening' of the mix in a pan so that they thin out a little. Once they start to look solid and are browned underneath (typically, a minute or so) flip them over and give 'em the same again. Repeat until you've used all the mix. Stack them up on some kitchen paper. These would be heavenly warm with some herby yoghurt mix (maybe make extra from the pasta above) or cold with some sweet chilli sauce. Whichever way you turn them, they're moreish beyond belief.
This speedy cookfest (we have a knack of leaving things to the last minute) was soundtracked by the radio, though had I made them today, it would have been Jagged Little Pill in its entirety. Having a very '90s moment this afternoon, as I made a Butternut and Spinach curry (+ vanilla chessecake) for Jess & Kathryn. Lovely weekend.
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