Here is another delight from mediterranean. Aubergine is my favourite ingredient as you can see :-) A couple of aubergines, some tomatoes and peppers are more than enough to create a lovely summer dish, which can be served warm or cold. I used long and thin, slightly purple variety but you can use whatever you like.- 10 long&thin aubergines
- 1 big onion
- 2 green peppers
- 2 big tomatoes
- 5-6 cloves garlic
- 150-200 grs firm feta cheese
- salt, freshly ground blackpepper
- extra virgin olive oil
When your aubergines are fully cooked, take them out of the oven but leave the oven on. Cut them lengthwise with a sharp knife and give them the gondola shape, by pressing the insides with the back of a spoon. Fill the aubergines with the vegetable mixture, generously drizzle with olive oil. Put them back in the oven for another half an hour, or until the vegetable filling is tender. If you intend to serve them hot, you can sprinkle the aubergines with gruyere cheese at the last ten minutes in the oven. Otherwise you can serve them warm or cold as a cool summer dish. Enjoy!
Aubergine Salad:
Another classic dish which can be found under different names across mediterranean. Some versions includes tahini while excluding tomatoes and other colourful ingredients. Some gives the priority to onion and garlic, and some consists only aubergines, olive oil and salt. Even the most primitive version is delicious. The recipe you will find below is how we make it in our family.
For four persons:
- 3 medium aubergines
- 1 medium onion (sliced in rounds, thinly)
- 3-4 green peppers
- 1-2 cloves garlic (mashed)
- 2 ripe tomatoes (peeled and diced)
- half a bunch of parsley (chopped)
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt, freshly ground blackpepper
- 1-2 tbsp wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
Portobello Mushroom Salad:
Portobellos are cooking faster than the other varieties and they are ideal for a grilled salad. You can either grill them whole and use in sandwiches or slice them after grilling and serve with meat dishes as garnish.
- 400grs portobello mushrooms
- fresh or dried herbs, such as oregano and thyme
- balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt, freshly ground blackpepper
Preheat your oven to 200-210 C. Quickly wash mushrooms under running water and pat dry. Using a mellonballer or a coffee spoon, scoop out the black flesh under their caps. This will help them to have a better colour. Place mushrooms upside down on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Sprinkle with a little salt and place herbs on their caps. Cook in the oven for about 30 mins or until soft. Remove the tray from the oven and transfer mushrooms on a cutting board. Cut them lenghtwise in 0.5 cm slices. Combine mushroom slices with the rest of the ingredients and check the taste. Balsamic vinegar especially goes well with this salad. Serve warm with meat or fish, or on its own. Enjoy!
It is pretty easy to prepare this authentic dish at home. Although it is cooked on stove top and lacks the crispiness of the grill , the taste is pretty close to the original one. Use a lean cut of the beef, without any nerves and leave it to freeze one night in the fridge. The next day, either take it out and slice with a sharp knife as thin as possible or use this practical way below:prepare the cuts to fit to your kitchen processors "mouth". Leave the meat to soften a little in the outer parts, otherways it will force the processor unnecessarily. Using the thicker blade of the machine, slice the meat. The result will be "thin leaves" as we say for the best quality döner.
A nonstick pan with a lid will be the best tool to use but a stainless steel one is also ok. For 3 persons:
- 500 grs of lean cut meat
- 1 big onion
- half a bunch of parsley
- salt and freshly ground blackpepper
Heat a nonstick pan with a little olive oil inside. You may use butter, which gives an irresistible flavour but is not suitable for sauteéing we need here. When oil heats, add sliced meat and sauteé until it releases its juices. Prevent them from sticking to each other by stirring frequently first 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper and close the lid. Lower the heat to minimum and leave the meat to cook in its own juices for about 30 minutes. Check the pan every once in a while and add small amounts of water if necessary. In the meantime, slice the onion in rounds and finely chop the parsley. When the meat is done, open the lid and add a little more olive oil. On medium heat sauteé the meat until it turns golden brown. I was in a hurry and mine remained a little pale but I recommend you to be patient. Be bold while using olive oil; since the meat is lean, it needs some healthy "fat". After reaching the colour you prefer, add onions and parsley to the pan, close the lid and turn off the heat. Leave the pan to rest for 10 minutes. The heat of the pan will soften the onions and the meat will absorb all the flavour. Stir once more and serve over pilav or as a filling inside sandwich bread as the original döner.
