Don’t we love the arrival of spring, with an abundance of green and colourful food? It’s a season of green, tender vegetables and citrus galore.
Grainy Wholesome Salad with Labneh
2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
1 beetroot, peeled and grated
Salt and pepper to season
2 Tbsp pomegranate molasses or vinocotta vinegar
½ cup mini bocconcini, torn
1. Place a hand towel in a sieve. Spoon in the yoghurt and stir through the salt. Place over a bowl in the fridge for at least 3 hours. Tip into a bowl and add the 1 tablespoon olive oil, zest and juice, stirring through. Set aside.
2. Cook the grains according to the packet instructions in salted water.
3. Fry the courgettes in the remaining oil, and blanch the snap peas. Stir through the grains. Add the grated beetroot, salt and pepper.
4. To serve, place the labneh on the plate. Add the salad, sprinkle with pomegranate seeds and molasses. Top with the bocconcini.
Peri peri chicken sandwich. Photo / Babiche Martens
Peri Peri Chicken Sandwich
If using a roasted pepper from a jar, pat off the excess liquid. Go easy on the chilli to start. Then heat it up if you desire; remember the yoghurt will tone the marinade down a bit.
1 roasted red pepper, peeled (from a jar is fine)
1 large red chilli, seeds removed
¼ cup finely diced red onion
450g boneless chicken thighs, cut in half
To serve: garlic aioli, crumbled feta, salad greens
1. In a food processor, place the red pepper, chilli, onion, paprika, smoked paprika, cumin, salt, zest, juice and oil, then blitz until smooth.
2. Mix half the peri peri with the yoghurt, then spread it over the chicken thighs to marinate for at least 2 hours or overnight. Reserve the rest for serving.
3. Heat a griddle pan to medium heat. Shake off the excess marinade. Cook for 5 or 6 minutes per side, or until cooked through.
4. Slice the pide horizontally. Brush with oil and toast until golden.
5. Serve the sandwiches warm with greens, aioli, feta, chicken and the reserved peri peri.
Grapefruit and yoghurt loaf. Photo / Babiche Martens
Grapefruit and Yoghurt Loaf
You get a lot of mileage out of a large, ripe grapefruit. There is plenty of zest and juice from just one. Squeezing them for a glass of juice is a must; it is so refreshing and tangy. Don’t let them go to waste.
Zest of 1 large grapefruit
1. Preheat the oven to 170C. Line a litre loaf tin with baking paper.
2. Place the sugar into a bowl with the zest, massaging them together, and let it sit for 20 minutes.
3. Lightly whisk the eggs with the vanilla, juice, butter and yoghurt. Then add the sugar.
4. Sift in the flour, then add the poppy seeds and stir to combine. Pour into the loaf tin. Bake for 50 minutes, or until soft to the touch. Remove and cool in the tin.
5. For the syrup, in a small pot combine the grapefruit juice and sugar, then bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes, or until it just starts to become a little syrupy.
6. Drizzle over the cake. Serve with grapefruit segment and a dollop of yoghurt or cream.
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