HOMECOOKING WITH TERESA

  This is a very traditional Catalan dish that is absolutely delicious. Samfaina is similar to the Southern French ratatouille or to the Sicilian Caponata. It is served with either poultry, rabbit or fish, and you can make a large batch of the sauce and store it in jars. It is even better the day after, so you can prepare it in advance.  Ingredients 6 cod fillets ( if salted, they must be soaked in water for at least 3 or 4 days, changing the water every day ) flour for coating Samfaina 2 eggplants, diced 1 red capsicum, sliced 1 green capsicum, sliced 3 zucchini, diced 1 x 400g tin fresh tomatoes a handful of parsley, chopped sweet paprika olive oil  a pinch of sugar  salt and pepper Preparation Start by making the samfaina. Put a bit of oil in an ovenproof casserole. Add the capsicum, stir well and cover and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the eggplant and stir well. Again, cover and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the zucchini and cook covered until so...

This is a delicious and simple recipe for a mid-week dinner. You can use chicken drumsticks if you prefer it, but I have to admit it, the whole leg is also very nice. This time I served it with some oven chips and a bread roll to mop up the juices, but it could also be delicious to serve with a salad, herb couscous or even with some roast potatoes. (See links to recipes at the end of this post.)   Ingredients 6 free-range whole chicken legs (drumsticks & thighs) 80ml extra virgin olive oil 1 brown onion, chopped 2 garlic cloves, crushed 3 tsp smoked sweet paprika 1 red capsicum, sliced 250ml dry sherry 400g can peeled tomatoes, roughly chopped 2 tbsp tomato paste 125g green olives, pitted and halved 1 large handful flat-leaf parsley 1 lemon, for squeezing sea salt freshly ground pepper Method Put the chicken legs on a chopping board and separate the thighs from the drumsticks. Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a large, deep saucepan with a tightly fitting lid and add the chick...

If you ever had ratatouille and you liked it, this one is even better. The vegetables, mixed with the berbere spice, are just delightful. Here the tomatoes are not cooked, and adding the dressing to the tomatoes first, it really helped to develop the flavours, and the hot vegetables mixed with them, turned up just so delicious, you can add it next to any kind of protein and it will go fantastically well. I also found that cooking the vegetables in the oven, worked better than when I have done it on a pan and not as oily. This recipe makes a big batch, and will have it with Healthy Baked Potatoes with Ratatouille in the next couple of days. I have to admit that the Olive Oil Flatbreads with the tree-garlic butter were just amazing to eat with it. Just make sure you do not put any tomatoes on top. The ratatouille is enough! Ingredients 4 medium aubergines, cut into 2½cm squares (1.1kg) 4 mixed red and yellow Romano peppers, deseeded and cut into 3cm pieces (420g) 2 kohlrabi, peeled and c...

  According to the cookbook, this salad is made every day in Moroccan households for the midday meal. It is delicious and the only difference I made was to add some avocado - it needed to be eaten. Loved it! INGREDIENTS: 2 green capsicums ( I used a green and a yellow one for colour! ) 4 tomatoes 1 red onion 1 garlic clove, finely chopped 1 Tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley ( I didn't have any! ) 80ml (1/3 cup) olive oil 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar salt and freshly ground pepper 1 avocado (optional) METHOD: Cut the capsicums into large flattish pieces and remove the seeds and white membranes. Place the pieces, skin side up, under a grill and grill until the skin blackens. Turn them over and cook for 2-3 minutes on the fleshy side. Remove the cooked capsicums and place in a plastic bag, tuck the end of the bag underneath and leave to steam in the bag until cool enough to handle. Remove the blackened skin and cut the flesh into short strips. Place in a bowl. Peel the tomatoes. To do ...

I have cooked this dish a couple of times, and it is really delicious. This time I used lean sizzle steak instead of mince for a change. I cut it into thin 1.5 cm strips before marinating it. I also used a mixture of green and red capsicums (half of each) and an onion cut into thin slices because I realised that I didn't have any spring onions. I cooked the onions before the beef. It was yummy, low-calorie and easy to make. Ingredients For the marinade 2 tbsp shao shing wine or dry sherry 1 tbsp light soy sauce 1 tbsp cornflour 1 tbsp ginger, finely diced 3 garlic cloves, finely diced ½ tsp sesame oil For the beef 600g (1lb 4oz) good quality beef mince 1 head chinese cabbage, finely shredded 2 tsp sea salt 50ml vegetable oil 2 tbsp  shao hsing wine or dry sherry 2 tbsp hoisin sauce 1tbsp oyster sauce 1 tsp malt vinegar ½ tsp sesame oil 1 small carrot, peeled and finely sliced 1 small red pepper, finely sliced 1 bunch spring onions, finely sliced To serve steamed rice Method Combine...

This is one of our favourite pizzas. I sometimes make the base - have tried different ones without flour, but when in a hurry, I just buy one of the thin pizza bases, bread bases or even make it with Lebanese bread. These toppings are also delicious with jamon serrano or prosciutto instead of the salami. INGREDIENTS 2 pizza bases 4 Tbsp tomato pasta sauce ( I like Roasted vegetables, Sundried tomato and roasted garlic or Tomato, olive and chilli ) 4-6 Tbsp grated Parmesan 8-12 slices marinated artichoke hearts 1 large marinated roasted capsicum, cut into thin slices 4 slices marinated roasted eggplant, thinly sliced 100g salami of your choice, sliced 200g bocconcini METHOD: Preheat the oven to 200°C fan forced. Put the pizza bases on two pizza pan trays. Add the tomato sauce and sprinkle with the parmesan cheese. Top with slices of artichoke, capsicum and eggplant. Add the salami and top with the bocconcini, cut into small pieces. Put in the oven for 10...

Muhammara is a spicy Levantine dip made from red capsicums and walnuts. It keeps in the fridge for 3 days. It is as lovely spooned in to a cheese sandwich or served with grilled meat as it is as a dip. INGREDIENTS Muhammara 2 red capsicums 1 tsp olive oil, plus extra to drizzle 4 garlic cloves, peeled 1 tsp picked thyme leaves 1/4 tsp sweet smoked paprika pinch chilli flakes 1 tsp balsamic vinegar 30g walnuts halves, lightly roasted and roughly chopped, plus a few extra to garnish (if you like) salt Mash 50ml olive oil 1 garlic clove, skin on and lightly crushed 1 x 400g tin butter beans, drained and rinsed garlic and truffle oil to garnish Roti bread or lebanese bread to serve METHOD: Preheat oven to 200°C. To roast the capsicums, brush skins with olive oil and put on a parchment-lined baking tray. Roast for about 15 minutes and then add the garlic. ( Don't forget the garlic!! I did!! I had to cook it later by itself 😜.) Continue to roast for abou...

This is the first time that I have tried this recipe. It was easy to make and the result was delicious. A healthy and tasty recipe that can be used to accompany meat, poultry or fish, or just by itself. It's from the cookbook 'Feasts' by Sabrina Ghayour. INGREDIENTS olive oil 1 large onion, very finely chopped 1 large eggplant, very finely diced 1 red capsicum, very finely diced 1 green capsicum, very finely diced 2 zucchini, very finely diced 100g sultanas 100g pine nuts 1 small bunch dill, finely chopped 1 small bunch Italian parsley, finely chopped 500g brown basmati rice 50g salted butter, cut into small pieces Maldon sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper METHOD: Drizzle a generous amount of olive oil into a large frying pan set over a medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the onion and fry for 6-8 minutes, or until translucent and the edges start to brown. Add the eggplant and fry until it starts to turn golden.  Add ...