Grilled halloumi with vegetables and za’atar pesto
Prep time: 15 mins
Cooking time: 15 mins
Serves 4
Ingredients
3 tbsp olive oil
450g halloumi, thickly sliced
500g courgettes, thinly sliced lengthwise
500g aubergines, sliced
100g yellow courgettes, sliced
Baby salad leaves, to serve
For the PESTO
2 ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded
and finely chopped
1 cup fresh oregano, finely chopped
80ml extra virgin olive oil
4 tbsp finely grated Parmesan
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
Preparation
1. Drizzle 1 1/2 tbsp of olive oil over the halloumi and season with salt and pepper.
2. Heat a chargrill to medium-high. Cook the courgette slices in batches for 2-3 minutes each side or until lightly charred. Transfer to a bowl and drizzle with 1 tbsp of the remaining oil. Cover the bowl with a clean tea towel.
3. Repeat the process with the aubergine, keeping it in a separate bowl once grilled.
4. Cook the halloumi in batches for 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden. Transfer to a plate.
5. To make the pesto, mix all the ingredients in a bowl and season with salt and pepper.
6. To serve, stack the vegetables and halloumi on a plate and drizzle with pesto around. Serve with baby salad leaves.
Grilled lamb with chimichurri sauce
Prep time: 1 hour to overnight
Cooking time: 30 mins
Serves 4
Ingredients
For the lamb
4 tbsp coarsely chopped fresh mint
4 tbsp chopped fresh za’atar parsley
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp cider vinegar
1/2 tsp grated lemon zest
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 green chilli pepper
500g lamb loin, trimmed
2 tbsp honey
For the chimichurri sauce,
grind together
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup chopped fresh oregano
1 cup fresh chopped mint
1 green chilli, minced
2-3 tbsp lime juice
1/2 cup olive oil
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Preparation
1. To prepare the lamb, combine the first eight ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine. Rub half the prepared mixture over the meat and place in a sealed plastic bag. Let the meat stand for 1 hour, or refrigerate overnight.
2. Preheat the oven to 190°C. Place the lamb on a roasting tray, glaze with honey and roast for 25 minutes. Place the meat on a grill rack and let it stand for 10 minutes.
3. Cut the meat across the grain into thin slices, top with the reserved herb mixture and serve with chimichurri sauce.
Grilled Malaysian chicken with Malaysian curry sauce
Prep time: Overnight
Cooking time: 15 mins
Serves 4
Ingredients
4 long red chillies
2 green chillies
5cm fresh ginger, peeled
4 large garlic cloves, peeled
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cinnamon
5cm piece fresh turmeric, peeled, or 1 tbsp ground turmeric
1 shallot, peeled and sliced
800g boneless chicken thighs, cubed
2 1/2 cups coconut milk, divided
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2/3 cup light brown sugar
2 tbsp tamarind paste
Preparation
1. Stem, deseed, and cut the chillies into quarters crosswise.
2. Using a mortar and pestle, crush together chillies, ginger, garlic, ground coriander, cinnamon, turmeric and shallot until you have a smooth paste.
3. Put the chicken into a mixing bowl along with half of the prepared paste and 1/2 cup of the coconut milk and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for
30 minutes or overnight.
4. In a pan, heat the remaining paste along with oil over medium heat until it becomes fragrant, about 2 minutes.
5. Stir in the remaining coconut milk, sugar and tamarind. Season with a little salt
6. Bring the sauce to a gentle boil and let it simmer for about 3 minutes; remove from heat. Divide the sauce into two equal portions.
7. Skewer the chicken pieces and grill over moderate heat, basting with one portion of the sauce. When the chicken is done, drizzle the reserved sauce over and serve immediately.
Marinated beef and chilli skewers with teriyaki sauce
Prep time: 15 mins
Cooking time: 5 mins
Serves 4
Ingredients
250g beef fillet steaks, cut into 12 pieces
1 bunch spring onions, trimmed and cut into 5cm lengths
6 green chillies, sliced
Oil spray
125ml teriyaki sauce (or as needed), for basting and serving
Preparation
1. Using a mallet, flatten the steak. Place on a clean work surface.
2. Sprinkle spring onion and chillies on top of each piece of steak and roll up. Skewer
to secure the rolls.
3. Coat a non-stick frying pan with oil spray and warm up over a high heat. Add a few of the skewers and brush them with teriyaki sauce. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Turn and brush with a little more sauce. Cook for a further 1-2 minutes for medium, or until done to your liking. Transfer to a plate.
4. Repeat this process for the remaining skewers.
5. Heat the remaining sauce in a pan on low heat until it thickens slightly, about 1 minute. Drizzle over the skewers just before serving.
Mixed seafood skewers with lemon parsley salsa verde
Prep time: 30 mins to 1 day
Cooking time: 10 mins
Serves 4
Ingredients
4 king prawns, head and tail intact, vein and shell removed
200g fresh squid, cut into chunks
1 salmon fillet, cubed
1 lemon, zest and juice of
2 oranges, sliced into thin rings
For the salsa verde
1 cup parsley
3 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp pistachios
1 lemon, quartered, to serve
Preparation
1. In a glass or ceramic bow, mix together the prawns, squid, salmon, lemon juice and zest. Season with salt and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 day.
2. When ready to cook, preheat the grill to medium. Thread the seafood on to skewers, interspersing it evenly with orange slices. Save the marinade for basting.
3. Grill the seafood, basting with the marinade, for 10 minutes or until cooked, turning halfway through.
4. To make the salsa verde, blend together the parsley, olive oil and pistachios until the mixture has a coarse texture. Season and serve with the seafood skewers, plus lemon wedges on the side.
This story first appeared on Friday in October 2014
