by Simone Conti
Dear Cranleigh Magazine readers,
I hope you’re well and ready for the school holidays. This year, the weather has been really poor, but we‘ll keep hoping for a good August and warm autumn.
I have some great recipes for the summer break. If you’re not going away, don’t worry, I’ll bring delicious Mediterranean food to you with these easy-to-prepare recipes.
I love feta cheese, it’s such an amazing and versatile product. You can use it in salads, pasta and many other recipes. Great as a starter or main course, a good vegetarian option and packed with healthy vegetables.
Oven Baked Feta Cheese
Ingredients:
200g Feta
2 large tomatoes
1 red onion
20g black olives
Oregano to taste
20g extra virgin olive oil
Fine salt to taste
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 180°C in static mode. Then wash tomatoes, remove the part with the stem, and slice thinly. Peel red onion, cut in half lengthwise, and then slice thinly crosswise. Place tomato and onion slices in a bowl. Then add black olives, half the oil, a pinch of salt and mix all the ingredients well.
2. Now line the base of a ceramic baking dish (we used a square dish, 18 x 18cm) with tomato slices. Place the whole feta in the centre and distribute the remaining mixture around the sides.
3. To finish, season with remaining oil and a handful of oregano leaves, then bake in the preheated static oven at 180°C for about an hour. After this time, your baked feta will be ready to serve!
Tip: The layer of tomatoes at the base prevents the feta from coming into direct contact with the baking dish, thus avoiding the risk of burning and sticking, so make sure to cover the bottom evenly. Baked feta is usually served in individual portions because it crumbles easily once cut. If you prefer, you could bake it in charming small cocottes!
Suggested Wine: Assyrtiko (Greece)
Steak Pizzaiola
This is another easy recipe to make. You can use veal, beef or pork so don’t worry if the ingredients mention veal, I usually use pork to be honest. It is a bit lighter than beef and definitely cheaper than veal. Serve it with a nice mixed salad on the side and you have a perfect summer dinner.
Ingredients:
1lb (400g) sliced veal
1 ½ cups (400 g) tomato purée:
2 cloves garlic
Oregano to taste
Extra virgin olive oil to taste
Fine salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
Preparation
1. Start with the sauce: heat the oil in a pan and add crushed garlic cloves. After a couple of minutes, pour in the tomato puree and add a splash of water, used to rinse the jar. Simmer for about 15mins over low heat.
2. In the meantime, prepare the meat: make small cuts on the edge of sliced meat where there is some fat to prevent th meat from curling during cooking. Transfer the slices onto a sheet of parchment paper. Cover with another sheet and lightly pound them, being careful not to tear the meat; aim for a uniform thickness of about 3-4 mm.
3. When the sauce has reduced, flavour it with oregano, salt and pepper. Remove the garlic. Dip the slices of meat in the sauce (if they are too big, you can cut them in half) and let them cook for 2 minutes per side. Garnish with a few basil leaves, if you wish and serve your steak pizzaiola immediately.
Suggested Wine: Cote du Rhone (France)
Yogurt Cake
This is a great base for a cake. You can use it just as it comes in this recipe – nice and soft – or you can add your own ‘tweak’ such as fruit or chocolate – unleash your own creativity!
Ingredients:
320g Greek yogurt, at room temperature
220g eggs (about 4 medium)
150g butter, at room temperature
200g sugar
250g plain flour
80g corn starch (Maizena)
1 untreated lemon zest
1 pinch fine salt
16g (1 sachet) baking powder
Preparation
1. Preheat static over to 175°C.
2. Cut the butter into cubes and let it soften. Then place into the bowl of a stand whisk mixer along with the sugar and beat for at least 10 mins. Once it is a creamy and well-whipped mixture, add eggs one at a time, ensuring each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next.
3. Combine the flour, corn starch and yeast in a bowl, then sift together and pour into the mixture, little by little. Mix well and delicately, with a spatula using a rotating movement from the bottom to the top so as not to deflate the mixture. Butter and flour a 24 cm diameter cake tin, then pour the mixture into it.
4. Level the surface with a spatula, don’t bang the pan to distribute the mixture otherwise the whipped mixture might collapse.
5. Bake in preheated static oven for about 50 minutes (if using a fan oven, cook at 155°C for 40 minutes). To test if the cake is cooked correctly, always do the toothpick test. Once cooked, remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool. Remove from cake tin and leave it to cool completely on a rack. Your yogurt cake is ready to be enjoyed!
Suggested Wine: Moscato D Asti
