Grilled Veges

Grilled veges are a great way to beat hunger pains - especially in the winter months when you are craving something warm, comforting and delicious.

I like to heat up my Le Creusset griddle pan, slice some eggplant, zucchini, tomato and all of those other meaty vegetables, brush them with a yummy olive oil and grill them until they are soft and marked by the charcoal stains of the pan.
Mmmmmmmmm! So delicious and really good for you.

Serve with freshly ground seasalt and some cracked pepper, and even some chopped fresh herbs.

Grublover comment
This is a fabulous snack, or side dish, especially if you are watching your weight.
Most vegetables have little or no fat - my favourites - eggplant, zucchini and tomato are all virtually fat free. Use your imagination and use other veges like squash or fennel, and pour some capers over the top to sizzle with the veges for some extra flavour.
You won't need a lot of oil but it's worth it for that extra flavour.

How good is Steak!!

Steak is such a simple and scrummy meal and there is 1000 ways you can jazz it up so it is better than restaurant quality.

Here is what I did last night after buying a porterhouse on the way home and using whatever was lying around...

Brush 1 teaspoon of olive oil into the steak and rub in some tuscan seasoning (you can make your own tuscan seasoning by chopping some rosemary, garlic, salt and pepper, or just use the Masterfoods one) and chilli flakes if you like it hot.

Heat a griddle pan (the ones with the lines) and put the steak on. Slice some tomatoes and whack those on too. Add some capers and a few marinated olives. Pour a splash of worschestire sauce over the top and enjoy the beautiful aromas.

In the meantime cook some veges in boiling water - last night I had some asparagus - I like to cook asparagus al dente - make sure it's still crunchy and bright green.

Cook steak to your liking, remove from heat and rest.

Place tomato, capers and olive mixture on steak, serve with the veges.

Grublover comment
This is the easiest meal and is ready in less than 10 minutes. Hassle free and tastes absolutely delicious.

The pic is of my Le Creusset griddle pan - one of my favourite items in the kitchen. It is also fantastic for cooking healthy grilled veges!

Spinach and leek frittata

Serves 4

1 x 3 second spray olive oil spray
250g baby spinach leaves
1 leek, thinly sliced
6 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tsp cornflour
100 ml skim milk
2 Tbs grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 180°C. Spray a 20cm square non-stick cake tin with oil. Line base with baking paper.

Cook spinach in boiling water for 30 seconds, or until just wilted. Drain and squeeze out any excess water. Allow to cool, then roughly chop.

Cook leek for 3 minutes in same cooking water. Drain and allow to dry. Scatter spinach and leek into bottom of tin.

Beat eggs with cornflour and milk. Season well with salt and pepper.

Pour this mixture over vegetables, pressing down with back of a fork. Scatter over cheese and bake for 20 minutes, or until risen and golden brown.

Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes, then turn out. Serve warm, cut into wedges with a green salad.

Grublover comment
This is a great basic recipe which you can change depending on what's in season and what you love to eat - I like to add mushrooms, red capsicum and fresh parsley.
It's also a great recipe for work lunches.

Apricots Kastellorizo

Gisèle invented this recipe while on holiday in Kazi. Apricots stewed with honey, flavoured with a little ouzo and served on Greek style yoghurt.

Doesn't it look delicious!