Tocană turcească de vinete

It's so tasty it's a sin!

2 eggplants, 1 white onion, 2 green onions, 3 cloves of garlic, 1 can of tomatoes, 3 tablespoons of olive oil, 500 ml water/soup, 500 gr of minced meat, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1 teaspoon paprika, salt and pepper, yogurt and fresh parsley for serving

Cut the eggplant into cubes. Salt them and put them in a bowl for half an hour to let the water drain.
Cut the onions and garlic. In a large pan, heat the 3 tablespoons of olive oil, add the minced meat and leave it there until all the water it left evaporated.
After the meat was browned, add the onion and garlic.
Let everything simmer for a few minutes, after which add the eggplant, the spices, the tomato can and the water/soup.
Let everything boil for about 25-30 minutes, during which time all the flavors combine harmoniously.
When serving, add a healthy spoonful of yogurt and fresh chopped parsley on top of each portion.

Roman Puntarelle Salad

When I went to Rome last month I discovered this salad and I was in loove....

500g puntarelle, trimmed, 100 ml extra virgin olive oil, 2-3 tbsp white wine vinegar,
6-8 anchovy fillets (in olive oil), 2 garlic cloves

Prepare the puntarelle (or for an easy life buy them ready-trimmed).
Put the olive oil, vinegar, anchovies, and chopped garlic in a bowl and whisk until well-blended and emulsified. Taste and adjust seasoning to your preference. Add the puntarelle and toss well in the dressing until coated. Serve as a side dish.

Grilled zucchini and squash salad with tahini lemon dressing

Yummy, yummy from Delicious magazine

2 zucchini, 1/4 cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil, 1 garlic clove, crushed, 6 small yellow squash, halved, 1/2 bunch mint, leaves picked, 1/2 bunch flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked, 6 zucchini flowers, stamens removed, Zest of 1 lemon, 50g smoked almonds, roughly chopped
Tahini lemon dressing: 1/3 cup (90g) tahini, Juice of 1 lemon, 1 tsp runny honey,
1/2 tsp ground cumin 

 

Halve the zucchini lengthways and score the flesh a couple of millimetres deep into 5mm squares. Combine the oil and garlic in a large bowl. Add zucchini and squash, tossing to coat. Season with salt flakes.
Heat a barbecue or chargrill pan to medium heat. Cook zucchini and squash for 8 minutes, turning halfway, until charred and tender. Set aside to cool slightly.
For the tahini lemon dressing, combine all ingredients in a small bowl, stirring to loosen the tahini. Add 1/4 cup (60ml) water, a little at a time, stirring until dressing is thin enough to coat the zucchini mixture.
Spread tahini dressing onto a serving platter and top with zucchini and squash. Scatter with herbs, zucchini flowers, lemon zest and almonds to serve.