These simple dishes are a great way to start a dinner party or serve as an accompaniment to a barbeque. They are influenced from my worldly culinary discoveries and can be eaten with a few slices of rustic French bread or ‘bruschetta’ drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. These two ingredients, as many food lovers will no doubt be aware, are vital in any kitchen as they can transform any simple dish or salad. The best olive oil is usually of Greek or Italian origin and the authentic balsamic vinegar has to be from Modena in Italy. Stay away from cheap alternatives. Nothing beats good quality produce!
Beetroot Salad (Greek)
I prefer using the pre-packed cooked beetroot which I chop up as it saves time cooking the beetroot. But it is also possible to boil the beetroot and chop it up or eat it raw, just slice in finely and add a sliced red onion, a good drizzle of olive oil, some lemon juice, salt, pepper and a good portion of chopped parsley.
Tomato Salad (Italian)
Chop up some of the best quality ripe tomatoes, usually the sweetest ones, or quarter some ripened cherry tomatoes. Add a sliced red onion, salt, pepper, some parsley and drizzle some olive oil and balsamic vinegar. You can also crumble some goat’s cheese over the salad if that takes your fancy and give it a good mix. Leave for a while to allow the juices to infuse with the tomatoes. Eaten with a few slices of grilled bread, this is simply heaven!
Cucumber Raita (Indian)
Remove the skin from the cucumber, quantity of which depends on how much raita you wish to make. Finely chop the cucumber (do not grate the cucumber as that has a tendency to release much of the cucumber’s juices) and add a few tablespoons of yoghurt, preferably greek yoghurt, salt, pepper, a sliced red onion and chopped fresh mint leaves.
Tzaziki (Greek)
The recipe is similar to Indian raita except replace onions with crushed garlic and mint with parsley.
Guacamole (Mexican)
Guacamole is my favourite dip and is so easy to make. Take one ripe avocado and using a sharp knife, cut the avocado in half. Don’t cut through the seed but slide the knife around it. Gently give the avocado a twist and the two halves should come apart with the seed intact in one half. Carefully remove the seed and peel the avocado. Chop it up and put in a bowl. Also chop up a ripe tomato, a small onion, a green chilli and coriander leaves. Add to the avocado. You can either mash it all up roughly or blend until smooth. I prefer mashing it up with a fork for a more rustic feel. Add some salt, pepper, olive oil and squeeze the juice of half a lemon (this helps to delay the guacamole becoming grey).
Aubergine pâté (Mauritian)
Preheat oven to 200 degrees celcius. Use a plump and firm aubergine which you cut into four large pieces. With the tip of the knife, make 1cm slits into all sides of the aubergine. Peel 3-4 garlic cloves and cut each into small pieces. Insert the cut garlic into the aubergine slits. Place the aubergine onto a tray and drizzle some olive oil so that it coats all sides. Bake aubergine skin side up first and turn after 10-15 mins. Let cook until all sides are soft. In the meantime, chop up a red onion, 1-2 green chillies and a large bunch of coriander leaves. Remove the aubergine from the oven and mash up the flesh together with the cooked garlic. Chop the skin as fine as possible and mix together with the onions, chillies, coriander, salt and pepper.
