Menu Plan Monday | Grilled vege salad & a soup recipe

Monday - lamb tagine, couscous, tomato/cucumber salad
Tuesday - apricot chicken (yes! shades of 80's coming through here!), rice, sauteed spinach
Wednesday - Roast lamb, roast spuds, possibly pumpkin too for DH and I, broccoli
Thursday - Pasta carbonara, salad
Friday - beef skewers and fragrant rice, salad
Saturday - vegetarian feast with friends including the salad below
Sunday - dunno. maybe leftovers.

Also have plans to make this Sticky toffee ginger cake with caramel icing sometime this week.

Penny's Grilled Vege Salad

Marinade the following in fresh thyme, lemon juice and olive oil for a while:

• 1 big purple eggplant cut into rounds about 1 cm thick
  
• 6-7 big fat chunky mushrooms (e.g. portobello)
• 1-2 courgettes sliced into batons

Grill the veges on a BBQ or under a grill. Place in a bowl. Add the following:

• handful blanched green beans cut into smaller 1-2 cm lengths
• 1 can borlotti or butter beans drained
• chopped preserved lemons to taste (I used 3/4 of one)
• 2-3 cloves finely chopped garlic
• heaped palm of finely chopped parsley

Make a vinaigrette of

• olive oil
• lemon juice
• salt & pepper
• dijon/whole grain mustard

and add it to the vegetables. Mix gently to combine and serve still slightly warm.

I tried some new recipes this past week. The following was very good. It's from Dish (Issue 17 April 2008-May 2008)

Zucchini*, spinach and mint soup with goat's cheese croutes

2 T olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic crushed
350g floury potatoes peeled and finely diced
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 large tomato, seeds scooped out and diced
500g zucchini, grated
100g shredded spinach
1/4 cup chopped mint

To finish:
1 lemon
salt and pepper
creme fraiche
4 slices country-style bread, grilled or toasted (I used a walnut bread from the supermarket)
soft goats cheese or feta

Heat oil in large saucepan and add onion, garlic, potatoes and 1/2 cup of the stock. Season with salt and pepper, cover and cook until soft but not coloured. Add remaining stock and tomato and cook f 15 minutes before adding the zucchini. Simmer for another 5 minutes. Add the spinach and stir to wilt, about 1 minute.

Ladle half the soup into a food processor, add all the mint and puree. Return to the saucepan, stirring to combine. I just used my stick blender and roughly pureed most of it. Stir in lemon juice and season.

To serve: Serve in warm bowls. Garnish with creme fraiche. Spread warm grilled bread with goat's cheese, a drizzle of olive oil and grind of pepper. Serves 4.

*Zucchini = courgette

The other recipe I tried was from an older edition. Dish Issue 13 (August 2007-September 2007). It's a lovely autumn dessert - apples covered with a vanilla/almond sponge. Lovely served warm with ice cream. And custard of course. My favourite!

Eve's Pudding

800g apples (I used granny smith's)
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 t gr. ginger
pinch cloves and nutmeg
2 T each lemon juice and water
1/2 cup sultanas

Sponge
150g butter
150g sugar
1/2 t vanilla extract
2 eggs
200g self-raising flour
1/3 cup milk or buttermilk
2 t fine lemon zest
30 g slivered almonds
1-2 T sugar

Preheat oven to 200 degrees C.

Apples: Butter a 6 cup capacity baking dish. Pell, quarter and core the apples. Cut into 1 cm thick slices. Place in the dish with the sugar, spices, lemon juice, water and sultanas. Bake 20 minutes. Remove and set aside.

Sponge: Cream butter, sugar and vanilla until light and creamy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Fold in flour, alternating with the buttermilk and lemon zest. Spoon the batter over the apples and scatter with the almonds and sugar.

Spread the sponge mixture over the apples. Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes until golden and bubbling. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Serves 6-8.