Alex's Recipes

Nachos

• 150g Tortilla Chips
• 200g Ground Beef
• 1 Tomato, diced
• 1/2 Red Pepper, diced
• 1 small Onion, diced
• 1 Green Onion, cut into rings
• Grated Cheese (as little or as much as you want)
• Hot sauce
• Dips (Guacamole, Sour Cream, Salsa)

Cook the ground beef with the diced onion, and the hot sauce.

On a tray lay out the tortilla chips, and sprinkle everything except the dips over the
chips and cover with the grated cheese.

Stick it all under the broiler until the cheese melts to the desired consistency.

Serve immediately.

Simple Beef Stew

• 200g Stewing Beef, cubed
• 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1 Shallot, peeled and cut in half
• 1 small Red Onion, peeled and cut in half
• 2 Carrots, rough chopped
• Flour
• Worcestershire Sauce
• Red Wine
• Water
• Salt/Pepper/Basil/Hot Pepper Paste

Brown the meat with the onions in the oil sprinkling Worcestershire sauce over the meat and then lightly coat with flour when brown. Add the carrots and the wine until everything is about halfway covered. Top off with water and season to taste.

In a slow oven cook covered for 2 hours, then turn the oven up hot and continue cooking uncovered until the desired amount of liquid is left (I do it for about an hour – but my stew pot is tall and narrow), stirring occasionally.

Serve immediately with rice, potatoes or bread.

(Serves 2)

Baba Ghanouj

This recipe has no proportions as it's all about what you like - want it creamier, add more oil. Not a big tahini fan, leave it out. Like things sour, more lemon.

• 2 medium or 1 large whole Eggplant
• fresh Garlic
• Olive Oil
• Tahini
• Lemon Juice
• Salt

Bake the eggplant in a medium oven until the skin is slightly wrinkled - usually about an hour. If you want a smoother garlic flavour, bake the garlic as well (with a bit of olive oil) for about half the time the eggplant takes.

Let the eggplant cool then cut it in half and scoop the contents into a food processor. Add the garlic and puree. Then add the rest of the ingredients a bit at a time until the desired consistency and flavour is achieved.

I tend to add some olive oil, some tahini and some lemon then blend it, taste it and decide what needs to be added.

Serve with pita or crackers at room temperature but store in the fridge.

Non-Mayo Chicken Salad

• 1 can Chickpeas
• 1 Avocado
• 1/2 cup Olive Oil
• 1/4 cup Tahini Paste
• Juice of 1 Lemon
• 1 clove Garlic
• Salt, Pepper, Dill and Hot Pepper Paste
• 3 cups shredded cooked Chicken
• 1/2 diced Red Pepper

In a food processor, purée the chickpea, the avocado and garlic. Add the tahini paste, olive oil and lemon juice, and continue mixing it until smooth, adding in the seasonings.

Using half the mixture, combine it with the chicken, red pepper.

Chicken and Blue Cheese Risotto

• 2 Boneless Chicken Breasts
• 1 medium Red Onion
• 1 Red Pepper
• 1 small Tomato
• 1/2 Zucchini
• 4 teaspoons Olive Oil
• 200g Blue Cheese, crumbled
• 2 cups Risotto-style rice
• 6 cups Chicken Stock

Cube the chicken into bite size pieces. Dice finely the onion, pepper, tomato and zucchini. In a large deep saucepan, sauté the chicken in half the olive oil with the vegetables. When the chicken is done, crumble in the cheese.

Transfer the mixture to a bowl once the cheese has melted. It will be very liquid.

Add the rice to the saucepan with the rest of the olive oil and over a medium heat, thoroughly coat the rice. Adding the chicken stock half a cup at a time, stir the rice constantly until the stock has been completely absorbed before adding the next bit.

This process will take almost an hour of constant stirring, so be patient or take turns with someone.

Once all the stock has been used up, pour the liquid from the chicken and cheese mixture into the rice and stir it until absorbed as well.

Finally add in the chicken and vegetables, stir out the liquid, then cover with the heat off for 10 minutes to let the risotto absorb all the flavours.

(Serves 4)

Chocolate Orange Mascarpone Mousse

• 200g Dark Unsweetened Baking Chocolate
• The juice of 2 Clementines
• 4 Egg Yolks
• 3 tablespoons Honey
• 500ml Mascarpone Cheese

In a double boiler melt the chocolate with the orange juice. Once the chocolate has melted but not gotten too hot, add the egg yolks stirring constantly until thoroughly mixed then add the honey. Cook until the whole thing begins to thicken.

Remove the top of the double boiler and place over the water a large bowl with the mascarpone cheese. Heat the cheese until you can easily run a whisk through it. Whisk the softened cheese quickly, making it a bit frothy.

Pour in the chocolate mixture and continue whisking until everything is well blended. Pour into 6 mousse cups or small glass tumblers and chill for two hours.

If you like, serve with a dollop of whipped cream.

(Serves 6)

Stuffed Zucchini

• 1 medium Zucchini
• 2 Hot Sausages
• 1 small Fennel
• 1/2 Red Pepper
• 1 teaspoon Olive Oil
• Salt, Pepper & Dill Weed
• 1/2 cup grated Cheese

Cut the zucchini in half and scoop out the innards. Dice the innards, the fennel and the pepper quite small and sauté in the olive oil over a medium heat. Cut the sausage meat out of its casing and add the meat to the vegetables, separating the sausage meat into small pieces as it cooks. Add the salt, pepper and dill weed to taste and let it cook down until the vegetables are soft and there is no liquid left. If the sausages are fatty, either pour off the fat or add some breadcrumbs.

Divide the mixture in half. On a greased baking sheet line the zucchini halves up side by side and fill each one with half the meat mixture (it will overflow the zucchini). Top with the grated cheese and bake in a 350 degree oven for half an hour.

(Serves 1)

Kamut Crepe Steak Quesadillas

Crepes:

• 1 cup Kamut Flour
• 2 Eggs
• 1/2 cup Milk
• 1/2 cup Water (plus a bit more)
• 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
• Salt

Whisk together the eggs, oil, milk and water. Add the salt the flour and make a well in it. Whisk in the liquid until totally smooth.

On a medium heat in a crepe pan or a non-stick frying pan pour out 1/3 of a cup of batter at a time and swirl it around making it as thin as possible. Cook for a minute on each side.

If you notice the batter thickening up, whisk in more water, a little at a time.

Makes 8 crepes.

Filling:

• 1/2 a Red Pepper, cut into strips
• 1 Shallot, sliced
• 1 clove Garlic, diced
• 2 teaspoons Olive Oil
• 1 tablespoon Chili Powder
• Hot Sauce to taste
• 2 Grilling Steaks, cut into strips
• 1 Tomato, sliced
• 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, grated
• 1 Avocado, mashed
• 1/2 cup Sour Cream

Sauté the pepper, shallot and garlic in the olive oil, adding the chili powder and hot sauce. When soft, add the steak strips and cook until tender.

Taking pairs of crepes, fill with 1/4 of the meat mixture, a couple of tomato slices and 1/4 cup cheese. Grill the "sandwich" until the crepe is crispy and the cheese has melted. Serve with the mashed avocado and sour cream.

(Serves 2)

Sautéed Pepper and Tomatoes

• 1 clove Garlic, diced
• 1 tablespoon Butter
• 1/2 a Green Pepper, cut in strips
• 1 Plum Tomato, seeded and chopped
• Salt, Pepper

Over a medium heat, melt the butter in a frying pan, then add the garlic and pepper. Cook until the pepper is almost soft. Add the tomato and season. Cook until the tomato pieces are heated through.

Serve immediately.

(Serves 1)

Turkey Biryani

• 150g raw Turkey breast, cubed
• 1 Shallot, halved then sliced
• 1/2 a Red Pepper cubed
• 1/2 a Green Pepper cubed
• 2 teaspoons Olive Oil
• 1 cup Yogurt
• 3 tablespoons Biryani Paste
• Cooked Rice

Soften the onion and brown the meat in the olive oil over a medium low heat. Add the peppers the yogurt and the Biryani paste with a little bit of water. Bring to a boil and simmer until the meat is cooked and the peppers slightly softened.

Serve over rice.

(Serves 1 to 2 depending on the amount of rice used)