Roast Pepper Sandwich

I love a "different" sandwich.  My son, sadly, gravitates towards ham whenever he's given a choice but sandwiches can be as boring as white bread with wafer thin ham or as interesting as this little beauty.

This is a delicious but messy sandwich; have napkins nearby.  If you'd like to eat this with more decorum and less goats cheese on your chin, use cold bread and allow the peppers to cool before assembling.

Fruit Kebabs

An unashamedly childish recipe here.  I used to have a blog Mamacook all about food for kids and this was one recipe I made loads but never got round to blogging.  There are loads of ideas out there for healthy and fun foods for kids and one of them is fruit kebabs.  The downside though is the stick.  What is the fun in the boring stick and if you use a skewer it's a bit risky for younger kids too, you don't want sharp wooden sticks going in their mouths...

Well I have an answer I came up with a few years ago and it is so simple!

Baked Chickpeas and Chorizo

I've always thought Chickpeas (garbanzo beans) and Chorizo are such a lovely partner for each other and I often make variations of this baked dish throughout the year.

In late summer, chopped up courgette (zucchini) is great, tomatoes make a saucier addition.  You can use "cooking" chorizo sausages as well.

This might not sound appetising but go with me.  As the chorizo or sausages cook, they naturally let out some oils into the dish which coat the vegetables with paprika scented gorgeousness.  Trust me, this is great as a tapas dish, side dish or even a main.

Vietnamese Summer Rolls

Summer rolls are funny, healthy, lovely things.  A spring roll may seem like a fatty, unhealthy thing but these Vietnamese style vegan summer rolls are almost embarrassingly healthy.

What makes them for me is that mix of textures from the crunchy peanuts and vegetables, the softer noodles still with bite and the sticky sauce.

Nachos

A while back I posted an easy recipe for salsa and suggested you could make some nachos with it; so here we are.  This is great with store bought salsa or with your own and is loaded with other tasty morsels which are still counting towards your 5 a day!

Quick tip, do keep an eye on it under the grill (broiler) and make sure you use a heat proof plate!

Great New Years Eve Nibbles

I'm currently trying to think of a menu for tonight so I thought I'd share with you some ideas I was having.

First plan, pakoras.  These are great because I can cook them earlier then reheat them when I'm ready (much better than hot fat when prosecco might have been involved and smells much better.)

The only downside is what to go with them?  Have a sit down meal with dhal and chicken tikka or go for a full on nibble fest?  Well scroll down for some more suggestions but in the meantime, let's continue with the appetisers.

Cheese Straws

We're approaching party season.  Did you know how easy it is to make cheese straws?  Well these are totally irresistible.

Salami Quesadillas

Quesadillas are the frittata or bubble and squeak of the Mexican world.  Use up what you have and delight in the results.  They are a great way to have something decent, filling and avoiding food waste.  These are mildly spiced, only from the salami so if you like your food hotter, have some salsa on the side for dipping.

Provencal style sandwich

This is inspired by a pan bagnat which is a sandwich filled with layers of beautiful ingredients similar to a nicoise salad.

I however, have made it my own so purists, look away, this is not a pan bagnat but it is a sandwich filled with delicious ingredients.

Pea and Ham Frittata

Frittata is a fab thing to use up the stuff in your fridge.  It's great warm or cold and fantastic for a picnic.

This is a vastly simplified version from most recipes which is a bit like a baked omelette but imagine it more as a quiche without the pastry.

I've used frozen peas but if you would like to use fresh, go for it, just cook them lightly first.

Serrano ham wrapped prawns

I had some lovely serrano ham in the fridge, prawns in the freezer and it got me to thinking of how I could marry the two to come up with a lovely tapas style dish.

Fruit Salsa and Vanilla Tortilla Chips

Fruit salsa and not in the way I made pineapple salsa either, this is as a sweet snack for serving with home made sweet tortilla chips.  Unconvinced?  Read on, this is really rather lovely.

Feta Cheese and Roasted Pepper Dip

I love feta cheese.  This is a way to combine lovely salty feta cheese with sweet roasted peppers.

Pan con Tomate

I love pan con tomate (or pa amb tomaquet) when I'm on holiday.  It elevates the most humble sandwich or toast to something so much more.

Yogurt and Berry Lollies

Lollies aren't just for kids!

Well it's almost summer... so I dusted off the ice lolly maker and had a go.   Frozen berries are a great and thrifty way to  make these.  The only thing is as they tend to be a little tart, they do need some sweetening.  Also you will find that when you freeze lollies the mix needs to be a bit sweeter than you would normally have it if you were eating it at room temperature so it tastes sweet when frozen.  The great thing is though that this contains loads of fruit and natural stuff.

Vietnamese Prawn Spring Rolls

I'm never much of a fan of a fried spring roll but these summery Vietnamese style ones include masses of fresh stuff without all the fat.  I mean, have fatty ones if you want them, I just fancied something fresh, vibrant and making me feel like spring is here.

A word of warning, the rice paper wrappers are a little tricky to master.  I think next time I'm going to try rolling them up on a clean tea towel.  The trick is though to not soak them for too long as they will continue to soften.  Just do them long enough so they won't break and only do one at a time.

I've left the quantities vague but it depends on how big your wrappers are and what proportions you'd like.  Have a play around with them.  Some people include rice noodles, but I wanted to keep these really fresh and light.

Prawn Tapas

A lovely little dish of prawns for an evening nibble or starter for one or a delish little amuse bouche for you and your loved one.

Chorizo and Spinach Quesadillas

Quesadillas are a way of using up the bits and bobs in your fridge, in fact a bit of left over chilli would be lovely here.   Think of it as the toasted sandwich goes Mexican and you get the idea.

The temptation I always have is to over stuff my quesadillas which make them more prone to falling apart when you eat, but they do taste lovely.  If you want to have ones which hold together really well, mash the filling more and chop up the chorizo more finely and then use less filling per tortilla.

Lamb Pitta

Kebabs, normally the preserve of a drunken late night but why not make it lovely?  Why not make it the best lamb you've had?

Pakoras

My 3rd day meat free has been pretty good.  I love pakoras, I probably make them a little too often to be healthy but packed with vegan goodness, four different vegetables (chickpeas, carrot, spinach and onion) and just loveliness, they are an acceptable treat in my book.  Better than chips fried in dripping anyway.