Recipe

Serves 2 as side dish

Ingredients
400g can of white cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup black olives (I prefer Kalamata)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 Spanish onion, finely sliced lengthways
3 teaspoons dried mild chilli flakes
3 teaspoons dried mint
Sea salt to taste

Method
1) In a medium bowl combine all ingredients and mix well. Serve with fresh bread or grilled meat/fish.

Tips:
- This salad can be prepared ahead of time.
- Serve as a rustic appetiser along with fresh bread.

It’s Easter this week and I have made it my mission to post as many traditional recipes as I possibly can.

While fasting, a staple is homemade bread, but my baba’s bread isn’t any bread. Many (including myself) have tried to replicate her recipe and technique and although it tastes good, we just can’t seem to get it as fluffy. Everyone in my family agrees that no one makes bread better than baba. We all love it so much that we’ve lovingly named it ‘Baba Bread’. There’s no mystery about the ingredients (flour, water, yeast, salt) but it’s the technique that makes this deliciously soft bread a favorite.

Making bread is easy, it’s an ancient technique and I’d love for you to give it a go. You’ll love the delicious and sweet yeasty smell that fills your home.

Baba making bread

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Recipe

Makes 1 medium loaf

Ingredients
Sponge (yeast mix)
1 tablespoon plain flour
1 tablespoon dried yeast (or 2 x 7g satchel)
1/4 cup (60ml) lukewarm water

Dough
4 1/2 cups (560g) plain white bread flour (‘00’), plus extra for dusting
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 1/4 cups (560ml) lukewarm water

Method
1) Stir yeast, flour and water in a small bowl until smooth (1 minute). Allow to rest (7-10 minutes) or until double in size.

2) Meanwhile sift flour and salt into a large bowl and make a well in the centre.

3) Once the sponge (yeast mix) has doubled in size add to the centre of the well and some of the lukewarm water. Begin to slowly incorporate with your fingers. Gradually add all the water and as the dough starts to come together use one hand to scrunch while the other turns the bowl until the dough starts to feel smooth and moves as one (7-10 minutes). Every so often scrape off some of the dough stuck to your hand with a spoon. To finish, pull the dough from the outside edge into the centre with your finger tips until you have a ball. Using the edge of your hand make a cross on top (baba’s tradition to reminder us that bread is from God). Dust the top with flour and cover with a tea towel. Allow to rest for 30-60 minutes (depending on the weather) or until double in size.
Note: The dough will be wet and sticky, however this makes a very soft bread. For a dry dough which is easier to knead add a little more flour.

4) Oil a 20-24cm round cake tin and dust the base with flour.

5) Once the dough has risen knead for a further 3-5 minutes in the same bowl. To finish, pull the dough from the outside edge into the centre with your finger tips until you have a lovely neat ball. Turn the dough over so that the top is smooth, dust with flour and place into the oiled and flour dusted cake tin. Loosely cover with a clean tea towel an allow to rest for a further 30 minutes.

6) Preheat oven to 200ºc.

7) Bake for 10 minutes at 200ºc. After 10 minutes the top should start to brown slightly, cover the top with a sheet of foil and bake for a further 10 minutes. Remove the foil and reduce oven temperature to 100ºc and bake for a final 10 minutes (30 minutes in total).

8) Remove bread from tin and eat immediately or wrap in a clean tablecloth (or a couple of tea towels) to keep warm.

Tips:
- The wetter the dough the softer your bread will be. For a firmer dough/bread, add more flour.
- Keep any leftover bread in the fridge for up to 5 days and reheat in the microwave or grill.

Thanks to the popularity of 5 Minute Tiramisu, here’s another super-quick 5 minute recipe.

Seeing I still have an abundance of fresh figs from my parents fruitful fig tree, I thought I’d share one of my favourite ways to enjoy this ancient fruit.

Some prefer figs raw, but in my opinion the best way to enjoy them is cooked, as it only takes a few minutes for the flesh to collapse and caramelise into heavenly goodness.

Although this salad looks fancy, you can almost prepare it with your eyes closed. It’s simply a matter of assembly, however the secret to it tasting amazing is using top quality extra virgin olive oil, balsamic and goats cheese. Adding toasted walnuts/pine nuts is optional and takes a few extra minutes, but if you’re out to impress it’s well worth it!

Serve as an entree or as a main with duck or chicken.

Process

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Recipe

Serves 4

Ingredients
8 figs, halved
20g butter
100g packet rocket leaves, washed and dried
1/4 Spanish onion, thinly sliced length-ways
Extra virgin olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
80g soft goat’s cheese, crumbled
1/3 cup lightly toasted walnuts or pine nuts (optional)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method
1) Pop a medium frying pan over medium-high heat. While the pan is heating prepare figs, rocket and onion. Season figs (cut-side) with salt and pepper.

2) In a large serving platter or 4 individual plates arrange rocket and scatter over onion slices.

3) Your pan should now be hot enough, add butter and a glug of olive oil, it should bubble slightly, swoosh around to cover the pan, place figs cut side down, shake the pan to evenly distribute the oil and cook for 1-2 minutes, carefully turn over and cook for 30 seconds. Remove figs from pan and evenly arrange on rocket, drizzling over the remaining cooking juices from the pan. Drizzle over olive oil (2-3 teaspoons per serving), balsamic vinegar (1 teaspoon per serving) and season with pepper and a small amount of salt.

4) Crumble over cheese and scatter with pre-prepared walnuts/pine nuts (optional).

5) Serve immediately as an entree or alongside duck or chicken as a main.

Tip: Lightly toast pine nuts or walnut halves in a dry pan over a medium heat for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally until toasted and fragrant.

The secret to beautiful tasting eggplant is two-part. Firstly, select firm, medium sized fruit with unblemished skin, rather than extra large ones with wrinkly skin. Secondly, it must be cooked until the flesh collapses and is soft and mushy, under-cooking it will result in spongy and flavourless eggplant.

Grilling eggplant is a perfect way to enjoy its flavour. Team with thinly sliced garlic and a scattering of fresh parsley for a quick and delicious summer side dish.

Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt before grilling

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Recipe

Serves 4 as appetiser

Ingredients
2 eggplants, cut widthways into 1.5-2cm thick slices
Extra virgin olive oil for brushing, plus extra for drizzling
Sea salt
1-2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Parsley, coarsely chopped to garnish (optional)

Method
1) Preheat a griddle pan or bbq grill over medium-high heat. Brush eggplant slices with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt on both sides. Grill eggplant slices in batches, turning once until cooked through and the flesh has collapsed slightly (5-7 minutes on the first side, 4-5 minutes on the reverse side). Place the cooked eggplant in a medium dish, sprinkle the first layer with some of the garlic slices, tightly cover with a lid or sheet of foil to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining grilled eggplant, sprinkling with garlic between each layer. Drizzle the final layer with olive oil, cover and allow to stand for 10 minutes, this will help the flesh soften.

2) Before serving drizzle with extra olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt and scatter with parsley. Enjoy while warm or at room temperature with grilled meat or fish, or on toast with a good quality goats cheese.

Tip: Grill eggplant in half the time on an electric cafe-like grill (similar to a sandwich press).

Summer for me is all about salads. Honestly, how can I resist when there is still such an abundance of fresh garden produce available.

Taratur is a simple dip-like salad served during summer, traditionally with a shot of cold rakia (Macedonian white spirit). It’s a perfect accompaniment to grilled chicken and lamb or as a dip with fresh Turkish bread.

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Recipe

Serves  8

Ingredients
1 large or 2 small cucumbers, finely chopped (peeling and de-seeding is optional)
1 teaspoon sea salt
1-2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons olive oil
500g Greek style natural yoghurt (homemade yoghurt is best)
50g natural walnuts, roughly chopped

Method
1) Combine cucumber, salt, garlic and olive oil in a medium bowl and mix well. Add yoghurt and most of the walnuts and mix again.

2) Serve in individual bowls or in a large bowl with an extra drizzle of olive oil and scattering of walnuts.

Tips:
- Remove cucumber seeds by cutting the cucumber in half lengthways and scooping out the seeds with a spoon.
- Make 3-4 hours ahead of time and refrigerate until your guests arrive.

They say that the more colourful the ingredients on your plate, the better it is for you. I guess they’d be right with this summery bean salad, brought to life with fresh mint, garden tomatoes and sweet grilled chillies.

This would have to be one of my favourite summer salads which serves as the most delicious topping on grilled bread. If you already have a few grilled chillies in the fridge, this salad literally takes no more than a few minutes to bang together.

Serve as a light lunch, a rustic appetiser for guests or as a salad accompanying fish, salami or kjofte with a dollop of fresh yoghurt.
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Recipe

Serves 4 as an appetiser

Ingredients
1 small garlic clove, crushed
400g can of white beans, rinsed and drained
2 medium tomatoes, roughly chopped
4-5 grilled chillies, stems and seeds discarded, flesh roughly chopped
1/3 cup fresh mint leaves, roughly torn
1/4 cup olive oil
Sea salt to taste

8 slices bruschetta, ciabatta or sourdough, brushed with olive oil and grilled

Method
1) In a medium bowl add beans, crushed garlic and mix well. Add tomatoes, chillies, mint, olive and salt, mix to combine and serve immediately on grilled bread.

Traditionally maznik is made every “Suro”, for the “Old New Year” celebrated on 14 January (following the Julian calendar). A gold coin (wrapped in foil) is placed into the dough and baked. Each family member is then cut a slice of maznik, the tray is spun three times and the person that finds the coin has a full year of ‘good luck’. It’s a lot of fun and definitely something we all look forward to.

My great grandmother, Baba Pera taught mum how to make maznik at the young age of 12. There was no written recipe and no measuring cups, the recipe had been memorized and practiced for generations and passed down to all the females in the family.

It’s likely that maznik dates back to the Turkish Ottomon rule of the Balkans as each country has their own version. In Macedonia, maznik is a national dish, and dear to the hearts (and stomachs) of many. Making it on the other hand is back-breaking stuff and anyone who has attempted it, or has watched it being made knows it’s a labour of love and requires quite a lot of practice. Although it’s hard work, my goodness is it worth it! Handmade filo-like pastry rolled and filled with feta and baked until golden and flaky.

Maznik can be made by rolling (suchenje) or pulling (tegnenje) the dough. Rolling is definitely the more difficult of the two techniques but in my opinion is the tastiest and most delicate.

Maznik tastes best while still warm and enjoyed with fresh tomato salad and yoghurt.

P.S. I promise to follow this recipe up with a quick ‘Cheats Maznik’ recipe with store bought filo pastry.

Maznik process……………………………………………………………………………………

Recipe

Makes 2 large mazniks (or 3 small)

Ingredients
Sponge (yeast mix)
1/2 cup (125ml) lukewarm water
1 (7g) packet dry yeast
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons flour

Dough
1kg 00 plain bread flour, sifted, plus an additional 500g for dusting
1 teaspoon sea salt
3 tablespoons (60ml) cold water
2 tablespoons (40ml) warm water
2 2/5 cups (600ml) lukewarm water, depending on the weather you may not need to use all of the water
2 1/2 tablespoons (50ml) vegetable oil

2 cups (500ml) vegetable oil (canola or rice bran oil)
500g feta cheese, grated
Sesame seeds for sprinkling (optional)

You will need:
- Large bowl (for dough)
- Damp tea towel (to cover the resting dough)
- Clean tablecloth or bench
- Long thin rolling pin (make your own by purchasing a 1.2m length of  unfinished dowel from your hardware store and sand until very smooth)
- 2-3 large round trays (16″ pizza trays work well)
- Rectangular baking tray (for resting dough balls)
- 2 dinner plates, dusted with flour (to rest flattened dough)
- 2 medium bowls (1 for dusting flour, the other for grated feta cheese)
- Mug and tablespoon (for drizzling oil)

Method
1) To make sponge, stir water, yeast, sugar and flour in small bowl until smooth (1 minute). Allow to rest (7-10 minutes) or until double in size.

2) Grease round trays with vegetable oil.

3) Sift flour and salt into a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Add 3 tablespoons cold water, 2 tablespoons warm water and sponge (yeast mix). Use one hand to combine/mix while the other turns the bowl and combine the mixture (2 minutes). Add 1/3 of the water and mix again (3 minutes), add another third and combine (3 minutes), with the remaining water slowly add small amounts until the dough begins to clump and move as one (5 minutes).

4) Dust tablecloth or bench generously with flour. Place 1/3 of the dough (1/2 if you only have 2 large round trays) onto the surface, clean your hands properly to remove all the wet dough (rubbing with flour works best). Cover the remaining dough in the bowl with a damp tea towel to stop it from drying out. Return to the work surface and dust the top of the dough with flour and gently roll to cover all over, cut into 8 pieces (size of tennis balls) and knead into even balls (knead 20 seconds per ball), place onto an oiled tray, drizzle top with oil. Take the first ball (which will have flattened slightly), dust and knead again into an even ball, flatten using the palm of your hand, flipping 2-3 times and roll out to 20cm in diameter, rest on a flour dusted plate. Repeat with another ball, flattening and similarly rest on another floured plate.

5) Using the flattened dough from the first plate, dust both sides generously, dust the rolling pin and begin to roll out to an even circle (30-40cm in diameter). Dust with flour again, wrap one end of the sheet over the rod and quickly roll while gently pulling the dough, unroll in the opposite direction, i.e. if rolling from the left, when unrolled the rod will end up on the right. Use your rod to gently roll and even out the circle. Dust again and repeat this process another 2-3 times, rolling from left and pulling out to the right. By now the dough sheet should be thinner and larger so it will tear more easily. Dust with flour (concentrating on the edges as they will be stickier), once again wrap one end of the sheet over the rod and quickly roll while gently pulling the dough, unroll in the opposite direction. This time don’t use your rod to roll and re-shape. Repeat this process another 15 times and only dust with flour every 2-3 times or as required (e.g. if the dough sticks) until rolled out to a large even circle (approx. 1m in diameter).

6) Drizzle over oil by dipping your spoon vertically into the oil and quickly removing, then drizzling in a circle motion. Evenly sprinkle with 2 heaped handfuls of feta cheese. Using your fingers gently pick up the edge closest to you and fold over until half way, pick up the opposite side and fold over until just overlapped, drizzle with oil again and gently roll into a long sausage (if rolling on a tablecloth this can also be done by lifting the edge of the tablecloth closest to you and allowing the pastry to naturally fall/roll). Starting in the centre, arrange in an even coil on your oiled round baking tray (in a snail shape).

7) Return to your work area, take one of the balls (which will have flattened slightly), dust and knead again into an even ball, flatten using the palm of your hand, flipping 2-3 times and roll out to 20cm in diameter, rest on your empty flour dusted plate. Take the other rolled dough from your other plate and repeat steps 5 and 6 and continue to do this until the tray has been filled (you will need approx. 6-8 coils).

8) Once you have a full tray of coils, drizzle generously with oil, particularly around the edges and sprinkle with sesame seeds (optional). Allow to rest uncovered for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 200°C.

9) While the maznik is resting prepare your 2nd tray and repeat steps 4 to 8.

10) Bake for 25-30 minutes or until lightly golden. Rest for 10 minutes and serve while warm or at room temperature.

Tips:
- Maznik will keep refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months. Reheat in a hot oven before serving, it tastes almost as good as fresh maznik.
- Check out this video of an expert maznik maker, the technique is slightly different but  it will help to give you an idea of how thin each sheet needs to be

Every family has Christmas traditions, so every Christmas Eve Mum would bring out the Christmas ham. In preparation for the following day we’d enjoy a light dinner of ham off the bone, a beautiful tomato salad and fresh crusty bread (vienna loaf is best).

In reality, I love this tomato salad throughout summer, when juicy ripe tomatoes are in abundance. Depending on your taste buds, you may prefer this salad dressed with just olive oil and salt, as the tomato juices form part of the dressing. If however, your a vinegar lover like me, a splash of red wine vinegar makes this salad just perfect.

The best part is mopping up the juices with bite-sized chunks of soft bread, yum, yum, yum!
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Recipe

Serves 4

Ingredients
2-3 medium vine ripened tomatoes, cut into wedges
1 medium banana chilli, sliced into rings (also known as Hungarian or bullhorn chillie)
1/4 spanish onion, thinly sliced
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
Red wine vinegar to taste (optional)
Sea salt to taste

Method
1) Arrange tomato wedges in a bowl, top with onion and chillies. Drizzle with olive oil, vinegar (optional) and sprinkle with salt. Gently toss and serve immediately.

Tips:
- Leftover tomato salad makes the best tomato relish the following day. Store the leftovers in an airtight container overnight, the following day gently fry (medium heat) for 5 minutes or until the tomatoes collapse.
- Never store tomatoes in the fridge, keep in the pantry in a cool, dark spot.
- Use green capsicum if you are unable to find banana chillies.

Inevitably, living in an apartment limits what I can grow in pots on my sunny balcony. I have a couple of essential herbs growing like parsley, rosemary, basil and sage, but for the good stuff (chillies, tomatoes and cucumbers) I have to rely on my garden obsessed family. Luckily for me, the supply of heavenly summer garden vegetables has begun with my first bag of fresh chillies!

I have been brought up to believe that there are 101 ways to eat a chilli. And believe me, there are! You can bake, dry, pickle, stuff then pickle, dust with flour then fry, fry with eggs, fry with tomato, grill, add to stews and goulashes, in salads, in sauces, in relishes…the list goes on.

One of my favourite ways of eating sweet garden chillies is blistered, peeled and drizzled with olive oil and vinegar. It’s a delicious and healthy salad-type appetiser which can be eaten with a fork, but the best way to eat it is by holding the stem and gradually easing into your mouth, yum!

Use the stem of each chilli to turn over

Split each chilli in half to drain out any excess liquid

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Recipe………………………………..

Serves 4 as an appetiser

Ingredients
12 long banana chillies (also known as Hungarian or bullhorn chillies)
1/4 cup (60ml) olive oil
Sea salt to taste
Red wine vinegar to taste

Method
1) Rinse and dry chillies. Heat a bbq hot plate or grilling/frying pan (medium-high heat). Place half the chillies on the grill/pan and let the skin char and turn black (3-5 minutes on each side). Every so soften press down lightly to ensure all surfaces are being charred (being careful not to split the skin), use the stem of each chilli (or tongs) to turn over. Once blackened all over transfer to a bowl and cover with a dinner plate to keep in the heat (you can also place in a plastic bag), allow to cool (10-15 minutes).
2) Once cool enough to handle, peel and discard the skin. Use your thumb and index finger to split the chilli in half length ways to allow the excess liquid to drain out. Place the perpared chillies in a clean bowl, sprinkle with salt and drizzle over olive oil, use your fingers to ensure each chilli has been evenly dressed. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
3) To serve, chillies should be at room temperature. Place 2-3 chillies in a plate, drizzle with red wine vinegar and a little extra salt if necessary, eat with feta cheese and fresh crusty bread to mop up the juices.

Tip: You can also blister chillies in a very hot oven (250°C). Place chillies on a tray, bake for 15-20 minutes, turning regularly until blistered all over.

There is nothing better than fresh homemade yoghurt, served alongside stuffed capsicums and musaka, or drizzled with honey for quick summery breakfast.

Homemade yoghurt is a village tradition and although it requires a little patience, it’s super easy, healthy and well worth it.

Mum has been making yoghurt for years, but somehow dad has taken over and become the expert. This recipe is based on one I received via email last week (thanks Mara!) with some of dad’s tips.

Place yoghurt in 2 plastic shopping bags

Wrap snugly and don’t move for 6-12 hours

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Recipe……………………………………………

Makes 1 litre

Ingredients
1 litre full cream organic milk
2-3 tablespoons plain ‘live’ yogurt (use a natural yogurt containing acidophilus bifidus or similar – this is the starter yogurt)

You’ll also need:
Medium saucepan
Medium ceramic or glass dish with lid
Medium jug and whisk
2 plastic shopping bags
Small blanket or 2 bath towels

Method
1) In a medium saucepan bring milk to a gentle boil (stir every so often to avoid the bottom from burning). Allow the milk to froth up and remove from heat, taking care that the milk does not overflow.

2) In a warm, out-of-the-way spot lay the blanket or towels (lay in a cross formation) and 2 plastic shopping bags with the ceramic dish in the centre. Pour the milk into the ceramic dish and allow to cool (10-15 minutes) until the temperature reaches 43°C. If you don’t have a thermometer use the ‘little finger test’ – when the milk is just cool enough for you to comfortably hold your finger in for 10 seconds.

3) In a medium jug mix the plain yogurt and about a cup of the cooled milk. Whisk until smooth then poor back into the dish. Stir gently and cover with the lid. Tie each shopping bag and snugly wrap with a blanket/towels. (If using a blanket, wrap like a parcel – bottom end over first, then side over side, and the top end over last. If using towels – flap the top end over first, then bottom end, then side over side.)
DO NOT MOVE THE DISH ONCE IT’S BEEN WRAPPED as the milk will not set and coagulate. Leave overnight, or 6-12 hours.
Note: The longer you leave it the tartier it gets.

5) Unwrap and refrigerate. Once in the fridge, the yogurt will continue to thicken and set.

Tips:
- Be sure to save 2-3 tablespoons of your homemade yoghurt to use as the ‘starter yoghurt’ for your next batch.
- If the yoghurt doesn’t work out you can always turn it into cheese. Just bring to the boil with a tablespoon of vinegar and simmer for 2 minutes. Add a little salt, strain overnight and you’ll have homemade cottage cheese.