Tomato and Bocconcini Salad with Pink Peppercorn Dressing

So as I said in a previous post, yes, I have made this dressing before. I was so happy with how it turned out that time, I wanted to try it again, but this time add pomegranate molasses (I just added a small amount as it is very strong). And again I love the result. The dressing was just so tangy, with a little bite, against the basil and the blander bocconcini. I think this dressing is going to feature heavily in my salads from now on.

I love salads, so therefore love summer. Pretty soon though the weather will turn cool and you'll see a few more vegetable dishes on the blog. But for the moment, I am enjoying these fresh, delicious salads.

Ingredients

250g cherry tomatoes

2 teaspoons salt

100g salad leaves (even though I just generally love it, baby spinach or rocket do honestly work best with this sort of salad) washed and dried

180g tub bocconcini slices

2 tablespoons pine nuts lightly roasted

Handful basil leaves

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon pomegranate molasses

1-2 teaspoons pink peppercorns (if you like extra tang, add the extra)

Method

Place the cherry tomatoes in a colander and add the salt. Leave to sit for at least an hour (the salt will draw moisture out of the tomatoes and intensify their flavour). Arrange the salad leaves, bocconcini, pine nuts and basil in a serving bowl. Just before serving, top with the tomatoes.

To make the dressing, crush the peppercorns in a mortal and pestle. Add the olive oil, red wine vinegar and pomegranate molasses and whisk to combine. Drizzle the salad with the dressing just before serving.

Thyme Potato Bake

I'll admit, I love thyme. I probably added a little too much to this recipe when I made it today. I have therefore halved it for the recipe below. I just think it works so well with the cream and potato and butter and garlic...all my favourites ingredients!

Mark loves potato bake, and I was never a fan until I started making this one. I originally used a a recipe I found in Marie Claire Taste 101 but I don't really go by that recipe any longer, I just put in what feels right.

Again, I cooked this for longer than necessary (and made extra so we would have leftovers). It probably only needs about an hour in the oven. I love dishes that take an hour or longer in the oven. This is because I love to prepare the dish before my guest arrive, put it in the oven just before they knock on the door and then spend some time with them while the meal is cooking.

Ingredients

300ml pouring cream

1/2 bunch thyme

30g butter

2 cloves garlic bruised

2 dried bay leaves

Salt and Pepper

6-8 potatoes (depending on size, I used 9 medium potatoes) slices thinly

Method

Place the cream, half the thyme, butter, garlic and bay leaves in a small saucepan. Heat until just boiling. Discard the bay leaves, thyme and garlic. Place the potatoes in layers in a baking tray. Add a little leftover thyme and salt and pepper to each layer. Pour the cream mixture over the top.

Cook for at least an hour, or until the top is crispy and the potato underneath is creamy and cooked through.

Sumac and Lemon Grilled Chicken Breasts and Baked Wings

I love chicken wings when they are seasoned and crunchy. But I also love succulent and juicy chicken breast, particularly when cooked on the BBQ. Today I could not decide which to make, so I decided to make both. I cooked for four people, but I made a little extra so we would have leftovers.

I was very undecided about what to flavour the chicken with...I now have so many herbs and spices that the choice is almost more difficult (if I only had a few items, the choice would be a lot easier). But at the last minute I went with sumac, lemon and garlic. These flavours taste so summery and fresh. If I had had any fresh mint, I would have sprinkled some on top when serving, but unfortunately, today I didn't.

I probably cooked the wings for about an hour and 50 minutes. They didn't really need this long, this just happened because we started the BBQ later than I had anticipated, and then the breasts took a while to cook. You really just need to cook them until they are crispy and golden.

Ingredients (serves 4 with leftovers)

3 plastic freezer bags

8 chicken wings

4 chicken breasts trimmed

2 teaspoons sumac

4 cloves garlic crushed (add less if you do not like garlic as much as I do)

Juice and zest of 2 lemons

Salt and Pepper

4 tablespoons olive oil

Method

Take two of the freezer bags and add to each: 1 clove garlic, 1/2 teaspoon sumac, zest and juice of half a lemon, a tablespoon of olive oil and salt and pepper. Add 4 chicken wings to each and use your hands to massage the marinade into the chicken wings. To the last freezer bag, add 2 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon sumac, zest and juice of 1 lemon, 2 tablespoons olive oil and salt and pepper. Add the chicken breasts and massage the marinade into the chicken. Store in the fridge until ready to cook (you could marinade for a few hours if you like).

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Place the wings in a single layer on a tray lined with baking paper. Bake for an hour or so until crispy and golden (or longer if desired).

Cook the chicken breasts on a BBQ until cooked through. Serve immediately.

You could serve with mayonnaise or aioli if desired.

Quick Weekend Lunch

It seems that it is the season for Mark's New Zealand relatives to be visiting. Mark caught up with one cousin during the week, today Mark's Uncle Stuart and Aunt Carol came over for lunch, and I believe another Aunt will be out next weekend also. It is lovely to see the family, and I was thrilled when Mark suggested that Stuart and Carol come to our place for lunch. This time of year there is a beautiful breeze coming off the water, and our balcony is wonderful and sunny (though a little hot at times).

Since lunch was arranged only yesterday, I did not have a lot of time to devise a menu. It is times like this that I am grateful for having many different spices and basic ingredients on hand. Having a large herb and spice range at home means I can quickly whip up delicious meals in no time at all without having to think too much, or buy too many fresh ingredients. And as soon as we have a house of our own, I plan on having a large pantry and freezer so I can store everything I may want or need.

Today I went with:

• Sumac and lemon grilled chicken breasts and baked wings
• Thyme potato bake
• Tomato and bocconcini salad with pink peppercorn dressing

I know I have made the pink peppercorn dressing before, but apart from the fact that I loved it, this time I added a little pomegranate molasses which went beautifully with the basil and bocconcini.

This meal worked well because pretty much everything was prepared in advance - Mark just cooked the chicken on the BBQ and I dressed the salad just prior to serving.

Stay tuned for the recipes...Mark has just poured me a glass of champagne to enjoy on the balcony!