Butternut Squash with Pistachio, Pesto, Feta & Pomegranate Seeds

This recipe is from a book named “Persiana” by Sabrina Ghayour.

Middle Eastern people often perceive butternut squash as bland. Taking inspiration from an Asian pesto-and-squash dish made by Sabrina’s friend, the chef Tony Singh, she came up with her own Persian pistachio pesto, adding salty crumbled feta cheese and a handful of vibrant pomegranate seeds for a burst of flavour. The result? It has become one of my favourite dishes for a meat-free main meal.

SERVES 2 AS A MAIN COURSE

OR 4 AS A SIDE DISH

Ingredients

1 large butternut squash, quartered lengthways and deseeded

4 tbsp olive oil

sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper

150g (5½oz) feta cheese

100g (3½oz) pomegranate seeds

For the pesto

100g (3½oz) shelled pistachio nuts

70g (2½oz) Parmesan or Grana Padano cheese, chopped into rough chunks

olive oil

small bunch of coriander, leaves picked

small bunch of parsley, leaves picked

1 small bunch of dill, leaves picked

3 tbsp chilli oil

Juice of 1 lemon

Method

Preheat the oven to 200℃/fan 180℃/gas mark 6. Once the oven is hot, rub each wedge of butternut squash with the oil, season generously with sea salt flakes and black pepper and place it on a baking sheet lined with non-stick baking paper. Roast the squash for about 45-50 minutes, or just until the edges have begun to char slightly. You want to blacken the edges a little — this gives them a nice chewy texture. To check the squash to see if it is properly cooked, insert a knife into the flesh if it slides clean through, the squash is ready. If you feel resistance, return the squash to the oven for a few more minutes. *E

While the squash is roasting * In a food processor, blitz the pistachios and cheese together, adding a generous amount of olive oil to slacken the mixture. Put all the herbs into the food processor with a little more olive oil as well as the chilli oil and lemon juice and blitz again, then add a handful of crushed sea salt flakes and give the mixture one last blitz. Taste the pesto, ensuring it has enough salt and acidity, then allow it to rest in the refrigerator until you need it.

* Serve each wedge of butternut squash on a plate, drizzled generously with the vibrant green pesto, Crumble the feta cheese on top and scatter over the pomegranate seeds to finish.

#HungryHighlander #Greek #Pork #Souvlaki Greek Pork Souvlaki

#HungryHighlander #Greek #Pork #Souvlaki This is my take on a Rick Stein recipe from his Venice to Istanbul series. This is one of my favourite summer recipes and a favourite when visiting Greece. It is delicious with Greek Lemon Rice (recipe to follow), Greek Salad (recipe to follow), Greek Tomato Sauce (recipe to follow), Tzatziki and Lavash Bread (or other flatbreads of your choice e.g. pita).

Level of difficulty – Easy

Ingredients:

400g/14oz pork shoulder, cut into 3cm/1¼ In cubes

For the marinade

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

2 tbsp Greek Olive Oil

2 tsp dried oregano

½ tsp ground cumin

½ tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 small garlic clove, grated Pinch of salt

Method

Mix all the marinade ingredients in a bowl and add the meat. Marinate for an hour or so (or overnight if you have the time).

Thread the cubes of meat on to skewers. Grill on a barbecue or under a hot grill for 10–12 minutes, turning occasionally until cooked through.

Serve with Greek Tomato Sauce, Greek Lemon Rice, Tzatziki and flatbreads of your choice.

Preparation Time – 15 minutes

Cooking Time – 18 minutes approximately

#HungryHighlander #ÇöpŞiş #ChopeShish Çöp Şiş

#HungryHighlander #ÇöpŞiş #ChopeShish I first came across this in a Turkish Restaurant in Berlin when I was there visiting my daughter and it blew me away! This is one of my firm favourites. This is a Turkish Kebab recipe which literally translates as ‘shish made of garbage.’ However, it’s anything but garbage. Çöp şiş is actually chicken (or lamb) scraps, the “garbage” left over when trimming perfectly symmetrical cubes of meat for a classic shish kebab. It is delicious with Bulgur Wheat and Chickpea Pilaf, Spicy Turkish Tomato Sauce (recipe to follow), Parsley and Onion Salad (recipe to follow) and Lavash Bread.

Level of difficulty – Easy

Ingredients:

1 kg chicken breast fillets (cut into roughly equal bite sized chunks)

4 cloves of garlic (crushed)

2 large tomatoes (chopped)

½ tsp black pepper

½ tsp chilli flakes (optional)

1 tsp dried oregano

¼ cup olive oil Pinch of Salt

Method

Place the chicken pieces into a large bowl and season well with salt and pepper, place the tomato, garlic, black pepper, chilli flakes (optional) and oregano into a word processor and blend until liquidised. Add the liquidised marinade to the chicken in the bowl and mix together well and refrigerate for at least an hour but preferably 3 or more (overnight is best). Thread the meat pieces on to skewers (wooden or metal) and either place under the grill or on a barbecue and cook on high for about six minutes on each side and check if cooked through, if necessary cook for three minutes more on each side (ensure the meat is cooked through before serving). Serve with Bulgur Wheat and Chickpea Pilaf, Spicy Turkish Tomato Sauce, Parsley and onion salad and Lavash Bread, a fabulous summer meal and very delicious.

Preparation Time – 15 minutes

Cooking Time – 18 minutes approximately

#HungryHighlander #PiriPiri #PeriPeri Piri Piri Chicken

Piri Piri Chicken with Sweetcorn and Chips

#HungryHighlander #PiriPiri #PeriPeri #Sauce Every now and then you need something just a little bit naughty but nice and one of my favourite meals out is Nando’s Extra Hot Piri Piri Chicken. This Piri Piri Chicken is delicious and satisfies that craving and is my go to recipe for a Thursday evening stay at home Nando’s! This is pretty easy recipe to make.

Level of difficulty – Easy

Ingredients:

6 bone in skin on chicken thighs

1 ½ cups piri piri sauce

½ tsp Nando’s Peri Peri salt

Method

Season the chicken thighs with Nando’s peri peri salt.

Place chicken in a ziplock bag. Add half of the piri piri sauce and rub together making sure it is well distributed on the chicken. Leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour or overnight preferably. If you need to make the chicken immediately, make incisions on it or remove the skin, marinade with the hot sauce and oven bake or grill immediately.

Preheat the oven at 200°C/ 392°F or medium-high heat if using the oven/gas grill. Alternatively, cook on open fire (barbeque)

Bring out the chicken from the fridge, remove chicken from marinade and shake off any excess drips.

Transfer chicken to a baking tray and bake for 30 minutes to 45 minutes. Baste the chicken every 10 minutes with another half a cup of the remaining marinade.

After chicken is fully cooked, leave to rest for some minutes and serve with remaining ½ cup piri piri sauce, sides of your choice and a lemon wedge. I usually serve it with boiled or roasted sweetcorn and either sweet potato or regular potato chips.

Preparation Time – 10 minutes

Cooking Time – 45 minutes

#HungryHighlander #PiriPiri #PeriPeri Piri Piri Sauce

#HungryHighlander #PiriPiri #PeriPeri #Sauce Every now and then you need something just a little bit naughty but nice and one of my favourite meals out is Nando’s Extra Hot Piri Piri Chicken. This sauce obviously isn’t an exact replica of the Nando’s Sauce but it has the same effect. This sauce is delicious with Piri Piri Chicken and is my go to recipe for a Thursday evening stay at home Nando’s! This is pretty easy recipe to make.

Level of difficulty – Easy

Ingredients:

4 (or more I used 6) Birds Eye Chillies

3 mixed red chillies about 60g

½ tsp ground bay leaf substitute with 2 bay leaves

1 tsp Nando’s Peri Peri salt

4 cloves garlic

1 tsp black pepper

1 tbsp chilli flakes

1 tbsp Oregano

Juice of 1 lemon

⅓ cup malt vinegar

1 large red bell pepper roughly chopped

½ cup vegetable oil substitute with any unflavoured oil

Method

Roughly chop the onion, red bell pepper and put all ingredients in a blender or food processor and puree to smooth paste. Check salt and seasoning and adjust accordingly.

Use the piri piri sauce as desired or store in a tight container and store in the refrigerator. Refrigerate until you are ready to use. This peri piri piri sauce would keep for up to a month in the fridge.

I prefer to cook the sauce in a saucepan for about 10 minutes when using it with Piri Piri Chicken.

Notes

This piri piri sauce would make about 2 cups

Preparation Time – 10 minutes

Cooking Time – 10 minutes (cooking is optional)

#HungryHighlander #Bulgur #Wheat #Chickpea #Pilaf Bulgur Wheat and Chickpea Pilaf

#HungryHighlander #Bulgur #Wheat #Chickpea #Pilaf This is my version of a really tasty recipe. I first discovered Bulgur Wheat in a Turkish Restaurant in Berlin and thought it was delicious. It goes really well with this lamb tagine recipe or with any North African, Middle East or Turkish dish. This is pretty easy recipe to make.

Level of difficulty – Not too tricky

Ingredients:

2 cups chicken/vegetable stock

1 cup bulgur wheat (we used coarse bulgur wheat from Asda)
1 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 medium carrot, diced

2 chillies, chopped (you can use less or more)

½ tsp fresh thyme leaves (optional)

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

Salt to taste

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

Method

Heat the Olive oil in a large pan, add the carrot and onion, sauté till slightly soft and add the chillies and thyme and cook for a further 2 – 3 minutes. Add the chickpeas stirring till the chickpeas are warmed through. Add bulgur wheat and combine ensuring everything is well mixed then add the stock, bring to the boil and then lower to a simmer, place a tight-fitting lid to the pan and cook for approximately 35 minutes. Serve with salad and the meat dish of your choice, delicious with any tagine dish.

#HungryHighlander #Lamb #Kofta #Flatbreads Lamb Kofta Flatbreads

#HungryHighlander #Lamb #Kofta #Flatbreads This is my version of a quick and easy Jamie Oliver recipe from his “Five” series. This is a dead easy recipe to make and was more delicious than I thought it would be, ideal for a quick and easy midweek supper.

Level of difficulty – Not too tricky

Ingredients:

250 g minced lamb

2 teaspoons harissa paste, plus extra to serve (we used Asda’s own brand)

250 g red cabbage

2 seeded wholemeal tortillas, or flatbreads

100 g Feta Cheese (we used Lidl’s own brand)

Red Wine Vinegar

Salt and Pepper

Method

Shred the red cabbage as finely as you can. Sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt and black pepper, drizzle with 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar, then scrunch together to quickly pickle it, set aside in a bowl until time for serving.

Crumble or cut your feta into small pieces and set aside.

Scrunch the minced lamb and harissa in your clean hands until well mixed.

Divide the lamb and harissa mixture into 6 pieces, then shape into koftas with your fingertips, leaving dents in the surface to increase the gnarly bits as they cook.

Put a griddle pan on a high heat.

Griddle for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, or until sizzling and golden. Warm your tortillas or flatbreads, sprinkle over the cabbage, sprinkle over the feta cheese, add the koftas, drizzle with a little extra harissa, and tuck in.

Preparation Time – 10 minutes

Cooking Time – 10 minutes

Nutritional Information

All Nutritional Information is estimated:

451 calories

Fat – 20g

Saturated Fat – 8.9g

Sugars 6.4g

Fibre – 9g

Protein – 32.4g

Salt – 1.3g Carbs 32.7g

#HungryHighlander #LowGI #Nut #Seed #Granola Low GI Nut and Seed Granola

#HungryHighlander #LowGI #Nut #Seed #Granola This is my version of a delicious breakfast recipe from Spoon University. This is a dead easy recipe to make with minimum amount of actual cooking.

Level of difficulty – Super Easy

Ingredients:

2 cups porridge (rolled) oats
4 tbsp pumpkin seeds
1 cup pecan nuts
2 tbsp chia seeds
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
½ cup unsweetened dried cranberries (optional)
⅓ cup coconut nectar or agave nectar
2 tbsp melted coconut oil
½ tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp almond extract
1 tsp vanilla extract

Method

Step 1

Add all dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl.

Step 2

Stir in melted coconut oil, coconut or agave nectar, almond extract, and vanilla extract.

Step 3

Preheat oven to 160ºC (325°F). Line a baking sheet with parchment and spread granola mix into a relatively even layer.

Step 4

Bake for 16 – 18 minutes, until you see the oats beginning to lightly brown. Serve with blueberries, raspberries and almond milk – delicious and super healthy.

#HungryHighlander #Moroccan #Mediterranean #Lamb #Tagine Lamb Tagine with Dates, Almonds and Pistachios

#HungryHighlander #Mediterranean #Lamb #Tagine #Dates This is my version of a delicious recipe from the “Food For Thought” Food Blog. This is an easy recipe to make with a few moving parts but nothing too complicated.

Level of difficulty – Not Too Tricky

Ingredients:

2-3 tablespoons olive oil plus a pat of butter
1 large yellow onion finely chopped
1-2 teaspoons ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground ginger

Thumb sized piece of ginger finely chopped
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 kg (2 ¼ lb) lean lamb, from the shoulder, neck or leg, cut into bite-size pieces
225g (8 oz) moist, ready to eat, pitted dates
1 tablespoon honey
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
a pat of butter
2-3 tablespoons blanched almonds
2 tablespoons shelled pistachios
a small bunch of flatleaf parsley, finely chopped Lamb Stock Cube

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 180ºC (356ºF), heat the oil and butter large frying pan. Stir in the onions and fresh ginger and sauté until golden brown. Stir in the turmeric, dried ginger and cinnamon. Toss in the meat, making sure it is coated in the spice mixture allow to cook for about 7 minutes or so until the meat is browned. Pour in enough lamb stock to almost cover the meat and bring it to the boil. Transfer everything into a tagine, place the lid on and transfer the tagine to the pre-heated oven, and leave for 1 ½ hours.

Add the dates and stir in the honey. Cover with the lid again and put back into the oven for a further 30 minutes. Season with salt and lots of black pepper.

Heat the olive oil with the butter in a small pan. Stir in the almonds and pistachios and cook until they begin to turn golden brown. Scatter the nuts over the lamb and dates and sprinkle with the flatleaf parsley. Serve with Bulgar Wheat & Chickpea Pilaf or if you prefer buttery couscous.

Lamb Tagine with Dates, Almonds and Pistachios and Bulgar Wheat with Chickpeas Pilaf

Preparation Time – 20 minutes

Cooking Time – 2 hours

#HungryHighlander #Mediterranean #Fish #Parcels Mediterranean Style Fish Parcels with Moroccan Spice

#HungryHighlander #Mediterranean #Fish #Parcels This is my version of a simple and easy recipe by Emily from the My Every Day Table Food Blog. This is the simplest of steamed fish meals, but also one of the tastiest. Simply parboil some new potatoes and sauté the garlic, tomatoes and olives, put them all together in a parchment and steam them in the oven for 10 or so minutes. Delicious!

Level of difficulty – Super Easy

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons garlic infused olive oil

1 clove garlic, sliced

16 mixed red and yellow cherry tomatoes, halved

8 (or more) mixed olives stuffed and flavoured (we used the Olives Trio from Lidl), pitted and roughly chopped

Harissa Paste (about 2 tbsp)

sea salt and pepper, to taste

4–6 oz fillets flaky white fish (we used cod)

1 small lemon, thinly sliced

4 Tablespoons white wine

1 small bunch basil, leaves torn

Baby new potatoes (about 350g)

Method

Preheat oven to 180º C (356º F). Cut 4 large squares of parchment paper.

Parboil the new potatoes for about 14 minutes (cut any slightly too big ones in half).

In a frying pan over medium heat, add 1 Tablespoon of garlic infused olive oil. Add the garlic, tomatoes and chopped olives.

Sauté for 3 minutes, or until the ingredients begin to soften. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Place a fish fillet in the centre of each piece of parchment. Spread the harissa paste evenly over each fish. Surround each fish with the parboiled potatoes and cover the fish with the tomato, garlic and olive mixture plus any juices from the pan, arrange two lemon slices on top of each fillet. Sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt and pepper. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon olive oil and 1 Tablespoon white wine.

Wrap each parcel by folding the sides together and creating a tent, ensuring there are no gaps as you fold the paper together.

Place the parcels on a baking sheet and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily and the flesh is opaque. Sprinkle the opened parcels with basil leaves and serve immediately.