Tag Archives: Sophia Skourti

Quinoa & eggplant roast

Ingredients :

  • 4 tablespoons sesame or olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
  • 350 gr aubergine, cut in 8 thick slices
  • 200 gr quinoa
  • 2 tablespoons tamari
  • 1 large red pepper sliced
  • 50 ml lemon juice
  • 2 courgettes cut in cubes
  • Parsley springs to garnish

Directions :

Preheat the oven to 180 C. Heat half of the oil in a frying pan and cook the aubergine slices until browned. Place them in a baking dish. Combine the tamari, lemon juice, water and ginger and pour over the aubergine slices. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes. Turn the slices over and bake for another 10 minutes until most of the liquid has been absorbed.

Place the quinoa in a pan with double its volume of water, bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes until tender. Put the remaining oil in a frying pan and sauté the red pepper and courgettes until soft. Add the quinoa, mix well and spoon over the aubergines. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes. Garnish with the parsley springs and serve hot.

Baked stuffed tomatoes and peppers

Ingredients

  • 4 large tomatoes, 4 large green peppers, 4 large red peppers
  • For the filling
  • 1 onion finely chopped
  • 50 grams of pine kernels
  • 2 carrots grated
  • 4 table spoons raisins
  • 2 courgettes grated
  • ¼ cup fresh basil finely chopped
  • 2 red peppers cut in small cubes
  • ¼ cup fresh parsley finely chopped
  • 150 grams mixed parboiled & wild rice
  • ¼ cup fresh mint finely chopped
  • 150 grams basmati rice
  • 2 teaspoons brown sugar
  • Olive oil, salt, pepper and freshly ground coriander

Directions

Preheat the oven to 180 C

Cut a thin slice off the top of each tomato to make a lid and reserve. Scoop out the pulp of the tomato using a spoon chop the tomato pulp in small pieces and set aside. Leave a 1/2-inch shell of the empty tomatoes. Place the tomato shells in a baking dish and sprinkle the insides of the tomatoes with some brown sugar and salt.

Cut a thin slice of the top of each green and red pepper to make a lid. Reserve the lids, discard the seeds and place the empty peppers in the baking dish.

Heat 4 tablespoons of olive oil in a large deep frying pan or casserole add the chopped onion and sauté for a few minutes. Add the pine kernels and sauté until lightly browned. Add the grated carrots, courgettes and chopped red peppers and raisings and sauté for a few minutes. Add the tomato pulp rice and 2 cups of water. Add 2 teaspoons of brown sugar, salt, pepper and ground coriander to taste and cook for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the casserole from the heat and add all the fresh herbs (parsley, basil and mint) and stir well.

Using a spoon fill in the tomato shells and peppers with the rice and vegetable mixture and put the lids on top. Place any extra filling in the baking dish. Add some water in the baking dish and sprinkle the stuffed tomatoes and peppers with some olive oil, salt and pepper. Cover the baking dish with an aluminum foil and bake in the oven for about 1 hour then remove the aluminum foil and bake uncovered for about half an hour until the tomatoes turn golden brown.

Serve hot.

Pasta Avocado

Ingredients for 4 portions

  • 500 gr whole-wheat penne
  • ½ red chilli
  • 3 ripe avocados
  • 25 grams chopped pine kernels
  • 2 limes
  • ¼ cup fresh basil finely chopped
  • ½ teaspoon fresh grated garlic
  •  ¼ cup Fresh parsley finely chopped
  • Salt & pepper and olive oil 

Directions

In a large pot put some water, salt and olive oil and bring to the boil. Cook the pasta until it’s ‘all dente’. Drain the pasta and reserve half a cup of the pasta water.

While the pasta is being cooked put 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a pan and slightly sauté the garlic, chilli and pine kernels and then move them in a large bowl. Add the lime juice, avocado cut into cubes, basil and parsley and mix well. Add the reserved pasta water and 4 tablespoons of olive oil and mix well. Stir in the pasta and add some salt and fresh pepper.

You can serve with some grated parmesan or nutritional yeast flakes for a vegan version of the dish.

Mediterranean chick peas

Ingredients

  • 225 gr chick peas soaked
  • 2 red peppers, chopped in cubes
  • 3 table spoons olive oil
  • 1 green pepper, chopped in cubes
  • Pinch of ground coriander
  • 450 gr tomatoes chopped in cubes
  • Pinch of ground ginger
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • Pinch of grated nutmeg 

Directions

Place the pre-soaked chick peas in a pan and cover with fresh water. Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and some salt. Bring to the boil, half cover and simmer for about 1 hour until tender. Drain and set aside.

Heat the remaining oil in a heavy frying pan. Add the spices, peppers and tomatoes and sauté until the vegetables are tender. Add the chick peas, mix well and cook together for about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve hot.