Stuffed peppers on the barbie

Serves 6

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 50g pine nuts
• 140g long grain rice
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 350g vegetable stock
• 1 bunch spring onions sliced thinly
• 140g cherry tomatoes, halved
• 150g ball mozzarella, chopped
• 140g Gorgonzola
• handful each of parsley and basil, chopped
• 3 red and 3 yellow peppers
• string, for tying

1. Make the stuffing: heat the oil in a medium pan with a lid and fry the pine nuts until lightly toasted, then add the rice and fry until the grains are glossy. Stir in the garlic, then add the stock and bring to the boil. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, until the rice is tender.Remove from the heat, cool slightly and stir in the spring onions, cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, Gorgonzola and fresh herbs. Season well and leave to cool.
2. Stuff the peppers: cut around the stalk from one pepper, remove and set aside. Make one slit down the length of the pepper and open out gently. Remove the seeds and membrane.
3. Spoon some filling into the pepper cavity, taking care not to overfill.
4. Take about a meter length of kitchen string and wrap the center point several times around the pepper stalk, tying it firmly.
5. Top with the stalk and wrap the ends of the string several times around the pepper to secure the filling. Tie the ends in a knot.Repeat with the other peppers.
6. Barbecue the stuffed peppers over moderate heat for 15-20 minutes, turning gently until the peppers are evenly browned. Don’t worry if the string chars and if the peppers split too much – wrap them in a piece of foil and finish cooking in the foil wrappers.

Grilled Onion Raita

Yield : 2 cups

• 1 1/2 teaspoons extravirgin olive oil $
• 1 onion, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices $
• 3/4 cup finely chopped English cucumber $
• 3/4 cup plain fat-free yogurt $
• 3/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Prepare grill.
2. Brush oil over onion. Place onion on grill rack; grill 4 minutes on each side or until browned and tender. Remove onion to a cutting board, and cool completely; chop.
3. Combine sliced onion, chopped cucumber, and remaining ingredients in a medium bowl; stir well.

Tandoori Barbecued Chicken

Serves 6

• 1.25kg (3 lb) chicken pieces, bone in
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 450g (16 oz) natural yoghurt, divided
• 3 tablespoons ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons ground coriander
• handful chopped fresh coriander
• 1 dessertspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 6 cloves garlic, minced

1. Score the chicken parts to help absorb more flavor. Mix together the lemon juice and salt; rub into the chicken meat. Place chicken into a shallow dish.
2. Place 1/2 of the yogurt and the cumin, ground coriander, fresh coriander, paprika, turmeric, salt, pepper and garlic into a blender or food processor, and blend until smooth. Transfer to a bowl, and stir in remaining yogurt. Pour over the chicken parts, cover, and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours, or overnight.
3. Preheat barbecue for medium heat.
4. Remove chicken from the marinade; discard any remaining marinade. Barbecue the chicken 30 to 45 minutes, turning frequently to prevent burning, until juices run clear. Smaller pieces will finish cooking first.

Tandoori chicken burger with mango chutney

Serves 4

• 500g chicken breast fillets
• 100g (1/3 cup) tandoori paste
• 2 tbs Greek-style natural yoghurt
• 1 tbs fresh lemon juice
• Olive oil spray
• 1 Lebanese cucumber
• 4 large Turkish bread rolls, split, toasted
• 80g baby spinach leaves
• 3 ripe tomatoes, thinly sliced
• Fresh mint leaves, to serve
• 120g (1/3 cup) mango chutney

Minted yoghurt

• 180g (2/3 cup) Greek-style natural yoghurt
• 1 1/2 tbs shredded fresh mint

1. Cut the chicken in half horizontally. Cut each piece in half lengthways.
2. Place the tandoori paste, yoghurt and lemon juice in a shallow glass or ceramic dish and stir until well combined. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 10 minutes to marinate.
3. Preheat a barbecue grill or chargrill on medium-high. Lightly spray both sides of the chicken with olive oil spray. Add the chicken to the barbecue and cook for 2 minutes each side or until cooked through.
4. Meanwhile, to make the minted yoghurt, combine the yoghurt and mint in a small bowl.
5. Use a vegetable peeler to slice the cucumber lengthways into thin ribbons. Spread the minted yoghurt evenly over the base of each bread roll. Top with the spinach, tomato, cucumber, chicken and mint leaves. Top with the remaining bread and serve with the mango chutney.

Cheese Fatayer

Makes around 20 pieces

• 2 cups white flour
• 2 tablespoon powder milk
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon yeast
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• a little oil
• a pinch of salt
• 1 egg
• Around 1 cup water

Stuffing

• 8 squares of Kiri Cheese
• A pinch of zataar

Topping

• Seasem Seeds
• One beaten egg

1. Mix flour, milk, sugar, yeast, baking powder,
2. oil, salt and egg together in one bowl while adding water gradually to make a combined dough.
3. Leave the dough to rest for about 20 mins until it rises.
4. Take a small amount of dough at a time and roll into a ball,
5. then flatten it and add the cheese in the middle.
6. Fold the flattened dough and close in the middle (As shown in the pic)
7. and place on the greased baking pan.
8. Brush on top of each piece with beaten egg and sprinkle with seasem seeds.
9. Repeat same process until the dough is finished.
10. Bake in oven (180 degrees) for about 20 mins or until golden brown.

Mozzarella Sticks

Serves 4

• 12 stick s of string cheese or 12 pieces of mozzarella cut into 4 x 1/2 inch sticks
• 1 1/2 cups panko-style breadcrumbs (or Progresso Italian-style Panko breadcrumbs)
• 4 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon table salt
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup of all-purpose flour
• Oil for frying

1. Spread the flour and breadcrumbs on separate plates (pie plates work well for this). Add the Italian seasoning, salt and pepper to the breadcrumbs and mix well. Place the eggs in a small bowl and beat them lightly.
2. Drop a piece of cheese into the flour and roll it around until it is well covered. Shake off the excess flour and dip the cheese into the egg mixture before rolling it in the breadcrumbs until well coated. One last time, dip the breadcrumb coated cheese back into the beaten egg and roll again in breadcrumbs to create an extra crispy coating. Set aside on a clean plate and repeat with the remaining cheese sticks. Once all of the mozzarella has been breaded, place the plate into the freezer uncovered and freeze until the breadcrumb coating is firm, at least 2 hours.
3. Pour enough oil into a large heavy-bottomed pot to come to a depth of at least 2 inches. Using an candy thermometer, heat oil until it reaches a temperature of 350°. Fry the mozzarella sticks in batches, being careful not to overwhelm the oil, until crispy and browned on the exterior, about 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
4. Repeat with remaining mozzarella, allowing the oil temperature to rise back to 350° between batches. You can place the finished mozzarella sticks in a 200° oven to keep them warm while the others fry.

Cinnamon Sugar Churros and Chocolate Sauce

Makes 30 mini Churros
For the churros:

• 1 cup water
• ½ cup butter
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 Tablespoon sugar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 eggs, beaten
• Oil for frying
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the chocolate sauce:

• ½ Tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 cup milk
• 2 ounces semi sweet chocolate
• 3 Tablespoons sugar

For the churros:

1. Combine water, butter, salt, and sugar in a medium sized saucepan and bring to a boil. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the flour then remove from heat. Continue to stir until the mixture begins to adhere to itself and form a ball.
2. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer then beat it for 1 or 2 minutes just to cool it down slightly.
3. With the mixer on slow speed, add the eggs, one at a time, beating until each addition is incorporated. Mixture should be smooth and shiny. Let the dough rest while you preheat the oil.
4. Pour enough oil into the pan to be a least 2 inches high. Heat to 350-375 degrees.
5. Meanwhile, make the chocolate sauce.

For the chocolate sauce:

1. Heat ½ cup of the milk and the chocolate in a small sauce pan until chocolate is melted. Whisk cornstarch into the remaining ½ cup of milk. Bring the melted chocolate mixture to a boil then whisk in cornstarch mixture and sugar. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring often, until mixture is thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
2. For frying:
3. Transfer the churro dough to a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip. Grab a pair of scissors, a plate or baking pan lined with paper towels, and a bowl with the ½ cup of sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon whisked together.
4. Over the pot of hot oil, squeeze the churro dough to about 4 inches in length then use the scissors to cut them off into the hot oil. You should be able to cook 3-4 at a time, depending on the size of your pot. Cook churros until golden on both sides, or about 1-2 minutes per side.
5. Place finished churros on the paper towel to drain. When they’re just cool enough to handle, roll them in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Serve warm with chocolate sauce.