Kashk bademjan

4 aubergines

2 onions

2 garlic cloves

turmeric powder

teaspoon (?) of saffron threads

kashk

dried mint

Cover the saffron threads with a few tablespoons of hot water and let them steep. Cook the aubergines whole in a hot oven, turning once or twice, for 30-45 minutes until they are completely soft. Cut them in half and scoop out the flesh into a bowl. Chop one onion and slice the other. Sweat the chopped onion in oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and turmeric powder and stir for 30 sec before tipping in the aubergine. Let this simmer for 10 min. Add the saffron and its liquid. Stir in a teaspoon of kashk, then taste and add more as you like. Put into a shallow dish and top with a few dollops of kashk, mint oil, crispy fried onions and walnuts. Serve with bread.

Quinoa

1 cup quinoa

1.75 cup water

Rinse the quinoa. In a small saucepan, bring the water to boil. Add the quinoa, lower heat and cover. Cook for 20 min until the water has been absorbed.

Eggy baba

6 aubergines
4 eggs
tahini
smoked paprika
vinegar or lemon juice

Roast the whole aubergines in a very hot oven, under the grill. Let the skin burn. Turn them once so they cook evenly and go completely soft. Allow at least 45 min. Split the skin and scoop out the flesh into a colander, and let it drain. Meanwhile hardboil the eggs for 10 min. Slice them and take out the yolks. Coarsely chop the whites. Put them into a large mixing bowl with the cooked aubergine and several giant spoonsful of tahini. Mash it all up and season with salt, pepper, vinegar and smoked paprika. In a separate bowl, pass the egg yolk through a sieve. To serve, put the aubergine mixture in a flat dish and cover with the sieved egg yolk. Garnish with flowers.

Feta stuffed peppers

4 romano peppers
200 g feta
50 g cheddar
4 slices bread
2 onions
4 garlic cloves
1 chilli, deseeded
fresh herbs

Gently simmer the peppers in a big pot of water until they are soft but not tender. If they split, you overdid it, damn it. Drain them and let cool. Cut the tops off and take out the seeds. Blitz the onions, garlic and chilli with a bit of oil to make a puree. Put this with the cheese and bread and herbs in a food processor and blitz. It should be a smooth paste. Stuff -- don't overstuff -- the peppers and bake at 180 for 30-45 min.

Inspired by My Greek Dish

Oatmeal cookies

230 g softened unsalted butter
200 g brown sugar
100 g granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon treacle
2 teaspoons vanilla
zest of an orange

190 g flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt

255 g oats
candied orange peel or raisins

In a food processor, blitz the butter and sugar until it creams. Then put in the eggs, treacle, vanilla and zest, and blitz again to combine. Sift together the flour, bicarb, spices and salt into a very large mixing bowl. Add the sugar-butter and mix well with a wooden spoon. Add the oats and dry fruit and mix. Let it set in the fridge for 45 min. Preheat oven to 180. Roll the dough into balls of 50 g. Bake 8 at a time for 16 minutes.

Credit to Sally's

Coconut dal

1 onion

big spoonful ginger powder

little spoonful madras curry

1 tin coconut milk

1 tablespoonful tomato paste

1 star anise

bit of cinnamon

1 big handful red lentils

1 big handful urid dal

Chop the onion and sweat it in oil. Add the ginger and curry powder and fry for half a min without burning. Tip in the coconut milk, plus half a tin of water, and stir in the tomato paste. Put in the star anise and cinnamon. Bring to a simmer and then add the lentils. Cook 20-30 min till tender. Add salt.