Harissa Chicken Kebabs (Slimming World Friendly)

These gorgeous Harissa Chicken Kebabs are ideal for the BBQ or cooking under a grill and make for a lovely and light summer meal. 

I tend to serve with a big salad dressed in lemon juice and sumac and here I also roasted some peppers, red onion and courgette in Fry Light and served with wholemeal pitta. I'm currently doing Slimming World and the below makes x4 skewers which each work out to 1/2 syn each making this a really low-syn-meal especially if you use your Healthy Extra Option B choice for a wholemeal pitta or wrap. 

This is also great with a syn-free Tzatziki dip too; use this recipe but switch the Greek Yoghurt for Greek Fat Free Yoghurt instead. 

Here's how:

• 500g skinless, boneless chicken thighs
• 2 tbsp Harissa paste (you can find in most spice sections of supermarkets, I really like the M&S one)
• 2 tbsp fat free yoghurt
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 lemon
• 2 garlic cloves
• Salt
• Black pepper
• 1/2 tsp garlic granules
• Fry Light

A few hours before you wish to cook the kebabs, get a bowl and fill with the fat free yoghurt, harissa paste, cumin, garlic granules, a pinch each of salt and black pepper and the garlic cloves, roughly chopped. Halve the lemon and squeeze in the juice and then throw the lemons into the bowl too for extra flavour. 

Give the marinade a good mix. 

Now chop the chicken into small, bite-sized pieces and throw into the marinade. Use a spoon to mix the chicken around in the marinade so every piece is immersed and soaking up the flavours. 

Cover with a lid or clingfilm and place into the fridge for a few hours, removing about 30 minutes before you wish to cook. 

When ready to cook; thread the chicken pieces onto skewers so they are tightly packed on. I recommend investing in some reusable metal skewers; you can pick up for under a fiver in the summer months, and they are much better than the throwaway wooden ones; plus there's no chance of them setting alight on the BBQ or under the grill.

When the chicken is all threaded on, give each one a spray with Fry Light then place the skewers under a hot grill or onto the hot BBQ and allow to cook for exactly four minutes, then carefully turn onto the over side and cook for a further four minutes, which should be ample time to cook through. Take one skewer off and check one of the biggest pieces of chicken by cutting into the centre, and ensuring it isn't pink inside. 

If satisfied these are cooked, remove from the grill and place onto a plate to rest for another four minutes, or return to the grill for a couple more minutes to finish off. Enjoy!

If like us, you love a kebab or food one a skewer here are a few other recipes you may like:

• Adana Kebab
• Chicken Tikka Kebabs
• Italian Chicken Skewers
• Beef Terriyaki Skewers
• Lamb Shish Kebab
• Beef Kofte Kebabs
• Chicken Souvlaki
• Healthy Chicken Shish Kebabs

Lamb Kleftiko

Lamb Kleftiko is a joyous dish, it takes just a little effort to make something truly spectacular and utterly delicious; you just have to be prepared to have the oven on all day. 

The marinade that is rubbed into the meat, helps to give a beautiful flavour, and cooking low and slow in the oven, means the meat will literally fall or pull apart at the slightest touch of a fork.

I make the lamb on a bed of potatoes and tomatoes with a few other seasonings, and then served with a Greek Salad and some Tzatziki.

I've used the cheaper cut of half a shoulder of lamb here, but many recipes call for the more expensive leg; which would be great if you are feeding a bigger crowd.

The below serves 4-5

Lamb Kleftiko

Here's how:

1/2 shoulder of lamb

For the meat rub/marinade:

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp capers
• 4-5 cloves garlic
• Juice of 1 lemon

The vegetable base:

• 6 potatoes
• 4 tomatoes
• 2 tbsp Kalamata or other black olives
• 4-5 garlic cloves
• 1 lemon
• 1 large red onion
• Handful bay leafs
• Pinch salt
• Pinch black pepper
• 1 glass white wine
• 1 glass water

You will also need:

• Grease proof/baking paper or tin foil
• Large roasting tin or casserole dish
• 1/2 glass water
• Small corner of feta cheese (optional)

Firstly make the meat rub by either placing all of the ingredients into a Nutribullet or blender, or simply pulsing with a pestle and mortar. You should get a dark brown paste.

Take the lamb shoulder and rub it all over with the paste using either your hands or the back of a spoon. Make sure every piece of lamb has a flavourful coating and leave to stand for an hour. 

At this point you can pre-heat the oven to a low 160 degrees.

Now get a large roasting tin or dish, and firstly cover with lots of excess with a sheet of grease proof paper or tin foil length-ways. Now do the same width-ways so you have one piece over another; so once everything is in the dish, you can cover it up well and loosely.

In the meantime you can prepare the vegetables. Firstly peel the potatoes and cut into large wedges; if you cut them too small, they may turn to mush in the long cooking process. Scatter them all over in the roasting tin.

For the red onion, peel it and cut into wedges and scatter about. For the garlic you can either peel or leave in the skins and scatter all over. Throw in the olives (as I have two small girls, I tend to remove the stones first and throw them in). Now cut the lemon into quarters and add to the dish. Season at this point with salt and pepper.

The vegetable base for the Kleftiko

Now you can place the lamb shoulder on top of the vegetables. At this point pour over the dish a full glass of white wine (any open bottle will do it) and then re-fill with water from the tap and pour over this too. 

Lamb Kleftiko before it is wrapped and popped into the oven

Now is the wrapping process; you want it sealed up, but not too tightly. Grease proof paper lends itself really well to this. I've tried to show pictures of how I do this; you can also use kitchen string, but I find you can fold and scrunch it easy enough. So firstly take the length ways piece of paper, fold each end over towards each other, and then take the corners and kind of knot or scrunch around each other so the dish is loosely covered. 

How to wrap the first layer of paper around the Kleftiko

The second bit is easier, you just fold over and then to seal, I pour over about half a glass more water, which stops the liquid inside escaping and helps to keep the lamb moist and tender.

Fully wrapped Kleftiko with a little water over to keep it sealed

Now place into the oven and cook for a minimum of 5 hours; but for perfect, pull-apart at the touch lamb, cook for 7 hours. Remove from the oven, and serve at the table with your choice of accompaniments and unwrap at the table for the big reveal. As an optional extra, you could crumble over a little feta cheese before serving for one final Greek flourish. Enjoy!

Lamb Kleftiko

If you love Greek dishes like us, you may enjoy some of the below recipes:

Moussaka
Chicken Souvlaki
Prawn Saganaki
Pastitsio - The Greek Lasagna
Briam
Gemistes - Greek Stuffed Tomatoes
Feta and Spinach Open Tart
Greek Chicken Traybake
Beef Stamna 
Spanakopita - Greek Cheese and Spinach Pie
Soutzoukakia - Greek Meatball Bake
Greek Chicken One Pot

Lamb Shish Kebab

These lamb shish kebabs, are a real tasty fakeaway treat for all of the family - much needed at the moment while we're all self-isolating. We had this last night with some Healthy Chicken Shish Kebabs, Turkish giant couscous, flatbreads, Cacik and Hummus and a lovely feta salad and we got the Turkish music blaring on YouTube and even opened some Efes to make us feel like we might be at a restaurant.

You can play around with the spicing to your personal taste. and the longer you marinate the meat for, the better, more flavourful and more tender it will be. 

The below cooks them to 'medium rare' with just a blushing pink in the centre; if you prefer your lamb cooked right through, just cook for longer. 

I cooked this under our grill last night - but you could of course cook on a barbecue too; although it's a bit trickier to get the timing right on coals or gas. 

I have included below for a 'vegetable skewer' which is just a lovely accompaniment to have charred onion and red pepper with your kebabs, but you could alternatively thread the lamb kebabs with the onion and pepper too or omit if you're not keen.

Lamb Shish Kebab

Here's how:

• 500g lamb leg 
• 3 tbsp natural yoghurt
• Juice and body of 1 lemon
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 tsp cumin
• 2 tsp cinnamon 
• 1 tsp allspice
• 1 tsp dried chilli flakes
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 tbsp Harissa paste (you can substitute for tomato puree if you don't have harissa)

For the vegetable skewer:

• 1 red pepper
• 1 large white onion

For post-cooking:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Juice of 1/2 lemon

A few hours before you wish to cook the kebabs, or even better, the night before; chop the lamb into small 2cm cubes, and place into a plastic container big enough to contain the meat and the marinade.

Now add the natural yoghurt, olive oil, harissa paste and all of the spices. 

Meanwhile roughly chop the garlic, and throw into the mix, and half the lemon and squeeze out the juice directly into the container, then throw in the remaining lemon halves.

Now use a spoon and mix thoroughly to ensure every piece of lamb is immersed in the marinade. 

When ready to cook, thread each piece of meat onto one of your skewers, and pack the meat on fairly tightly. 

For the vegetable skewer, cut the red pepper into 2 cm square-ish shaped and sized pieces and the same for the onion, and thread onto another skewer. 

Now place all of the skewers under a hot grill, for four minutes, then carefully turn over and cook for a further four minutes, which should make for medium rare lamb. 

In the meantime, pour into a small bowl or ramekin the 1 tbsp olive oil, and squeeze in the lemon juice. (You could also add a crushed garlic clove or some freshly chopped parsley if you wish.)

Remove from the grill, and place onto a plate to rest for four minutes whilst you assemble the rest of your dish. 

When you place onto a platter or onto individual plates, then use the olive oil and lemon mixture and a pastry brush and simply brush each kebab with the oil. Enjoy!

If you love a kebab you may also like the recipes for some of the below:

Healthy Chicken Shish Kebabs

Greek-style Chicken Souvlaki

Pork Souvlaki

Beef Kofte Kebabs

Tzatziki 

Beef Kofta Kebabs

As we’re now in the midst of barbecue season, it seemed a perfect time to cook and share one of our favourite charcoaled meat dishes - beef koftas.

I cook these year round (under the grill outside of summer), but there is something extra special about the taste when barbecued and served with pitta, salad and tzatziki or any other array of lovely summer dishes.

You can play around with the herbs and spices depending on what you like, but these are good. I use 15% steak mince, as whilst I’m attempting to shave off some calories here and there, they need a little fat in them to keep them moist and prevent them drying out.

The below makes around six koftas.

Beef Kofta Kebabs

Here’s how: 

• 500g 15% fat steak mince
• 2 large spring onions
• 2 cloves garlic
• Pinch salt
• Black pepper
• 2 tsp paprika
• 2 tsp cumin
• Handful each of fresh mint, parsley and coriander
• 1 beaten egg to bind

Firstly get a large bowl and throw the meat in. Season generously.

Now peel and mince the garlic and finely chop the spring onions and add to the meat bowl.

Measure out the spices and add to the bowl.

Roughly chop the herbs up and throw into the bowl and then crack the egg into a separate bowl and whisk it.

Now throw the egg into the bowl and use your hands to smoosh everything together.

Once you’re happy with the consistency, break into six roughly equal sized pieces and roll into a sausage shape.

Really use your hands to bring together and roll against the chopping board to help it get into this shape.

Once the koftas are ready, use a skewer for each and pierce all the way through. You’ll now need to use your hands to press the koftas around the skewers a little and this can help lengthen the koftas too. You ideally want an equal thickness all the way along, so they cool evenly. Don’t be too gentle, you want them to be tightly packed around the skewer so they don’t fall apart during cooking.

Beef Kofta Kebabs

Now wash your hands, and find a plate or board and spray with some Fry Light or an alternative and then place each kofta on this. Cover with cling film and place into the fridge until cooking time.

Allowing them some time in the fridge also helps prevent them from falling apart when cooking.

When you’re ready to cook them, give them a quick spray with Fry Light, to stop them sticking to the grill, then place them onto the main part of the barbecue grill and allow to cook for 4 minutes on each side, turning carefully with tongs as you go.

They take about 10-12 minutes in total cooking on coal, but if you are unsure, just cut into the thickest part of one of them to ensure it’s cooked through.

If you like it really charred, then cook for longer. Enjoy!

Skinny Stuffed Peppers

Gemistes or Stuffed Vegetables (peppers in this case) are a mid-week favourite at our house, they are quick and easy to prepare so; perfect for our busy lifestyles.

In my quest of healthier eating and losing weight, I created this 'skinny' version using cauliflower rice instead of my usual basmati, and just a little lean steak mince for some protein and iron.

This recipe makes enough mix for x4 stuffed tomatoes or peppers but if you want to make a bigger batch of the filling, it freezes well.

Each stuffed pepper contains around 250 calories and you can serve with your choice of accompaniments – here I had a side salad, 100g sweet potato fries and 30 feta for a really lovely balanced meal.

I highly recommend also preparing your own low-calorie tzatziki to accompany the gemistes too which you can do by combining 3 tbsp 0% fat natural yoghurt, 50g cucumber (grated), one minced garlic clove and a few mint leaves - 1 tbsp is around 30 calories so it's well worth the effort for a real taste of Greece. 

Skinny Stuffed Peppers

Here's how:

• 150g lean steak mince
• 1 onion
• 1 garlic clove
• X4 peppers or beef tomatoes (for stuffing)
• 100g cauliflower
• Handful fresh mint leaves 
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 pepper (any colour)
• 1 large tomato

Firstly place 10ml coconut oil into a non-stick pan and place onto a gentle heat.

Now finely dice the onion, mince the garlic and place into the pan.

Now cut the rest of the vegetables (barring the cauliflower) into small cubes, of the same sort of size and set aside for the minute.

Either blitz your cauliflower in a blender or if you prefer a slightly coarser, larger texture like myself, use a box grater and simply grate it, leaving to one side.

Once the onions have softened, add the lean steak mince and season with a pinch of black pepper and salt. Use a spatula to move the meat around and prevent it from sticking together.

Once the meat has started to brown add the oregano and cinnamon and stir and then add the tomato, pepper and courgette and allow to fry for a few more minutes.

Skinny Stuffed Peppers

At this point pop the oven on to 180 degrees and prepare the tomatoes or peppers for stuffing. If using peppers, simply slice the top off, and remove the seeds, retaining the top (stalk too) for a lid. If using the tomatoes, gently slice the tops off (also retaining) and then with a sharp knife cut out all of the flesh, leaving just the shell of the tomato behind. Then add a smidge of salt to the inside of each one and turn upside down to draw out a little of the moisture and prevent it from becoming too soggy during cooking.

Back to the meat mix, by now you will be ready to add the cauliflower rice and simply fry with all of the other filling ingredients for around 2 minutes then remove the pan from the heat.

Now finely slice the mint leaves - be generous here as these leaves will give great flavour to the finished dish. Now stir through the meat and vegetable mix.

Now place the peppers or tomatoes into an oven proof dish, and spoon in the filling till each is tightly packed full. Place the lid on top of each and of mot secure, use skewers or cocktail sticks to hold in place during cooking. Now loosely cover with foil and place into the oven for forty minutes.

Skinny Stuffed Peppers

 Allow to rest for a few minutes before serving with your choice of accompaniments. Enjoy!

Gemistes - Greek Stuffed Tomatoes

I adore Greek food and this is a dish I first tried on the island of Crete, in a lovely little village called Gouves about six or seven years ago. I've since experimented and made my own versions of 'Gemistes' (stuffed vegetables) and I think this version is the definitive one. 

It goes down well with veggies and meat-lovers alike and you could of course adapt it to include some minced beef, pork or lamb or make it slightly more indulgent by including some feta cheese which will melt and make it unctuously delicious. 



You can also use bell peppers instead, but I prefer the texture that the tomatoes take on once baked. 





This is one of the many dishes I make for 'Greek night' at my house and my girlfriends love it - it transports us to sunny holiday memories.





This makes enough for six people and is best served with some 'horta' or salad leaves and some Tzatziki.

Gemistes Greek Stuffed Tomatoes


Gemistes as part of a Greek feast




6 beef tomatoes
1 red onion
1 large clove of garlic
1 courgette
1 green pepper
1 red or yellow pepper
1 tbsp salt
Pinch of black pepper
Handful of fresh mint
Enough rice to fill the tomatoes (will depend on the size - I used about 100g dried rice here) 
Fresh vegetable stock (optional)



Firstly place the rice on to cook - preferably in some fresh vegetable stock for added flavour but in salted water is also fine.
Next carefully slice off the tops of the tomatoes, retaining the green part as it just looks nicer at the end. Use a sharp knife to gently score around the inside of the tomatoes to loosen up the inside, then scoop out the flesh with a teaspoon and discard. Add a tiny amount of salt to the inside of each tomato then turn upside down on a plate to allow some of the moisture to trickle away.
Next dice the onion, courgette and peppers and crush the garlic and add to a pan on a low heat with a drizzle of olive oil. Gently saute for about five minutes until just softened
Chop the fresh mint finely.
Once the rice is cooked, drain away any remaining water, place into a bowl and use a fork to fluff up a little. Add the mint and the sauteed vegetables, the pinch of salt and black pepper and stir thoroughly so everything is evenly distributed. 
Place the tomatoes into a baking dish or tray, the right way up now, and scoop even amounts of the rice mixture into each, right up to the top. Use a spoon to tap firmly down so the tomato is completely full of delicious rice. 
Place the lids of each tomato on top and then loosely cover the whole dish with tinfoil to protect the skins from charring. 
Place into the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Allow to rest for a few minutes when they come out of the oven as they will be piping hot, and then serve with your accompaniments and preferably a crisp glass of white wine or a bottle of Mythos Greek beer and allow yourself to be transported to holidays gone by. 

Sheesh, Chigwell

Sheesh is a family run restaurant that sits in the rather splendid building that was once home to Ye Olde King’s Head pub in the centre of Chigwell, Essex. I’ve visited several times and have never had a bad meal here, and what’s more, the atmosphere is always electric - filled with a buzz that is hard to achieve in local restaurants outside of the centre of London.

Primarily, a Turkish theme runs throughout the menu, with some other Mediterranean influences - this is basically a ‘posh kebab house’ as my Dad would call it with a few bells and whistles. As I’ve said, the location and venue is in itself fantastic - as well as a vast dining area, there is also an outside terrace that is heaving in the sunshine and the bar upstairs is lively and they have regular performers on to keep the crowds in after their meals too.

I visited Sheesh a few weeks back on a Friday night with three of my girlfriends, Steph, Jade and Jemma for a meal followed by drinks and dancing in the bar.

We started with some appetisers to share – firstly the ‘Karisik Meze’, a selection of homemade dips including taramasalata, hummous, tzatziki, a tomato and onion dip and two aubergine based dips, one smoky, garlicy baba ghanoush-style dip and one oily tomato based dip. All were great but particular mention must be made for the tarama and the aubergine/tomato dip – delicious.

Clearly the four of us wouldn’t be content with just dips being the greedy sorts we are. To complement our dips we also ordered some fried halloumi cheese, gorgeously salty with that almost crust of flavour on the outside and a nearly-gooey interior as well as a plate of ‘sigara boregi’. A plate full of filo pastry cylinders filled with cheese and spinach –calorific but exceptionally tasty. With a satisfying crunch as you bite in, but filled with the most moreish soft and tempting centre.

Jade and Jemma each chose a dish from the ‘specials’ menu, veering away from the traditional dishes. Jade opted for the ‘Kleftico’, different from the Greek version that I know, this was a lamb shank cooked slowly in a tomato and vegetable sauce with the potatoes cooked in the sauce. Not being a fan of lamb, this is something I wouldn’t normally try but the aroma of it was incredibly appetising and so I tried a small little mouthful and was pleasantly surprised. The meat was so tender from the long, slow cooking process and was filled with flavour. Jade certainly enjoyed.

Jemma chose the ‘Kremali Tavuk’, a special of chicken breast served in a creamy red and green pepper and mushroom sauce. The chicken was succulent and moist and the cream sauce was to die for – delicious with some of the pita dipped in. A portion of asparagus made up the rest of Jemma’s meal and it really is worthy of mention alone. It came drizzled in a garlic and herb butter that is simply to-die-for and is then scattered with sea salt which gives that added, flavourful crunch – sensational.

Steph and I both ordered from the huge charcoal grill situated at the end of the main section of the restaurant. We wasn’t sitting in that area on this particular evening, but if you are making an evening of it at Sheesh, try to request a table in this area as it is fabulous to watch the kitchen staff at work – but be warned if you are heading out elsewhere after your meal, you may find yourself coated in eau de kebab.

I chose the ‘Tavuk Sis’ or chicken shish kebab which was exceptional as always. The chicken was juicy and beautifully spiced with just a hint of chilli. Served with a colourful salad of sliced onion, carrots, red cabbage, green leaves and a chopped tomato and cucumber combo as well as a whole, raw chilli the kebab was sitting aboard a flat-bread. Several sauces come alongside anything cooked on the charcoal grill – all of varying heat - Steph and I were both keen on the extra hot which packed a serious punch. A great dish.

Steph embarked on a Woman vs Food mission and chose the ‘Karisek Grille’ – the mixed grill, a selection of all of the meats cooked over the grill. Now all four of us love our food, but we were impressed by Steph as she managed to eat all of the meat on the grill (with a little help from us having the odd nibble).

She had no complaints whatsoever and as well as the same flatbread and salad that came with mine, Steph’s meal consisted of the chicken shish that I had, lamb shish, a lamb chop, a marinated chicken wing, a lamb kofta, and a minced chicken meatball. All were pleasing, but Steph’s particular favourites were actually the chicken and lamb shish that Sheesh do so, so well.

We had an impressive three bottles of the Moko Black New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc at the table too and after paying the bill, around £180 including service, we headed up to the bar to enjoy the live singer. A lovely soulful singer who belted out some absolute old school tunes, veering between Motown and modern songs, it wasn’t long before the combination of great atmosphere and a round of Aperol Spritz and Champagne cocktails had the four of us up dancing, and we were not alone.

Service was good throughout the evening and we really did have a fabulous time. My only slight gripe would be the fact you can only have the table for a certain amount of time, and when our two-hour slot was up the waiters were hovering around us quite blatantly, which as we were only heading upstairs was a tad irritating.

I would certainly recommend Sheesh for a good night out in Essex – great food, drinks and atmosphere are provided so the only thing you need is good company like I had on this particular evening.

Pork Souvlaki and Baked Feta

As regular readers will know I adore Greek food but struggle to find many decent, authentic restaurants serving Greek food around so when I get a craving for this type of food there are a few recipes I turn to for an instant mood boost. 

Prawn saganaki or youvetsi, stifado, briam, moussaka and beautiful gemistes or stuffed tomatoes or peppers are favourites but take a little effort. For mid-week Greek, my go-to is always souvlaki - fantastically flavoured skewers of pork or chicken that transport me immediately to the beautiful islands. 

Marinated overnight, the accompaniments can be flung together while the meat cooks. Here I've served with Greek Salad, pitta and homemade tzatziki as well as baked feta or as my Greek friends call it, 'feta in the oven.' 

This recipe makes a meal for two or three and some delicious leftovers for lunch the next day.

For the souvlaki:

350g pork loin steaks

150ml extra virgin olive oil (you can just use olive oil but I prefer the pepperiness from the extra virgin)

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Juice of 1/2 lemon

2 large garlic cloves, crushed

1 large tbsp dried oregano

1/2 tbsp dried thyme

I use pork loin steaks but almost any cut could be used here. Chop the pork into equal cubes and place into a bowl or a food bag and cover with the olive oil.

Add the remaining marinade ingredients, stir and cover and place in the fridge either overnight or for at least 2-3 hours..

Remove from the fridge and allow the pork to come back down to room temperature while you assemble the simple Baked Feta dish for which you will need the following:

1/4 block of feta

1/2 red pepper

1/2 green or yellow pepper

1 1/2 tsp runny honey - preferably Greek

1 heaped tsp paprika

1/2 tsp black pepper

Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees. Slice the peppers longways and place into a small, oven-proof dish. 

Slice the small block of feta into similar size and shape as the peppers and pop into the dish. Season with black pepper and if you wish, a small pinch of salt - I omit from using the salt as feta is quite a salty cheese. 

Sprinkle over the paprika and then drizzle over the runny honey and place into the oven for 30 minutes.

Getting back to the souvlaki - if you have some, place the meat on skewers. You can easily make without the skewers though so don't worry. If cooking inside, the grill is preferable. I tend to cover the grill with a sheet of tin foil and then place the souvlaki on top and cook for about ten minutes on the medium setting, watching and turning as needed.

While the souvlaki is cooking you can throw together your Greek Salad and Tzatziki and either place your pitta into the grill too or gently toast.

I do hope these recipes are useful to some readers - they certainly bring me comfort when I'm craving Greek food and on that note if anybody knows of any good Greek restaurants, please do share - enjoy!

Tzatziki

There are many varieties of tzatziki out there - but this is the fail-safe recipe I use time and time again which complements a variety of Greek dishes and which goes down a storm each and every time.

Combine 200g Greek natural yoghurt with a quarter of a cucumber finely grated, 1 large clove of garlic, crushed and about a tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves and stir through - simple but fantastic.

Two Ways With...

Halloumi

In the second of this series of posts I've chosen the Cypriot cheese that is increasingly popular in the UK. Readily available in most supermarkets and a frequent contender on menus in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern restaurants, it is often used in one of two ways.

The first is as 'saganaki', which translated from Greek means frying pan, or fried, and simple as it is, I do enjoy this style. The second which I seem to see more and more of is sliced, grilled and piled up in stacks of grilled vegetables, simply drizzled with oil. Again this is nice, however I think this is a versatile cheese that has more to it than these two dishes let on.

So my two dishes this time cook the cheese in different ways, both ways paired with almost identical ingredients used in different ways. Two different plates of food, and two very tasty dishes.

What's more these are a great couple of dishes to offer to vegetarian guests - something that I seem to have a lot of!

You may notice that both of these recipes use chilli, mainly as I am slightly addicted to spice, and if you prefer a milder flavour then decrease the amount of chilli used.

Chilli and Lime Vegetables with Grilled Halloumi

This is an incredibly simple but seriously delicious hot salad topped with lovely grilled Halloumi, perfect for a warm summer's day when you fancy something light to eat, but don't want to compromise on flavours. I served this with a dip which works as an excellent alternative to Greek tzatziki - using coriander instead of mint, which works well with the lime and chilli.

100g Halloumi
1 courgette
1/2 an Aubergine
1/2 Red Onion
1 Green Chilli
4 Cherry Tomatoes
2 Tbsp Creme Fraiche
1Tbsp Coriander
1 Clove of Garlic

First cut the courgette and aubergine into ribbons using a vegetable peeler. Halve the tomatoes and chop the onion and chilli.
Pour a drizzle of olive oil into a large griddle pan over a medium heat and pop in all the vegetables.
Slice the Halloumi so it's at least 1/2cm thick.
Once the vegetables are nicely cooked, remove to a dish, cover with foil and pop under a warm grill whilst you add the halloumi to the griddle.
In the meantime place the creme fraiche in a small bowl. Crush the garlic and chop the coriander and add to the bowl and give a good stir.
Assemble the hot vegetables onto your serving plate and squeeze half a lime, or more if you require over them. Season with black pepper (don't use salt if you can help it as the cheese has a high salt content).
Once the Halloumi has been grilled for at least two minutes on each side place on top of the vegetables and you're ready to serve with your dip on the side.
For me this is like a taste of the Med.

Deep-fried Halloumi with Chunky Guacamole
100g Halloumi
1 Ripe Avocado
3 Cherry Tomatoes
1 Green Chilli
1 Clove of Garlic
1/2 Red Onion
1 Tbsp Coriander, chopped
1 Tsp Mint, chopped
1/2 Lemon or Lime Juice
1 Slice of White Bread
1 Egg, whisked
1/2 Cup of Plain Flour

Firstly make your guacamole by chopping your onion, garlic, chilli and tomatoes (try to remove seeds) and adding to a mortar.
Cut the avocado in half, remove the pip and skin and slice. Add this to the mortar with the coriander and mint and use the pestle to work into a paste, don't be too vigorous as it's good to still have some larger chunks of avocado.
Squeeze over the lime juice and give one last bash. Either pop in the fridge if you prefer this cold, otherwise just leave to one side.
For the Halloumi slice as in the above recipe.
In a food processor blitz the slice of bread and put into a shallow bowl. In another bowl pour in the flour and season. In a third bowl pour in the whisked egg.
For each piece of Halloumi first coat in the flour, next the egg and then fully coat in the breadcrumbs.
In either a deep-fat-fryer or if you don't own one, then fill a heavy-duty saucepan 1/3 of the way with vegetable oil and put on a medium heat.
Allow to heat up for four or five minutes and test it's hot enough by tearing off a small piece of bread and gently putting in with a metal slotted spoon. If this starts to sizzle then the oil is ready.
Once the oil is hot enough place each piece of breadcrumbed Halloumi into the pan with the slotted spoon. Cook for just over one minute, then use the spoon to turn over and brown on both sides.
Remove from the pan and place on a plate with kitchen roll. Then serve with the guacamole.
The cheese should be lovely, slightly melted and oozy and this works as a great starter or as a rather indulgent snack.