This recipe take longer to tell than to cook.
Ingredients(extremely flexible)
Lamb sausages (pork chops or boneless/skinless chicken will do as well but by far our favourite is lamb)
Fresh green onions
Cherry or some sort of small tomatoes(any tomato will do – something with a lot of taste)
Feta cheese(dry)
Mushrooms
Zucchini
Red pepper
Pasta
Basil
Ground pepper
Olive Oil
Butter
Salt
Turmeric (use very lightly if I’m cooking with chicken instead of lamb)
Mint Sauce(with the Lamb)
I first get a pot of water going for the pasta as it take the longest. Start the other items to time them to the completion of whatever kind of noodles that you are using. Salt the water, add a bit of oil and when boiling throw in the appropriate amount of pasta. Note: This meal is not heavy on the pasta; I essentially cover the bottom of the eating bowl or plate, not heap it.
I get lamb sausages that are already spiced so there is no need to add anything to them. If you use chicken or pork, oil them and season with salt, pepper and basil to taste.
Grill them if you can.
Vegetables: Mushrooms, Zucchini and Red Pepper. Grill if you can or fry. If you fry, wait until everything else is almost done before starting – I put zucchini in longer, then the mushrooms and the peppers for only a minute. Covered. With lots of butter and a little oil(I cook with grapeseed oil a lot). Try not to cook the veggies too much.
If you grill the vegetables as well, then lightly oil and season with the salt, pepper and basil as well.
Garnish: Chop green onions(two or three) into a bowl that you can use for serving. Half the cherry tomatoes and add them(a handful or two). Add a good handful of Feta cheese(I use cow Feta) with a bit of pepper and basil. The Feta I use is pretty salty so extra salt is not needed. Just before you serve, add a bit of good olive oil and stir.
When the meat is cooked, cut into bite sized pieces.
Presentation: I use wide soup bowls(from Ikea) for this dish. Put a small amount of noodles on the bottom of the dish. Add the vegetables(the grilled or fryed) and then the meat. The garnish is on the table and is added as desired. Use a bit of mint sauce if you are using lamb.
This is best served with a decent Chianti.
I think I’ve covered everything here. A very flexible recipe. Use what you have. My garnish though, is pretty much always the same – incredibly refreshing.
Enjoy,
– Martin
