Vegetarian Mediterranean Cooking Class with a Difference

1⁄2 small red onion, thinly sliced
3 celery stalks and leaves, thinly sliced
8 large kale leaves, roughly chopped, stalks 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 tbsp torn mint leaves
2 tbsp chopped parsley
2 tsp chopped sage
2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
15g pine nuts, lightly toasted
Grated zest of 1 lemon
100g herbed cream cheese
Qty of almond pastry – see recipe below 1 egg, lightly beaten

Salt and black pepper

Pastry  
1 1⁄2 cups almond flour
1 1⁄2 teaspoon xantham gum
1 tsp baking powder gluten free 2 large egg
3 cups grated mozzarella
4 tablespoons cream cheese

Method For the pastry
Preheat oven to 185c.
In a bowl mix together the almond flour, baking powder and xantham gum. Then add the egg and mix together until well combined. Set aside. It will look like a doughy ball.
In a pot over a medium-low heat slowly melt the cream cheese and mozzarella together and remove from heat once melted. This can be done in the microwave as well.
Add your melted cheese mix to the almond flour mix and knead until well combined. The Mozzarella mix will stick together in a bit of a ball but don’t worry, persist with it. It will all eventually combine well. It’s important to get the Xantham gum incorporated through the cheese mix. If the dough gets too tough to work, place in microwave for 10-20 seconds to warm and repeat until you have something that resembles a dough.
Split your dough into 2 pieces and roll one piece between baking paper to about 3 mm thickness, then place into a greased flan or tart tin or turn it into a rustic tart by laying the pastry onto a greased baking tin and piling your tart ingredients into the centre.
Bake for 18 minutes until golden and firm to touch.

6 small beetroot, scrubbed and cut into quarters 4 small red onions, base intact, cut into quarters 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
zest and juice 1⁄2 orange
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon thyme
ground black pepper
sea salt flakes
parsley
1⁄2 cup flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

Preheat oven to 180°C.
Cut beetroot and red onions into quarters. Combine vinegar, juice, zest, oil, thyme, salt and pepper. Toss through with beetroot and onion in a baking dish. Bake for about one hour.
Herbed cream cheese
Blend 100g of cream cheese with a handful of chopped mixed herbs, a good pinch of salt and zest of 1 lemon, whisk in an egg and then refrigerate until needed.

For the Kale Tart filling

Place a large frying pan on medium-high heat and sauté the onion,
celery, kale, garlic, mint, parsley and sage in the olive oil. Cook, stirring continuously, for 15 minutes or until the greens are wilted and the celery has softened completely. Remove from the heat and stir through the pine nuts, lemon zest, 1⁄4 teaspoon of salt and a hearty grind of black pepper. Leave aside to cool.
Spread the filling out on the pastry leaving a 3-centimetre edge all the way around. Dot the filling with large chunks of the herbed cream cheese, then scatter around the beetroot. Bring the pastry up around the sides of the filling and pinch the edges together firmly to form a secure, decorative lip over the edge of the tart. Alternatively, press with the end of a fork.
Bake the tart in the oven for 18-20 minutes until the pastry is golden and cooked on the base.
Remove from the oven and brush with a little olive oil. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Roast Sweet potato with pickled onions, feta, almond and mint salsa

Serves 4 as a side dish

Inspired by Ottolenghi

Zest of 2 limes

Skin only of one lime, peeled and sliced into thin strips – avoid the white pith

3 tbsp white wine vinegar

½ small red onion, peeled and cut into 3mm-thick slices

2½ tsp caster sugar

Salt and black pepper

5-6 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into roughly 5cm x 3cm chunks

90ml olive oil

½ tsp ground allspice

A good handful of mint leaves

1 cup of crumbled feta

1/3 cup blanch almonds roasted and chopped roughly

For the pickled onions

Put the strips of lime skin in a medium bowl with the vinegar, onion, half a teaspoon of sugar and a quarter-teaspoon of salt. Massage the onions for a minute, until the liquid turns pink, then leave to pickle for at least two hours: the longer you leave them, the brighter and pinker they become.

Heat the oven to 220C. In a large bowl, combine the sweet potatoes with three tablespoons of oil, the allspice, the remaining two teaspoons of sugar, half a teaspoon of salt and plenty of pepper. Transfer to a large, 40cm x 30cm oven tray lined with baking paper, and make sure the sweet potato chunks are spaced apart. Roast for 20 minutes, until crisp and golden-brown, then toss in any oil left on the tray and leave to cool.

While the sweet potatoes are cooking, blitz the mint, grated lime zest, the remaining three tablespoons of oil and an eighth of a teaspoon of salt to a smooth, bright green salsa. I use a spice grinder to do this (don’t use a food processor – the quantities involved are too small); if you don’t have one, very finely chop the coriander and mix the salsa by hand.

Once the sweet potatoes have cooled, arrange them on a platter and dot evenly with the pieces of cheese. Drain the pickled onions, discarding the lime peel, and scatter on top. Finish with a drizzle of salsa and a sprinkle of almonds.

No-bake Strawberry and mascarpone tart

And finally, let’s Feast

Roasted Mediterranean vegetables with hemp flatbread and coconut tahini