Getting ready to set sail? Fill up that hamper with some hassle- and mess-free dishes, thanks to Cafe Goldie’s Cristina Dacoutros.
Wondering how to treat your tastebuds while worshipping the sun on deck? Think fresh and seasonal dishes that won’t leave you feeling bloated and as heavy as an anchor. The following recipes are nutritious and deliciously flavourful – and they will not mess with your tan lines.
Fresh Pineapple and Feta Bruschetta
Serves 6
Ingredients
4 tomatoes, chopped into ½-inch cubes
1 shallot, chopped finely
120 g sliced black olives
½ pineapple, chopped into 12-inch cubes
50 g capers
150 g Danish feta cheese, chopped roughly
3 tbsp mint, roughly chopped
3 tbsp basil, roughly chopped
3 plain baguettes, toasted
4 tbsp olive oil
Pinch of salt and pepper
Method
Place all the ingredients together into a bowl, season according to taste and refrigerate. Toast the bread. Assemble the topping five minutes before serving to avoid the juices soaking the toasty bread.
Quinoa Patties with Aubergine Salsa
Serves 6
Ingredients for patties
10 sweet, sundried tomatoes, chopped
1 medium sweet potato, grated
2 shallots, finely chopped
50 g crushed walnuts
100 g crumbled feta
200 g spinach, drained
Pinch of salt and pepper
250 g quinoa (cook according to packet)
1 ½ tbsp tahini
3 tbsp chopped parsley
6 tbsp flour
Method
Heat the oven at 180°C. Place all ingredients into a bowl, mash and mix well with your hands and form patties. The mix will yield approximately 9 to 10. Place them on to a greaseproof sprayed baking tray and bake each side for approximately 15 minutes or till golden brown and crispy.
Aubergine Salsa
Ingredients
1 large aubergine
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 large tomatoes, finely chopped
3 tbsp mint
½ a lemon, juiced
2 tbsp olive oil
½ cucumber, de-seeded, peeled and finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
Place the aubergine on to a baking tray in a hot oven at 180°C and roast for 30 minutes or until soft when pierced. Once ready and cooled, peel off skin and stem, and roughly chop it up and place into a bowl. Add all the other ingredients and mix. Season according to taste and serve with the quinoa patties.
Kamut Salad
Serves 6 – 8
Ingredients
1 yellow pepper
1 red pepper
1 can lentils
1 can chickpeas
250 g kamut
100 g almond flakes
2 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp ground coriander
6 tbsp sultanas
670 g pumpkin seeds
5 tbsp mint, roughly chopped
2 tbsp basil, roughly chopped
2 shallots, finely chopped
400 g carrots, skin on, cut in half-inch circles
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
Place the carrots on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil, a pinch of salt and pepper and bake till tender and slightly crispy at 180°C. Prepare the kamut according to packet instructions, and once done, drain and put it into a big bowl. In a frying pan, put 1 tbs olive oil, cumin and coriander and toast them for about five minutes, or until golden brown.
Once all these items are done, mix them all together with the chopped vegetables, lentils, sultanas, chickpeas, pumpkin seeds and herbs. Make sure you mix well, then drizzle with some more olive oil, salt and pepper for taste and you are ready to serve.
Stuffed Eggs
Serves 6 – 8
Ingredients
8 hardboiled eggs
150 g smoked pancetta, thinly sliced and cut in tiny cubes
1 leek, cut 6 cm from the bottom and chopped finely
Pinch of salt and pepper to taste
6 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tbsp olive oil
Method
Fry the chopped pancetta with olive oil, till browned and crispy. Drain any excess fats and place into a bowl. Cut the eggs vertically and scoop out the yolks. Place in the bowl with the chopped leeks and mayonnaise and mash all together. With a teaspoon, gently fill the eggs and you are ready to serve.