Easy What's-in-the-fridge Quesadilla

I was hungry on the weekend and scanned an odd selection of ingredients in my fridge in the hope of inspiration. I had a party recently where I intended to make Mexican food, changed my mind at the last minute and ended up with a whole lot of tortilla. And so, my first attempt at a quesadilla (which doesn't really resemble a traditional quesadilla) was born. It was delicious so I blog it.

Ingredients:

• 2 wholemeal tortilla per person
• 1 onion
• 1 clove garlic
• teaspoon chopped fresh dill
• sliced red capsicum
• a few chopped green olives
• handful baby spinach
• grated mozarella
• some goats cheese or Danish feta (Meredith Goats cheese is cheese of the Gods and worth the cash. Just sayin')

1. Fry the onions and garlic til soft and a little browned if you like 'em that way

2. Meanwhile, slice the other veges and grate the cheese

3. Take the onions and garlic out of the pan and place the tortilla in, on a low heat

4. Place all toppings on the tortilla, like you would a pizza. Start with half the cheese, then add veges, then add the rest of the cheese. NB: I recommend placing some mozarella around the rim of the tortilla as, when it melts, you can use it to stick the top tortilla to the bottom

5. Once your toppings are on, place another tortilla on top and press down with spatula or hands til the melting cheese sticks them together

6. Carefully flip the quesadilla with a large spatula (or in whatever way you can without all the ingredients spilling out)

7. Toast on both sides til toppings are warm and tortilla crispy

8. Remove. Cut into quarters. Eat.

The toppings I used really were delicious, but you could of course use anything you liked.

Summer Lentil Salad

Ingredients:
1 can brown lentils (or brown lentils you have soaked and stuff)
half a bulb of fennel, finely sliced
handful or two of sugar snap peas, blanched in boiling water then quickly run under a cold tap
half a red capsicum, roughly chopped
a cucumber, chopped into chunks
a handful or two of tiny cheery tomatoes or grape tomatoes
4 radishes, finely sliced
small handful of parsley, chopped
tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
small handful mint, chopped

half a lemon, squeezed
half a lime, squeezed
a good splash of olive oil
1 small chilli, desseded and chopped
1 small garlic clove, very finely chopped

slices of fried haloumi (optional. is still delicious without it for vegany joy! avocado slices would work too. or a dollop of humous)
or feta

You could also add baby spinach to bulk it up! or chick peas if that's your thing.

Chuck everything in a bowl and mix!
Serve topped with fried haloumi slices or feta or avocado or humous.

...

birthday brunch baked eggs

So, it was the girlfriend's birthday recently and I wanted to impress with brunch.*

*may or may not translate as, wanted to try out a new recipe on someone.

I did what I often do when I want to try something new - in this case, baked eggs. I googled and I looked at all my recipe books. Then I closed the books and the computer and thought about what I like I make something up based on what I've read.

The result was the "best birthday breakfast" she'd ever had.

Serves 2

Ingredients:
1 small onion
1 clove garlic
teaspoon paprika
splash tabasco
splash balsamic
1 red capsicum
bunch english spinach
handful kalamata olives, seeded and chopped
handful mushrooms, chopped
75 grams danish feta, crumbled
2 tablespoons canned tomatoes (or chopped fresh)
2 eggs
grated parmesan
pine nuts
chopped chives
chopped jalapenos (to serve)

lebanese bread
za'atar

1. fry onion and garlic in olive oil til soft but not brown
2. add mushrooms and saute
3. add slice capsicum, spinach, tomatoes and spices
4. add tabasco and balsamix
5. allow to cool a little then spoon into ramekins, adding crumbled feta
6. make a little well in the vege mix and crack in 1 egg per ramekin
7. sprinkle over grated parmesan, pine nuts and chopped chives
8. bake on high for about half an hour or until egg whites have firmed, cheese has melted and yolk is still a bit runny
9. meanwhile rub olive oil into lebanese bread and sprinkle generously with za'atar then grill until crispy
10. serve eggs sprinkled with extra chives and chopped pickled jalapenos, with za'atar bread to dip