Asparagus and persian fetta salad

Super Food Ideas

Super Food Ideas - December 2006 , Page 18
Recipe by Annette Forrest

Photography by Mark O'Meara

• Ingredients

• 4 bunches asparagus, trimmed
• 500g butter beans, topped
• 500g sugar snap peas, trimmed
• 175g marinated Persian feta (see note)

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• Method
• Notes

1. Step 1
   Bring a large frying pan of water to the boil over high heat. Add asparagus and cook for 2 minutes. Use tongs to transfer to a bowl of chilled water. Drain. Return water to the boil. Cook beans for 3 minutes and peas for 1 minute. Transfer to bowl of chilled water. Drain. Pat asparagus, beans and peas dry with paper towel. Place in a large bowl.
2. Step 2
   Drain feta, reserving 2 tablespoons oil. Crumble feta over asparagus, beans and peas. Drizzle with reserved oil and season generously with freshly ground black pepper. Gently toss to combine. Serve.

Baked portobello mushrooms topped with quinoa, feta and micro herbs

Ingredients

• 8 medium portobello mushrooms
• 50g unsalted butter
• A few sprigs of thyme
• 150ml dry white wine
• 150ml vegetable stock
• 2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup quinoa
• 320g jar marinated goat's feta
• Micro herbs for garnish

Method

Preheat oven to 180C. Place mushrooms in a large baking tray, dot with butter and scatter over thyme sprigs. Add wine, stock and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Cover tray with foil and cook for 15 minutes, or until the mushrooms are tender.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan bring two cups water to the boil, add quinoa, reduce heat, cover with a lid and cook for 10-15 minutes until the liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and fluff the quinoa with a fork.

To serve, spoon the quinoa over the mushrooms, add a dollop of goat's feta and scatter over the micro herbs. Season with extra salt and pepper if required.

Three-Onion Pie with Feta or Goat Cheese

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons dry white wine
• 2 leeks, bulb only, sliced into rings
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill weed
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
• 1 cup fine bread crumbs
• ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the yellow and red onions, and saute over moderate heat for 5 minutes. Stir in the wine, then add the leeks. Saute for another 15 minutes, stirring frequently, or until the onions are golden and the leeks are limp. Remove from heat.
3. In a mixing bowl, combine the beaten eggs with dill, tarragon, feta cheese, pepper, and 2 tablespoons parsley. Stir in the onion mixture.
4. Oil a 10 inch tart pan, and line the bottom generously with bread crumbs. Pour in the onion mixture. Ring the outside edge of the pie with tomato slices, and sprinkle the remaining 1 tablespoon parsley in the center. Sprinkle a light layer of bread crumbs over the entire top.
5. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the mixture is set and the top is golden. Let stand for 10 minutes, then cut into wedges and serve.

Pea, Fetta and Mint salad

Ingredients

• 7 ounces fresh shelled peas
• Water, as needed
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

• 1 tablespoon honey
• Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
• 1 1/4 ounces shelled pistachio nuts, coarsely chopped
• 1 large handful fresh mint leaves
• 1 3/4 ounces snow pea leaves or baby English spinach
• 2 3/4 ounces Feta cheese, crumbled

Directions

In a medium saucepan, bring salted water to a boil. Blanch the peas in the boiling water until they are just tender and bright green, about 2 minutes. Refresh immediately by plunging them into a bowl of cold water. Drain and reserve the peas.

In a small pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, and cook until soft, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the mustard, the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, vinegar and honey, and season with salt and black pepper, to taste.

In a large salad bowl, mix the peas, onions, pistachios, and pour over the dressing. Add the mint and snow pea leaves, and gently toss to coat with dressing. Top the salad with the feta cheese just before serving.

Mushrooms with lemon thyme and fetta

4 large field mushrooms
1 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 bunch lemon thyme, sprigs removed
1 cup breadcrumbs
125g fetta, crumbled
1/2 cup toasted walnuts, finely chopped

1. Remove the stalks from the mushrooms, chop finely and place in a bowl. Brush the base of each mushroom with olive oil. Add the garlic, lemon thyme, breadcrumbs, fetta and walnuts to the chopped mushroom stalks, mix to combine.
2. Cook the mushrooms oil side down ona preheated medium-high bbq for 1-2 mins. Turn mushrooms and fill with breadcrumb mixture, cook for 1-2 mins longer. Serve immediately.