Green Olive Hummus
250g cooked chickpeas
2 tbsp water
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp Tahini paste*
2-3 cloves garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
70g green olives
Salt, to taste
Smoked paprika/cumin/olive oil, for topping (optional)
*To make Tahini paste at home, roast a small handful of sesame seeds in a skillet stirring constantly until lightly browned. Don't brown them too much or they will become bitter. Remove from heat and add to your food processor. Process until smooth and creamy, adding a splash of olive oil, if needed.
1) Add all the ingredients into your food processor and process until smooth. Scrape down the sides. You may want to add more lemon juice/water to achieve the desired consistency.
2) Serve on a slice of your favorite bread. Store in refrigerator for up to one week.
Recipe by collecting memories
This is my version of the famous Greek salad. It's quite basic - the only unusual ingredient is balsamic vinegar. You could omit this if you want but I think it goes well with everything. I also added some dried basil and oregano, but if you have fresh basil - I highly recommend using it instead.
Greek Salad
Juice of 1 lemon
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
salt & pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar (optional)
1 head (450g) your favourite lettuce (I used Iceberg), chopped
4 plum tomatoes, sliced
1 red onion, sliced
1 can (110g drained) black pitted olives, sliced
100-150g feta cheese, crumbled
1) Throw everything in a bowl and mix to combine. Serve immediately.
Recipe by collecting memories
Pasta dishes have always been my favourite ones. It's because pasta is extremely versatile and you can think of thousands of yummy dishes to make with it. One of my latest experiments was this creamy pasta salad. What is good about it, is that despite being amazingly delicious, it is also healthy. The dressing is made with greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise.
P.S. it is even better the next day after being refrigerated overnight. Enjoy!
Creamy Pasta Salad with Greek Yogurt Feta Dressing
200g ditalini pasta, cooked and drained
1 can sweet corn
1 large tomato, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 red onion, sliced
55g (handful) of black olives, halved
1/2 head lettuce (Iceberg), chopped
75g mixed baby leaves, chopped
salt & pepper
Greek Yogurt Feta Dressing
100g Feta cheese
300g/ (a little more than 1 cup) greek yogurt
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp dried dill
1 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp white pepper
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1) In a large bowl, combine together all the ingredients for the salad. Set aside.
2) For the dressing, combine all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse to make a smooth paste. Alternatively, you can simply put all the ingredients in a bowl and mix everything by hand.
3) Pour the dressing onto the salad and mix until evenly distributed. Keep in refrigerator.
Recipe by collecting memories
