Tag Archives: Summer

August 3, 2013

A Wee Bloggie Joliday!

Hi folks! I’m taking a wee bloggie break. It’s not so much a holiday in truth, but a little time out to get myself and the littlies moved, organised and adjusted to our new rural Herefordshire surroundings. And actually I’ll still be busy with blog stuff when I get the chance, but behind the scenes so to speak, making the finishing touches to my new and very exciting site and project called Eat Your Veg! A family-friendly healthy recipe site and shop for babies, toddlers, big kids and families.

I’m hoping not to be gone for too long and back on the bloggie block by the end of August, fingers crossed with the launch of Eat Your Veg. So please do watch this space! And I’ll still be tweeting and FBing so not totally out of cyber touch. My apologies also for my chronic lack of time to browse and comment on all my usual favourite blogs, you know who you are and I promise I’ll be back in action shortly!

Wishing you all a wonderful August with lots of sun, good food and happiness! Here’s a selection of my most popular summer posts from last year to be going on with for now…..

Fig, Goats Cheese & Red Onion Tarts

Louisa x

Garden Pasta with griddled courgettes, cherry tomatoes & feta

A Glut of Tomatoes Pasta Sauces

Homemade Sun (aka Oven) Dried Tomatoes!

Courgette, Feta & Basil Bruschetta

70s Throwback Stuffed Marrow

9 Comments | tags: Eat Your Veg, Holiday, Moving, Summer | posted in Uncategorized

July 25, 2013

Halloumi and Roasted Veggie Kebabs

By Eat Your Veg

We’re truly in the throws of one hot summer here. And for once the UK seems to be matching the glorious South of France climate too, hooray …. but please may it last through to August when I shall be descending on the homeland to, fingers crossed, bask in the delights of an English summer for the first time in many years!. Unlikely, but one can live in hope.

I’d like to say the fabulous weather has brought on a spate of barbecues at Chez Foti but to be honest there simply hasn’t been the time with everything else that’s going on. But we did manage a lovely one last Saturday with an assortment of Kebabs, Satay Sticks and Salads. Very much enjoyed by all and both kids happily munched away.

I LOVE Halloumi on a barbie and it makes for a fab veggie kebab. And as I recently discovered my kids like it too it’s sure to become a bit of a regular round here, though they’ll have a fight on their hands for it with me! Since Halloumi doesn’t take long to ‘cook’, more like brown, I suggest you either bbq it with quick-to-cook veggies like cherry tomatoes, finely sliced courgette ribbons and mushrooms OR like me with a pre-roasted selection of slightly longer-to-cook veggies, namely red peppers, aubergine and thickly cut courgette. Obviously the roasted veggies can be prepped in advance, so all you need to do pre-barbie is thread them with the Halloumi on to skewers.

Seeing as I’m hosting this month’s Four Seasons Food with a Barbecue and Barbecue Side theme I shall of course be entering this post! Also to Karen’s Cooking with Herbs Challenge.

Halloumi & Roasted Veggie Kebabs

Great for Toddlers & Pre-schoolers, Bigger Kids, Grown Ups, Family Dinners, Barbecues, Barbecues Sides, Outdoor Eating, Vegetarians

Notes: Feel free to vary your choice of veggies as to what you have in, or your kids will eat

Makes 6 – 8 Kebabs Sticks

1 small courgette

½ aubergine

1 red pepper

1 white or red onion, large

2 tablespoons olive oil

salt & pepper

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon oregano leaves, roughly chopped

1 pack Halloumi cheese, 225g or 250g

Pre-soaked bamboo kebab sticks or metal skewers

1. Pre-heat your oven to 200ºC.

2. Slice the courgette into 6/7mm slices and cut the pepper and aubergine into similar sized chunks. Cut the onion in half, then each half into quarters. Half each of the quarters and separate the layers to roughly match the thickness of the veggies.

3. Place all the veggies in a roasting tray. Stir in a tablespoon of the olive oil and a generous pinch of salt and black pepper (go easy on the salt for littlies). Bake in the hot oven for 20 minutes.

4. Mix the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon and oregano in a bowl big enough to easily house all the veggies.

5. After 20 minutes remove the veggies from the oven and place in the bowl with the marinade. Ensure they have an even coating and leave to marinate until you’re almost ready to barbecue.

6. Cut your Halloumi into similar sized chunks to the veggies.

7. When you’re ready to barbecue thread the veggies and Halloumi onto your pre-soaked bamboo sticks or metal skewers, alternating between each component.

8. Cook the kebabs on a hot barbecue (or under a hot grill) for 4 to 5 minutes turning frequently. The cheese should be golden.

One very excited wee boy about the prospect of a barbie!

Jacques for once without a silly face. But very excited about the prospect of his forthcoming barbie fodder!

Never much time to snap a photo before little hands start grabbing!

You might also like:

Griddled Courgette & Cherry Tomato Garden Pasta

One Pot Ratatouille

14 Comments | tags: Aubergine, Cooking with Herbs, Courgette, Four Seasons Food, Greek, Halloumi, Kebab, Lemon, Oregano, Red Peppers, Roasted Veggies, Summer | posted in Bigger Kids, Family Dinners, Finger Foods, Four Seasons Food, Grown Up Dinners, Mains, Mid-Week Suppers, Toddlers & Pre-schoolers, Vegetarian, Veggie Sides

July 21, 2013

Chicken Satay Sticks

By Eat Your Veg

Jacques tucking into his ‘chicken lollipops’ with zeal

I’ve been meaning to make satay sticks for the kids for so long now, and it’s taken me to host the Four Seasons Food barbecue event to actually get around to it. And predictably they were a huge hit. With both the littlies and myself, plus some friends I also trialled them out on with an additional chilli kick. It’s funny how food on sticks is always so appealing? And now, predictably also, I’m wondering why oh why it took me so long! Prepped in minutes, left to marinade for a few hours then barbied or grilled in a flash.

Having travelled extensively in SE Asia in my twenties I must have gobbled my way through an inordinate amount of pork and chicken satay sticks through Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore, each with their national and regional twists. Always an exceptionally tasty, cheap and highly addictive street food snack on the hoof.

Pig A Chic @ FBC5

I was recently reminded and inspired of the wonders of satay by the highly authentic Pig A Chic who were dishing out Thai satay sticks and papaya salad (plus a range of hot sauces) a plenty to hungry delegates all weekend at Food Blogger Connect. If you get a chance to sample their food then you really MUST, please do check out their site at www.pigachic.com or follow them on Twitter @Pigachic.

Even Little Miss F LOVED them, devouring three!

Now on to my own considerably less authentic but nevertheless pretty tasty Satay Sticks. I made them first minus any chilli with the kids in mind and the ‘chicken lollipops’ proved very popular. I think Jacques managed five and Little Miss F three. And served with barbecued Halloumi & Roasted Veggie Kebabs and a Child-Friendly Salad that was an impressive eat. Yes, salad….I’ve FINALLY found a salad they’ll eat, but more on that in a later post. Whilst the chilli-less ones were fragrantly tasty I have to admit to personally preferring my grown-up version with a couple of finely minced hot chillies thrown into the marinade mix.

Naturally I shall be entering my post to this month’s Four Seasons Food, hosted by myself and with the seasonal theme of Barbecues and Barbecue Side Dishes. And if you have your own barbecue dish then please do join in, there’s even a prize this month of the Pitt Cue Co Cookbook.

Chicken Satay Sticks

Great for: Toddlers & Pre-schoolers, Bigger Kids, Grown Ups, Appetisers, Starters, Mains, Barbecues (or Grilling)

Special Equipment: Pre-soaked bamboo skewers or metal skewers

Notes: How about substituting the chicken for pork or tofu?

3 free range chicken breasts

2 heaped tablespoons crunchy peanut butter

2 tablespoons thick coconut milk

2 tablespoons lime juice

1 dessertspoon Thai fish sauce

1 dessertspoon fresh ginger, finely minced

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 heaped teaspoon soft brown sugar

1 – 2 hot chillies, finely minced (optional)

1. Flatten the chicken breasts a little. I usually bash mine with a rolling pin on a chopping board. Pretty therapeutic actually. Cut the flattened chicken into narrow long strips, about six per breast.

2. Combine all the other ingredients in a medium sized bowl to make the marinade.

3. Stir the chicken strips into the marinade. Cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least an hour or two. Or even over night.

4. Cut in half and soak your bamboo skewers (if using) in water for 30 minutes before you’re ready to cook.

5. Thread the chicken pieces onto the skewers.

6. Heat up your barbecue or grill. When very hot cook the chicken on each side for 5 minutes until a little charred and cooked through. Serve immediately.

My grown-up chillied version served up as part of a Tapas night with the gals. Inclusive of sangria.

You might also like:

Greek Stylie Pork & Veggie Kebabs

Blue Cheese Barbecue Burgers

26 Comments | tags: Barbecue, Chicken, Chilli, FBC5, Four Seasons Food, Lime, Peanut Butter, Satay, Summer, Thai | posted in Bigger Kids, Family Dinners, Finger Foods, Four Seasons Food, Mains, Nibbles, Party Food, Starters, Toddlers & Pre-schoolers

July 16, 2013

Strawberry and Banana Yoghurt Pops

By Eat Your Veg

Wowsers things are busy round here. Packing and organising for the BIG move to the UK, working on a migration to a new blog (more on my exciting venture soon!), a trip to London for Food Blogger Connect last weekend (again more on this wonderful weekend shortly), snippets of time visiting friends for good byes AND it’s the big ten week school holidays here so have two kids desperate for some holiday action!. Needless to say there’s been many a trip to various water parks, swimming pools and lakes. So I offer my sincere apologies for the sporadic blogging now and over the next few weeks. The simply aren’t enough hours in the day for all I have to do!.

In view of my extreme state of busyness here’s a real quickie of a recipe today, Strawberry and Banana Yoghurt Pops which could probably be made and bobbed in the freezer in less than two minutes flat. And they’re good, really good. More importantly the kids LOVE them, and since they’re considerably healthier than any lolly you could possibly buy, containing only fresh fruit, natural yogurt and a weeny bit of honey to sweeten, that’s a very good thing in this baking hot weather we’re currently having!. Homemade lollies are definitely the way forward, and if you don’t have any lolly makers why not invest in a set or two, mine cost a mere two euros! And if you don’t want to use fresh fruit you could always just fill and freeze them with fruit juice (which is actually what I do more often than not!).

Feel free to vary your fresh fruit, a few days ago I also made a batch with raspberries and peaches (though admittedly I did add a little more honey), just use up whatever you have lurking. A great way to get your kids eating plenty of fruit, and to quickly use up any gluts.

Being notably cheaper than bought lollies I shall be entering this post to Credit Crunch Munch’s event, co-hosted by Camila of Fab Food 4 All and Helen of Fuss Free Flavours, and this month by Sian of Fishfingers for Tea. I recently happened to notice a new challenge on the block called Strawberry Preservation Fundas, hosted by Techie Cookie Freaky calling for bloggers to submit their strawberry preservation recipes, so naturally I thought of entering my lollies!.

Strawberry and Banana Yogurt Pops

Great For: Toddlers and Pre-schoolers, Big Kids, Grown Ups, Summer, Parties, Snacks, After School Treats, Fruit Gluts

Serves: Makes 6 Lollies (though this will depend on the size of your lolly maker)

Special Equipment: a hand held stick blender OR food processor or liquidiser, lolly makers

125g strawberries, washed and hulled

a large banana

125g plain yogurt, greek, cows, sheeps, goats are all fine (I’ve tried them all!)

dessertspoon of runny honey

1. Place all the ingredients in a bowl and whiz with a stick blender until the consistency of a smoothie. Or place in a processor or liquidiser and blitz.

2. Pour into your lolly moulds and place in a freezer for a few hours or overnight until they’re set.

And that really is all there is to it!. Off to do some packing…..

You might also like:

23 Comments | tags: Banana, Credit Crunch Munch, Kids, Lollies, Pops, Strawberries, Summer, Yogurt | posted in Bigger Kids, Finger Foods, Party Food, Puddings & Desserts, Toddlers & Pre-schoolers

June 1, 2013

Introducing you to the Four Seasons Food Challenge!

By Eat Your Veg

It is with much excitement that I’m introducing you today to a brand new monthly Food Blogging Event that I’m utterly delighted to be co-hosting with my friend and (almost) neighbour Anneli of Delicieux:

The Four Seasons Food (FSF) Challenge

We’re both more than a tad passionate about seasonality and are inspired by the different dishes that each of the seasons brings so we’re launching our challenge out to you all to join in and have some fun! Each month we’ll be picking a particular theme of seasonal dish or way of eating or cooking.

And each season they’ll be three monthly challenges which we’ll announce to you at the start of each quarter. For the Summer this year they’ll be Picnic Food or Outdoor Nibbles for June, BBQ Dishes & Sides for July and Summer Puddings for August. All you need to do is cook and blog something that fits the theme, or even submit your past recipes. Each month we’ll get a guest judge to award someone a winner and they’ll receive an FSF Winner’s Badge to place on their blog. The badge will link back to a winner’s gallery on both Delicieux and Chez Foti where the winning recipes will all be held for each year. And of course they’ll be a monthly round-up showcasing all your entries too.

Anneli is launching the first event which has the ironic theme this month of Picnic Food or Outdoor Nibbles. Ironic in respect of the dismal incessant rain we’ve been experiencing in these parts, the worst winter/spring/summer I can remember, be that in the UK or France!. But here’s hoping the launch of our challenge shall bring upon us a sea change in the weather, and lots of opportunities for outside dining. And for this inaugural month (and next month!) there’s a prize at stake for the winning recipe – a copy of The Flavour Thesaurus by Niki Segnit!

We hope you like the idea of our new challenge and want to join in. For more information on how it works please head over to my FSF page and for this month’s challenge of Picnic Food or Outdoor Nibbles to Delicieux.

Have fun, get cooking and get outside!

And just in case you’d forgotten what summer looks like, here’s a photo from our house last year…..

Louisa x