All about that easy living.
Summer is a time for relaxing and embracing every change we get to put our feet up, spend time outdoors and generally just soak up this much too short season.
Which is why, if you ask us, we would rather spend as little time as possible in the kitchen – while still eating both healthy and well, of course.
The solution? A couple of easy peasy summer dishes that can be whipped up in no time, taste amazing and that will even work the next day as leftovers for lunch. Win-win? We think so.
Chickpea and Spinach Koftas with Pink Pickled Onion, Tahini Sauce and Oat Flat Breads
Ingredients
For the koftas
1 x 400g tin of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
15g fresh coriander, chopped
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp paprika
½ tsp turmeric
Salt and pepper
1 minced clove of garlic
A large handful of spinach
2 tbsp gram (or plain flour)
5 tbsp Flahavan’s Organic Jumbo Oats
Olive oil to fry
For the pickled red onions
½ a small red onion, finely sliced
Juice of half a lemon
For the flatbread
250g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
1 and ½ tsp baking powder
250g plain yoghurt
3 tbsp Flahavan’s Organic Jumbo Oats
Pinch of salt
1 tbsp melted butter
For the tahini sauce
2 tbsp tahini
Juice of half a lemon
Salt and pepper
Method
Place the chickpeas, coriander, spinach, cumin seeds, turmeric, paprika and minced garlic in a food processor and process until the mixture comes together. Tip into a bowl and add the gram (or plain flour), Flahavan’s Organic Jumbo Oats and season to taste with salt and pepper. Work this into the mixture using your hands.
Use two spoons to shape the mixture into 8-10 Koftas, and place to one side.
Put the sliced red onion in a small bowl, cover with hot water and leave aside. After 10 minutes, drain and squeeze out the excess water, place the onion in a small bowl and season with salt. Then, stir in the juice of half a lemon and leave to one side.
Mix together the tahini and lemon juice. Following this, dilute the mixture with enough water to achieve a pourable consistency and season generously with salt and pepper.
To make the flatbreads, tip the flour into a mixing bowl and whisk in the baking powder, 2 tbsp Flahavan’s Organic Jumbo Oats and a pinch of salt. Add the yoghurt to the mix and stir with the handle of a wooden spoon until the mixture starts to come together. Use your hands to form the dough and knead until soft and springy (about 5 mins), adding in a little more flour if it starts to feel too sticky.
Divide the dough into 4 equal-sized pieces. Generously flour a clean work surface and rolling pin and roll the dough into the desired shape for your flatbreads. Sprinkle over the remaining Flahavan’s Organic Jumbo Oats and lightly press them into the dough using the rolling pin.
Heat a large frying pan or griddle pan over medium heat and cook the flatbreads for a couple of minutes on each side until golden brown and puffed. Brush them with a little of the melted butter and keep warm by covering them with a clean tea towel.
Heat 3 tbsp of olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add the koftas and cook for a couple of minutes on each side until browned and crisped on all sides.
To serve, place the koftas onto your flatbreads, along with a handful of the pink pickles and some salad. Drizzle with the tahini sauce, and enjoy!
Tomato and Mascarpone Oat Galette
Ingredients
For the Galette
95g Flahavan’s Organic Jumbo Oats
2 tbsp coarse polenta
200g plain flour
¼ tsp salt
130g chilled butter, cubed
30g finely grated pecorino cheese
2-3 tbsp ice cold water
For the Filling
2 large tomatoes, sliced (5cm thick)
400g mixed colour cherry tomatoes, halved
120g mascarpone cheese
2 tbsp pesto
2 basil leaves, finely sliced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 egg, beaten
Salt and pepper to season
Method
Remove 2 tbsp Flahavan’s Organic Porridge Oats and set aside. Place the remaining oats in a food processor and process to a fine flour-like consistency.
In a bowl, mix the ground oats with flour, pecorino, polenta and salt. Using your fingertips, rub in the chilled butter until you have a breadcrumb-like consistency. Mix in enough water to bring the pastry together and stir through using a butter knife. Then, using your hands, form a flat disc. Wrap the pastry and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, sprinkle salt over the tomatoes and place in a sieve or colander. Set over a bowl for 30 minutes to remove any excess water and pat dry with kitchen roll. Sprinkle the basil, olive oil and plenty of black pepper over the tomatoes.
Place the chilled pastry between 2 sheets of parchment paper and roll out into a rough circle, around 5 mm thick. Sprinkle the remaining oats over the top of the pastry and run the rolling pin over a couple of times to stick them down. Place the parchment back on top of the pastry and flip onto a flat baking tray, with the oat-coated side facing down. Remove the top layer of parchment and spread over the mascarpone cheese, leaving a 5cm edge. Dot over the pesto and layer the tomatoes on top.
Bring the edges up over the filling to form a crust and brush with a little beaten egg.
Bake in the oven for 45 minutes or until golden brown around the edges. Leave to cool for 10-15 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
