Lurking at the back of my fridge was a chicken leg. Not quite what I fancied but it needed using or freezing so I opted to jazz it up a bit by boning the leg, then stuffing it.

If you cannot get your butcher to do it then it is not so difficult to bone a leg yourself just make sure you have a sharp knife.

Stuffed chicken leg with goat’s cheese and thyme

Mix goat’s cheese with chopped fresh thyme, pepper and a little finely chopped garlic. There’s your stuffing which can be set aside.

Take a boned leg of chicken and flatten it a little then place the stuffing along the length rolling up tightly in food grade cling film sealing the end with a knot or string.

Poach the leg in a pain of boiling water for 20 minutes. Remove and allow to cool a little so that you can remove the cling film.

Heat a pan with a little oil then gently sauté the leg for a few minutes until it has taken on colour.

Serve with roasted tomatoes and shallots, garlic and thyme.

It is best served on your roof terrace around 10 pm with a glass of something of your choice. 

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The last ripe tomato sitting in my kitchen winked at me saying, ‘use me or lose me…’ the bunch were ripe when I bought them anyway so the last chance to use it inspired this.

Baked aubergine and mozzarella tower with tomato, ginger and mint salsa. A starter for one. 

Somebody has just asked me for the recipe, I thought you'd get it from the picture but here it is anyway. 

Slice aubergine then griddle. Slice mozzarella and place between the aubergine slices making a tower. Place in the oven on high for 10 minutes or so. 

For the salsa:

Dice a ripe tomato discarding the seeds. Place in a ramekin and add finely chopped garlic, white pepper, cayenne pepper, shredded mint, grated ginger and a glug of extra virgin olive. Allow time to marry - 5 minutes will be enough. 


When the tower is ready drizzle with the salsa and serve immediately. 

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Griddle sliced aubergine. Chop a ripe tomato, finely slice some red onion and chop some feta into small blocks. 

Chop a garlic clove, some flat leaf parsley, mint and basil then mix with a good squeeze of lemon juice and a glug of extra virgin olive oil. Allow 5 minutes for the flavours to mix and marry.

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Just what you need on a baking hot Andalucían day I hear you say. But if you wait until the late evening (9.30pm in my case) and leave your bake to rest until it reaches room temperature (which is still quite warm) it is absolutely delicious.

This is a great way to use up vegetables and mine consisted of:

Aubergine

Leek

Carrot

Tomatoes

Red pepper

Green beans

Brown rice

Red chilli

Garlic

Black pepper

Turmeric powder

2 cubes red pepper coulis (see previous post)

And for the crust:

Breadcrumbs

Garlic

Poppy seeds

Toasted pine nuts

Parmesan

Fresh herbs (parsley, basil & thyme)

White pepper

Boil the rice then fry off the vegetables in batches (except the tomatoes). Whiz the crust ingredients together.

When done add the rice to the vegetables and mix together so that the rice takes on the yellow pigment of the turmeric .

Place the vegetable mix in an oven proof dish, slice the tomato over then sprinkle with the crust mixture, drizzle over a little olive oil. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180°C for 20 minutes or until golden.

This goes very well with a glass of something chilled whilst sitting on a roof terrace taking in the view of the olive groves as the sun goes down. 

And by 10pm

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Broad bean, griddled courgette, lentil and marinated feta salad with a tangy sun-dried tomato dressing

This is one for my veggie friends although I suspect my feta was made with animal rennet.

Firstly, cut up a piece of a block of feta and place in a jar together with a handful of toasted fennel seeds, juniper berries and some torn basil leaves. Pour over olive oil and screw the jar top tightly down and place in the fridge to marinate (preferably overnight).

Now make the dressing and use a little imagination if you do not have all of the ingredients.

A few sun dried tomatoes in oil

One lemon grass stalk (dried if you cannot obtain fresh)

Small knob of fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

Splash soy sauce

Glug rice wine vinegar (use white or cider if you haven’t got rice wine)

Big squeeze lemon juice

Extra virgin olive oil

Whizz all of the ingredients slowly adding olive oil as you blend. When done pass through a fine sieve squeezing as much juice out of the pulp as possible. Add salt to taste.

When you are ready to eat boil some Pardina lentils as per instructions on the packet then griddle some sliced courgette and blanch a handful of broad beans.

Mix the marinated feta, cooked vegetables and lentils with chopped parsley and mint then layer up on a platter with a good slosh of the dressing.

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Fresh, clean, simple and oh so tasty. Healthy option too.  Learn more »

Griddled asparagus and pimientos de Padrón with the saltiness of feta cheese makes a simple supper. Finish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, chopped flat leaf parsley and fresh ground black pepper (lots). 

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And please buy fresh carrots with the tops on, they are perfectly edible and can be used to make:

Carrot Green Pesto

Place a large bunch of washed greens in a whizzer together with a smaller bunch of flat leaf parsley. Combine extra virgin olive oil or extra virgin rapeseed works well, clove or two of garlic, a knob of Parmesan (no need for salt) and some fresh lemon juice. Blitz until smooth, adding a little more oil if necessary.

Spread on toasted bread for another version of bruschetta or run some through freshly cooked pasta of your choice. 

Put excess pesto into an ice cube tray and freeze, it will come in handy to liven up a grilled pork chop for example. 

Pasta with chicken and pesto

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When you haven’t the time (most unusual in Andalucía, I would say) then here’s something that can be rustled up in no time and using your own sun-dried tomatoes (see previous posting).  This will serve one hungry person or shared between two as a starter or snack.

Ingredients:

1 chicken breast, cut into thin-ish strips

As many sun-dried tomatoes as takes your fancy

50g feta cheese

2 fat cloves garlic, crushed and finely chopped

A good sprinkle dried oregano

S&P

Method:

Drain the tomatoes but reserve some of the oil for frying with

Heat the oil in a pan

Add the garlic and stir for a few seconds

Add chicken strips together with the oregano and season, sauté for 10 minutes (depending how thick you sliced your chicken) or so then add tomatoes to warm through

Serve immediately with crumbled feta on top

Throw on some flat leaf parsley for good measure

This goes well with vegetable couscous. 

And this was the wine that was going with it but unfortunately it popped its cork in the freezer.

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Drizzle asparagus with olive oil and black pepper then griddle. A few Parmesan cheese shavings and a little drizzle of Balsamic vinegar. Serve with chilled white wine. Simple. 

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