Eggplant Dip or Baba Ganoush is a fairly easy dip to make and as this recipe can be made two days ahead and is vegetarian, it has a lot going for it. The gluten content wasn’t something we considered back in the 80s when this recipe was printed, and slices of bread have been used to thicken it. If that’s a problem for you, you could substitute GF tahini for the bread.
When I read this recipe my first thought was to use smoked cod, but of course that’s only one type of smoked fish. You could also use smoked trout or smoked salmon, really whichever you like best. Served with a salad it would make a great summer dish.
You can see from the typing that this is an old recipe. I used to make it back in the 70s and 80s and serve it as an entree with thin slices of toast. It was cheap and easy to make – ideal. I rediscovered it this year and now make it to have with drinks. It freezes well so I just put out what I need and keep the rest for later. If you don’t want to do that you can easily halve the recipe.
I know it’s a bit cold at the moment for barbecuing, but this is a great marinade for pork chops and you can always grill or pan fry them until the weather warms up a bit.
This recipe is from a Women’s Weekly Let’s Go Greek supplement. I tend to think of kebabs as mainly being cooked on the barbeque, but this recipe cooks them in a pan and then the oven with the marinade poured over at the end. It makes them an all year round feast, not just for summer barbeques.
These sausage shaped meatballs can be prepared a day ahead or even frozen, which is really handy. Making a casserole the day before you need it has the convenience factor, but as it can also improve the flavour, it can be a great idea.
Unless you’ve already bought 2kg of baby octopus it’s too late to make this recipe for Easter, but don’t worry it’d be good at any time of the year. It comes from a Women’s Weekly ‘Let’s Go Greek!’ supplement, I like it because it gives clear instructions on how to prepare the baby octopus.
I’m lazy these days and buy prepared herb or garlic bread at the supermarket, but back in the 1970s you had to make your own. This recipe is slightly different because it has both the garlic and herbs in the one loaf. It says to slice the breadstick lengthwise, butter it and then cut into serving size pieces, again not what we usually did. Think I’d stick to just cutting it into serving size pieces and definitely wrap it in foil before you put it in the oven otherwise you’ll have butter everywhere.
In Mum’s time lamb was a cheap and tasty meat to use, but with the cost of racks of lamb at what they are today if you’re going to cook them you might just as well push the boat out and add a great topping. I don’t think you can go wrong with this mustard, garlic and soy sauce combo spread on top.
Lamb is such a versatile meat. You can roast it, casserole it, grill and bbq it, whatever you have the time or the taste for. The page of lamb recipes that Mum kept from July 1997 showcases this versatility. This recipe give a basic lamb chop a real lift and makes a change from just eating it with tomato sauce.
Beb's Recipe Drawer 