APPLE AND YOGURT FACE CLEANSER

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tbsp natural yogurt
• half an apple peeled and sliced
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 5 drops of lavender essential oil
• 10 drops of rosemary MT
• 2 tsp runny honey or maple syrup
• 1 tsp rice flour or corn flour

1) Place slices of apples, yogurt, honey, lemon juice  in a blender and make a pulp.

2) Add the rice flour with a spoon and mix.

3) Mix lavender and rosemary drops and stir.

4) Massage the mixture over the face then rinse thoroughly with warm water.

NOT : This cleanser will keep in the fridge for 3-5 days in an airtight container.

SARDINES WRAPPED IN VINE LEAVES

The vine leaves I am using today is from our  vineyard in Turkey. We only pick  the fresh and young leaves and then preserve them with salt. We sprinkle salt on each leaf and stack them up on top of each other, in piles until we use all the leaves. Then store them for winter in air tight containers. It will keep moist and in perfect condition for months. When I bring them to England, I keep them in the freezer and use them as I need them. 

INGREDIENTS

• 8 fresh sardines, gutted and washed
• 8 vine leaves, fresh or preserved
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• salt and black pepper
• extra oil for brushing

1) Mix 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp lemon juice, salt and pepper in a bowl.

2) Pat dry the sardines and brush them with  above mixture of oil and lemon juice.

3) Spread the vine leaves out and wrap the sardines on each leaf.

4) Brush each leaf with oil and place seam side down to prevent from unravelling.

5) Cook the sardines on the barbecue or griddle pan for 3-4 minutes each side until the vine leaves are charred.

6) Serve with grilled vegetables and lemon wedges.

CHICKEN PARCELS WRAPPED IN AUBERGINE

INGREDIENTS

• 2 aubergines
• 1 onion
• olive oil
• sprinkle of salt
• goats cheese 
• 6 chicken thighs
• bunch of fresh herbs
• juice of 1 lemon
•  mixture of salt,  ground black pepper and dried herbs.

METHOD

1) Slice the aubergines lengthwise thinly as shown above. Slice the onion like rings and brush them with olive oil on both sides. Sprinkle some salt and  cook them on the griddle pan until both sides are lightly browned. Do the same with rest of the aubergine skin slices and onion rings. Set aside.

2) Wash and drain chicken tights. Cut of the excess fat and take the bone out from each thigh. Place 1 slice of cooked onion ring and the herb of your chose inside  the chicken thigh and tuck it under.

3) Lay one aubergine slice on a plate and place the chicken thigh over the aubergine. Place 1 slice of goats cheese on top of the chicken.  Now roll and wrap the chicken  with the aubergine slice and secure it with a tooth pick. Do the same with rest of the chicken pieces and brush them with olive oil.

4) Place the chicken parcels in an oven proof dish. Pour the lemon juice over the parcels and season with salt,pepper, herb mixture.

5) Cover with foil and cook on preheated oven 180C, 160 fan setting for 1 hour. Take the foil off and cook for further 10 minutes at 200C to get it nicely browned. Remove the tooth picks. Serve  the parcels with rice and side salad.

DANDELION SALAD WITH OLIVES AND GOAT'S CHEESE

DANDELION: This nutritious herb can be boiled or added to salads. it has more beta-carotene than carrots and more calcium and iron than spinach. You can use the flowers as garnish for the salad.

INGREDIENTS

• 200 g mix salad of dandelion and rocked
• 1 small red onion, diced
• 150 g cherry tomatoes
• 75 g peppers, diced
• 150 g goats cheese, crumbled
• 100 g black olives
• 2 hard boiled eggs, sliced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Some lemon juice,
• mixture of fresh parsley, dill and mint, chopped finely
• salt and black pepper

METHOD

Wash and prepare the salad, add tomatoes, onion, olives, peppers and mix well. Add oil, lemon juice, herbs, salt and pepper. Then cheese and the eggs just before serving. Decorate with olives and egg slices and serve with crusty bread. Serves 4-6

COOK'S NOTE: If you are not keen on dandelion, salad of your choice will be just fine.