ROASTED PEPPER WITH GARLIC AND BASIL + GRILLED VEGETABLE+TABBOULEH: Wash and put the peppers in an oven pan on top of an aluminum foil or a baking sheet. You can also grill the pepper for the Tabbouleh. Turn on the grill in the oven and set the pan at the highest level making sure the peppers don’t touch the elements of the grill. Leave the door open and let the grill burn the skin of the peppers as in the picture below. See post on summer peppers for more information.

POTATO SALAD: Wash and boil the potatoes in salted water (1 tablespoon of coarse salt) for 20 minutes.

TABBOULEH: While the peppers are roasting, I get started with cleaning and chopping the ingredients for the Tabbouleh. First I cut the onion into very small pieces.

EACH TIME AN INGREDIENT IS DONE; I CHECK ON THE PEPPERS AND TURN THEM.

ROASTED PEPPER WITH GARLIC AND BASIL + GRILLED VEGETABLE:Turn the peppers around until all the skin is burned. Make sure the skin is burned everywhere as it is hard to peel it off if it is not burned. But don't cook them too long as the flesh should remain firm.

TABBOULEH: Wash and dry the parsley and the mint and separate the leaves. Mince the parsley and the mint leaves in a small food processor as they have to be very finely chopped

EACH TIME AN INGREDIENT IS DONE; I CHECK ON THE PEPPERS AND TURN THEM.

TABBOULEH: Cut the tomatoes in small pieces making sure you keep all the juices. Cut the red pepper in the same size as the tomatoes and add all the ingredients to the couscous. If you have roasted the pepper for the tabbouleh, make sure it is cold before you clean it.

POTATO SALAD: At this point your 20 minutes timer for the potatoes will ring. You can pierce the potatoes with a knife to check if they are cooked. The knife should go through the potatoes smoothly. Do not cook them too much otherwise they will mash when stirring the salad. Once they are done, let them cool.

EACH TIME AN INGREDIENT IS DONE; I CHECK ON THE PEPPERS AND TURN THEM.

TABBOULEH: Optional: Grate the lemon zest avoiding the white of the lemon as it will taste bitter (Only do this with a non waxed lemon). Add the lemon juice and mix all with a fork making sure the couscous is nicely loose and mixed with all the herbs. Avoid lumps!

ROASTED PEPPER WITH GARLIC AND BASIL + GRILLED VEGETABLES: Let the peppers cool down completely.

40 MINUTES: Tabbouleh done and peppers and potatoes are cooling down.

BROWN RICE WITH APPLES AND CARROTS: Cook the brown rice in the pressure pan with salted water for 10 minutes. If you are using a pressure pan it should take approximately 10 minutes. For the pressure pan use 1lt of salted water making sure you do not pass ⅔ of the pressure pan capacity. If you don’t have a pressure pan, I recommend you cook it for 20 minutes.

GRILLED VEGETABLES: While the rice is cooking, I start cutting the onions, aubergines and zucchini in slices so they are ready to be grilled.

BROWN RICE WITH APPLES AND CARROTS: the rice is done, strain it and let it cool

GRILLED VEGETABLES: Roast the aubergines and the zucchini in the grill or in an iron pan. You do not need to add oil as long as the grill or the pan is very hot. Once cooked the vegetables will detach from the grill or pan and can be turned easily. Turn them and cook the other side. If you are using the Barbecue grill it will take you only 20 minutes.

ROASTED PEPPER WITH GARLIC AND BASIL + GRILLED VEGETABLES: Peel the garlic cloves and cut them into thin round slices. Cut the basil leaves in stripes.

ROASTED PEPPER WITH GARLIC AND BASIL: Clean the peppers and put them in the serving dish ready to be seasoned. Remember to add one pepper to the Grilled vegetables

ROASTED PEPPER WITH GARLIC AND BASIL + GRILLED VEGETABLES: add garlic, basil, extra virgin olive oil and salt to both the peppers and the roasted vegetables

1 HR AND 40 MINUTES: Grilled vegetables done

1 HR AND 40 MINUTES: Roasted Peppers with Garlic and Basil done

RED PESTO SAUCE: Wash and dry the basil and the tomatoes. Add all ingredients into the mixer cutting the tomatoes into quarters. Mix until it becomes creamy

1 HR AND 45 MINUTES WORK

POTATO SALAD: Cut the potatoes in half and add chive and onion. Prepare the dressing for the potatoes salad mixing the mustard, the mayonnaise and the lemon juice. Mix with the dressing and adjust salt and pepper if necessary.

15 MINUTES: Potato salad Done

PASTA WITH RED PESTO: boil the salted water for the pasta and cook the pasta 1 minute less than what is written on the box.

GREEK SALAD: Cut the tomatoes and the cucumber in cubes as in the picture. Crumble the feta cheese. Season with salt, pepper and virgin olive oil and mix.

30 MINUTES: Greek salad done

PASTA WITH RED PESTO: Once the Trofie are boiled and drained, I mix them immediately with the red pesto so they will not stick to each other. I usually serve the remaining pesto in a separate bowl beside the pasta in case some guests want to add more.

35 MINUTES: Pasta with red pesto done

BROWN RICE WITH APPLES AND CARROTS: peel the carrots and the apples and shred them with a shredder. Mix the rice with the apples and the carrots and season with the virgin olive oil, salt and lemon juice. It should take you 15 minutes with the electrical shredder.

50 MINUTES: Brown rice with carrots and apples done