Gazpacho Andaluz

The perfect way to start a meal or as a refreshing lunch gazpacho is a firm favourite for these hot summer months.

Ingredients:
1 Kilo tomatoes
½ small onion
1 small green pepper
1 small cucumber
1 small cup of olive oil
2 desert spoons of vinegar
200 grams of bread from the day before, soaked in water
Small portions of diced tomatoes, red and green peppers, cucumber, onion and bread or croutons to sprinkle on top.

1: Put the tomatoes, onion, pepper, cucumber, vinegar, oil and bread into a liquidiser. If you want to go for a tangy garlic taste, add a small amount of fresh garlic to the mixture before liquidizing.

2: Put the mixture into a bowl, add salt and pepper and leave the gazpacho to chill for at least an hour. If you want to eat it straight away, you can put some ice cubes in to cool it down. Gazpacho is a summer dish which is meant to hydrate and cool down your body. So the colder the better!!

3: Serve the gazpacho in soup bowls, with the portions of diced tomatoes, pepper, cucumber, onion, croutons etc on the table, so that everyone can add them to their bowl as they prefer. You can also sprinkle diced serrano ham or hard boiled egg.

Cooking with Tahini By Suzanne Laurie

Tahini is a nutritional powerhouse of a paste made from ground sesame seeds which originates from the Arabic speaking countries of the Mediterranean. Sesame seeds are one of the best sources of calcium available, whilst also being high in magnesium, copper, vitamin E and the B vitamins. Tahini also contains a veritable treasure trove of amino acids and essential fats, whilst containing a host of plant chemicals which help protect against cancer and help reduce cholesterol levels.Tahini is often blended with other ingredients to make humous, sauces, dressings, dips and spreads as well as in sweet dishes. It can be purchased from good health food shops. Try this recipe below as a delicious light lunch or addition to a salad.

Romaine Lettuce Wraps with Chickpeas
in Tahini and Parsley Sauce

For 4-6
10 Romaine lettuce leaves
200g dried chickpeas, soaked overnight (or 1 large jar of chickpeas drained)
A good handful of fresh flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
2 tbsp tahini (dark or light)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Juice of ½ lemon
Salt & pepper, to taste

If using dried chickpeas, put the soaked chickpeas into a saucepan with plenty of water (do not add salt as this causes the chickpeas to go hard) and boil until soft (if you need to add more water, make sure you add boiling water – chickpeas should never come off the boil) – this may take 45 minutes to a couple of hours – then drain.

Wash the lettuce leaves (keep them whole), pat dry and put in the fridge wrapped in a tea towel for an hour.

Mix the rest of the ingredients together (bring to room temperature if you will be putting in the fridge for later), put into the lettuce leaves, wrap up and enjoy!

Suzanne Laurie Bsc (Hons) NT MBANT is a qualified Nutritional Therapist and is running healthy 1 day cooking classes from Finca Mariola in the Costa Blanca mountains - courses include favourite food makeovers, cooking without (wheat and dairy free cooking), healthy Mediterranean, gourmet vegetarian (meat eaters welcome, you may be surprised!), healthy Thai and Indian cooking, cooking for weight loss, diabetes, heart health and more. She is also available for 1 to 1 consultations on the Costa Blanca.

Please see www.fincamariola.com for more information, or ring 615 536 994