Guest recipes with Tonia Buxton

Impressive main in a trice

 

Onion, Pepper, Feta and Pomegranate Tart

This dish is easy to throw together and so impressive on the table

 

5 large onions, sliced

50g butter

4 tbsp olive oil

1 red pepper, sliced

1 yellow pepper, sliced

1 courgette, cut into ribbons

1 tbsp sumac

½ tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp salt

200g cherry tomatoes

1 sheet of ready-rolled puff pastry (320g)

250g feta cheese

10 mint leaves, finely chopped

pomegranate molasses for drizzling

75g pomegranate seeds (optional)

1 tbsp brown sugar

2 green chillies, finely chopped (and de-seeded if you don’t like too much heat)

 

Preheat the oven to 180C and line a baking tray with baking paper.

Caramelise the onions in half the butter and oil in a pan over a medium heat for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and place on a plate.

Add the rest of the oil and butter to the pan, then add the peppers and sauté for a minute. Add the courgette, sumac, turmeric, black pepper and salt, and continue to cook for a further minute. Remove from the heat, add the tomatoes to the pan and roll them in the oil mixture.

Place the pre-rolled pastry on the prepared baking tray, rolling out a little more to go just over the edges, then fold them over to make a border.

Evenly spread the caramelised onions over the pastry, then add the pepper and tomato mix. Crumble the feta over the top and sprinkle with the mint leaves. Place in the oven for 20 minutes, or until the pastry has browned.

Remove from the oven, drizzle over the pomegranate molasses and sprinkle over the pomegranate seeds (if using).

Serve immediately.

 

Pink Gin Ice Lollies

Beautifully refreshing on a hot sunny day

 

500g strawberries, hulled

juice of 1 lemon

2 tbsp honey

12 mint leaves

9 tbsp pink gin

200ml lemonade

6cm piece of cucumber, cut into ribbons

 

Put the strawberries in a food processor with the lemon juice, honey and half the mint leaves and blend to a smooth purée.

Press through a fine sieve into a bowl, then stir in the gin, lemonade and the rest of the mint leaves. Set the mixture aside until the froth subsides.

Divide the mixture among ice-lolly moulds and add the cucumber ribbons and the rest of the mint leaves. Cover with a double-thickness sheet of foil (or the lids of the lolly moulds) and freeze for 2 hours, or until beginning to freeze. (If your moulds have covers with the stick in, just leave to freeze.)

After 2 hours, insert the lolly sticks, pushing them about halfway into the mixture, and return to the freezer for at least 8 hours, or until solid. Dip the moulds into hot water briefly, slide the lollies out and enjoy!

 

Tonia Buxton has written four cookbooks and is a well-known TV celebrity and chef. For more information visit toniabuxton.co.uk