Festival Style Recipes
We can all join in the summer festival mood with these festival inspired dishes. If you are not heading to a festival, why not make your own fun with a fully-fledged DIY festival in the comfort of your own home. These easy recipes are perfect for family gatherings and parties with friends.
INGREDIENTS
TURKEY TACO
Serves 4
For the Mexican seasoning:
2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
To make the Mexican seasoning, mix the ingredients together in a bowl.
For the taco bowls:
500g turkey mince
2 tbsp Mexican seasoning (from above)
2 tbsp olive oil
2 small onions, finely chopped
6 spring onions, roughly chopped
2 peppers (any colour), deseeded and finely chopped
400g tin chopped tomatoes, tomato juice drained
400g tin kidney beans, drained
3 tbsp finely chopped fresh coriander
180g lightly salted tortilla chips
4 tbsp low-fat crème fraîche or plain yoghurt
salt and freshly ground black pepper
METHOD
TURKEY TACO
Put the turkey mince and Mexican seasoning into a bowl and mix with your hands.
Heat half the olive oil in a frying pan over a high heat and cook the onions, spring onions and peppers for 3 minutes. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Remove the vegetables from the pan and set aside.
Heat the remaining oil in the same pan and cook the turkey mince for 4 minutes, or until browned.
Add the chopped tomatoes, kidney beans and a pinch of salt and pepper. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the cooked vegetables and most of the coriander, and simmer for another 2 minutes.
Evenly cover the base of four bowls with the tortilla chips. Divide the turkey mixture between the bowls and top each with a tablespoon of crème fraîche. Sprinkle over the remaining coriander and serve.
INGREDIENTS
HALLOUMI FRIES
SERVES 8
2 x 250g blocks halloumi cheese, each cut into 12 chips
75g plain flour
2 tsp paprika
3 tsp garlic powder
1 free-range egg, beaten
1.5 litres vegetable oil, for frying
salt
For the garnish
75ml soured cream, large pinch rock salt, 1 tsp za’atar, large handful fresh mint, roughly chopped, 1 tsp chilli flakes, 20g pomegranate seeds
METHOD
Chunky Halloumi Fries
Preheat the oven to 170C/150C Fan/Gas 3½. Pat the cheese dry with a clean tea towel or kitchen paper.
Put the flour, paprika, and garlic onto a plate and mix well. Put the beaten egg in a shallow bowl. Have a baking tray at the ready, large enough to lay all the chips on. Coat the cheese first in the beaten egg, then in the flour mixture and pop onto the tray. Make sure you cover them evenly. Take each floured bit of cheese and put it back into the flour for a second coating.
Put the oil into a deep saucepan over a high heat. If you have a thermometer, the temperature of the oil should be 150C for a slow gentle deep-fry. If you don’t have a thermometer, test whether the oil is hot enough by dropping a breadcrumb in and if it floats the oil is ready. (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.)
Lower the heat and add a few bits of cheese to the pan – not too many, as they need to be able to move around. Be careful not to overcrowd the pan or this will reduce the temperature of the oil too much. The chips will take about 2–3 minutes: the outside should be deep golden brown. With a slotted spoon, take out the fries and put them on the baking tray. Put the tray into the oven to keep the cheese warm and the outside crisp. Fry the rest of the chips in batches, making sure to keep them warm in the oven as you go.
Once you are ready to serve, drizzle over the soured cream, sprinkle over the salt, za’atar, mint and chilli flakes, and top with the pomegranate seeds.
INGREDIENTS
VEGAN NACHOS
SERVES 4-6
For the nacho sauce:
400g butternut squash, chopped into 2.5cm rounds
150g cashew butter
1 tbsp pickled jalapeño chillies, plus 1 tbsp pickling juice
1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
3–4 tbsp nutritional yeast
3 tbsp almond milk (or alternative vegan milk)
½ lemon, juice only
salt and freshly ground black pepper
To serve:
4 wholemeal tortillas wraps, each cut into 6 triangles
4 white tortillas wraps, each cut into 6 triangles
4 medium tomatoes, roughly chopped
2 red onions, roughly chopped
2 avocados, halved and roughly chopped
handful fresh coriander, roughly chopped
METHOD
VEGAN NACHOS
Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6 and line a baking tray with baking paper.
Place the butternut squash onto the baking tray and roast for 30 minutes, or until soft and moisture is being released from the flesh. Set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, spread the tortillas over a few baking trays (ensuring they don't overlap, if possible) and bake for 15–20 minutes, turning half way through cooking.
Remove the skin from the butternut squash flesh and discard. Put the squash into a food processor with the remaining sauce ingredients and blend until very smooth.
Scatter a third of the crispy tortillas into an ovenproof dish, cover with a third of the tomatoes, onion and sauce. Repeat this process until everything has been used up. Top with the avocado and coriander and serve.