What better than light meals in summer, especially if you can use seasonal produce. The following recipes use sweet corn, tomatoes, eggplant and pears which are not only in season but also nutritious and flavourful. The best part is that other than fritters, which are best when fried just before serving, the flatbread and the tart can be made ahead of meal time. You can even prepare tomatoes ahead of time and bake just before serving. Bon appétit!

SWEET CORN & RICOTTA STUFFED TOMATOES

INGREDIENTS

4 large firm tomatoes
1 cup sweet canned corns
1 cup ricotta or cottage cheese (crumbled)
¼ cup fresh unsweetened cream
1 cup mozzarella cheese, grated
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp garlic, freshly minced
½ tsp red chilli flakes
1 tsp parsley, finely chopped
Salt to taste

METHOD

Cut tomatoes in half, scoop out the pulp. Spray the tomato halves with oil inside and out. Arrange in a baking dish or tray brushed with butter or oil. Heat butter in a sauté pan, add garlic, and fry lightly. Add finely chopped tomato pulp, red chilli flakes and salt to taste. Mix well and take off the heat.

Add corn, cottage cheese and cream to the tomato mixture. Fill up the tomato halves, sprinkle mozzarella to cover the top completely.

Bake in a preheated oven/toaster oven at 180o C for 15-20 minutes until golden and bubbling on top and the tomatoes are slightly cooked.

Sprinkle chopped parsley and enjoy!

SPICY ZUCCHINI & EGGPLANT FRITTERS

INGREDIENTS

1 cup zucchini, grated
1 cup eggplant, peeled and grated
2 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped
1 tbsp green chillies, chopped
¼ cup hot sauce
½ cup onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp garlic, finely chopped
1 egg
2 tbsp whole wheat flour
Salt to taste
Oil for shallow frying

METHOD

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and make a thick batter, add very little water as the vegetables have their own moisture so water may not be needed at all.

Heat oil in a sauté pan, place one heaped tablespoon of the mixture and flatten it with the back of a spoon into almost round shape.

Fry on medium high until light golden on both sides and slightly puffed up to make sure it’s cooked inside also. Serve with your favourite chunky salsa or chutney.

OLIVE AND CHICKEN FLAT BREAD

INGREDIENTS

2 cups or 250 gm pizza dough
1 cup cooked and shredded spicy chicken breast
1 cup sliced black and green olives
½ cup sliced and sautéed onions
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 tsp Italian dry herbs mixture

METHOD

Roll the dough into two thin and large rounds like chapatti. Sprinkle half of mozzarella on each followed by onions, chicken and olives. Sprinkle Italian herbs on top.

Heat a tawaa or large sauté pan on medium/low heat, slide the bread gently on it. Let it cook on low heat until the cheese melts on top and is bubbly. Place the bread under a broiler in a toaster oven until golden on top.

Take out, cut into wedges and serve hot with green salad.

PEAR AND ALMOND TART

INGREDIENTS

200 gm puff pastry
½ cup almond powder
½ cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 pears, peeled and slightly cooked but firm or canned
¼ cup butter, melted
1 tbsp icing sugar for dusting
Fresh cream or ice cream to
serve with

METHOD

Roll puff pastry into a quarter inch thick sheet (rectangular), place on a baking tray. Combine almond powder, sugar, melted butter and vanilla into slightly thick paste.

Spread a thin layer of the paste all over the pastry, leaving quarter inch margin all around. Thinly slice pears and arrange on top of the pastry.

Pre heat the oven at 180oC, bake the pastry for about 10-15 minutes till golden on the base and puffed up.

Cut into slices, dust with icing sugar and serve with fresh cream or ice cream.

Published in Dawn, EOS, September 30th, 2018