Baked Peppers with pesto tomatoes feta

What you need

This recipe is from Nigel Slater: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/aug/23/nigel-slater-baked-peppers-with-tomatoes-and-feta-recipe

• 3-4 bell peppers
• 500g cherry tomatoes
• feta cheese
• olives
• pine nuts
• parmesan cheese
• garlic cloves (3-4)
• fresh basil leaves - 1 - 2 bundles
• salt, pepper, olive oil

Equipment

• mixing bowl
• blender
• baking form, e.g. a large quiche form

How you do it

Pesto

• ca 100g pine nuts into the blender
• add salt, pepper
• wash the basil leaves and add
• grind parmesan cheese - ca 50g and add to it
• add generous amount of olive oil
• add 3-4 garlic cloves (well depending on how garlicky you like it to be). cut the cloves into two and add to the mix in the blender

Switch the blender on. If it gets stuck you may want to add more olive oil. Let it run for a few minutes until it is a smooth green paste. 

Put the pesto aside

Peppers and Filling

• wash & cut the cherry tomatoes and add to mixing bowl
• cut the feta cheese into little cubes and add to the tomatoes
• if the olives are pitted add to the mix. Otherwise remove stones and cut into two
• add ca 8 tablespoons of pesto to it and mix thoroughly
• wash & cut the peppers in half. Make sure seeds and stalk are removed
• put into baking tray with the cavity facing upwards
• with a spoon add the tomato/feta/olive/pesto mix into the peppers
• preheat the oven to 180C or 350F
• sprinkle a little rock salt and olive oil (Nigel Slater also recommends a bit of red wine vinegar)
• put into oven and let run for ca 30min

French Yogurt Cake

What you need

• 125-150g yoghurt
• 2 large or 3 medium eggs
• 1 lemon
• 125-150g sugar
• vanilla extract
• 1-2 teaspoons of baking powder
• 250g plain flour
• 100 - 125g vegetable oil (1/2 cup) or butter (but oil is better)
• a pinch of salt
• icing sugar (optional)

Optionally you may use a few berries, fruits, e.g. raspberries or strawberries. See below

Equipment

• mixing bowl
• sieve
• baking tray
• whisker
• zester
• sieve for icing sugar

How you do it

Preheat the oven to 180C or 350F

• measure and put 250 g of plain flour aside
• in one bowl put the sugar in. Then use the zester to create lemon zest and mix with sugar
• add the eggs, oil and yoghurt
• whisk until creamy
• add 1-2 spoons of baking powder
• through a sieve add the 250g flour. 
• finally - mix until smooth

• prepare the baking tray, i.e. grease with butter and sprinkle some flour onto it
• pour the flour/yoghurt mix into the tray
• use a spoon to smooth and even it out
• if you have any berries (e.g. raspberries), add them on top and press them into the dough slightly (so that they are half in, half out)

Finally put the tray into the oven and let it bake for 50-55min.

When finished, remove from oven and let cool down for another 20min or so before removing it from the baking casket.

Then sprinkle it with icing sugar if you wish