Girl Dinner (1)
I’ve been a fan of “girl dinners” or dinners comprising a couple of delicious things put together on a little platter in a choose your own adventure type of way for years. Especially when living on your own, it’s easier to peruse the fridge and fill a plateful of delicious things to nibble on than knock up a fully cooked dinner.
My secret weapon for this has always been to make/have on hand a few bits and pieces that keep well and that can be paired together in every which way. Dips, high quality tinned fish, pickled onions (or whatever else you fancy), olives, crackers, preserved artichokes, capers, sun-dried tomatoes, charcuterie and cheeses all make amazing elements to simple, delicious dinners that come together in minutes.
For the first of this series, I chose to get inspiration from the Middle East, with labneh, marinated olives, roasted peppers. Peaches and prosciutto complete this little plate with toasted sourdough bringing it all together.
Let me know what else inspires you for these small platter dinners and don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter for new recipes weekly, straight to your inbox!
Ingredients:
For the Labneh
1 kg (1 lbs) full fat yoghurt
1tsp sea salt
za’atar
olive oil
For the roasted peppers
2-3 red, green, or yellow peppers (I love to use kapja here)
olive oil
flaky salt
aged balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
For the marinated, warm olives
200g (1.2 lb) olives, pitted - a mix would work very well here
zest of 1/2 lemon, use a peeler to get thin strips
1-2 cloves of garlic
1 shallot, peeled and cut in half
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried thyme
salt and pepper to taste
Optional
sliced peaches
prosciutto
sourdough bread
Make the labneh: In a strainer lined with cheesecloth pour the yoghurt mixed with the tsp of salt. Place above a bowl and let strain in the fridge for a minimum of 6 hours, ideally overnight.
When strained, roll little balls of cheese and coat them in za’atar. Place in a container and cover with extra virgin olive oil until ready to use.
Make the roasted peppers. Set your oven to grill at 220 degrees celsius. Cut the peppers in half and place them on a baking sheet. Grill for 10-15 minutes or until the skin is blackened (you can do this also on an open flame grill - in that case keep them whole so they’re easier to turn). Place them in a heatproof bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Wait until cool enough to handle.
Peel the peppers, chop them roughly. Season with salt, pepper, olive oil and aged balsamic vinegar. A tiny crushed clove of garlic or some lemon zest would also work really well here.
Make the marinated olives. Preheat the oven at 180 degrees, fan. Mix all the ingredients in a pan and bake for 10-15 minutes until fragrant.
And now, choose your own adventure. Cut a few slices of bread, pour yourself a glass of wine and pick and choose what you’d like to have for dinner. Add some fruit, aged cheese, charcuterie and congratulate yourself for your fancy dinner for one. You’ve earned it!