Delicious. And healthy. A win win for lunch this Summer, with a trio of easy-to-prepare dishes from Rediscover Dairy. Tuck in!
1. Potato fritters with smoked salmon, whipped feta cream cheese, fried egg & pickled red onions
This scrumptious dish is so healthy. The whipped feta cream cheese spread is high in protein, and the salmon helps you achieve your omega-3 fatty acid needs.
You’ll need:
- 3 medium-sized potatoes
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
- 1 large clove garlic minced
- 2 whole eggs
- 1/4 cup plain flour
- 1/2 Tbsp baking powder
- 1 Tbsp fine sea salt
- freshly ground pepper
- 3 Tbsp vegetable oil
For the whipped feta cream cheese:
- 125 g cream cheese at room temperature
- 100 g soft feta
- finely grated zest of 1 lemon
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 2 Tbsp finely chopped dill
Toppings: 120 g smoked salmon, dill sprigs to garnish, red pickled onion slices, and a fried or poached egg.
To make: Place the cream cheese, feta, lemon zest, lemon juice and dill in a small food processor and blitz until smooth. Pop into a bowl, cover with cling wrap, and then into the refrigerator.
Preheat the oven to 80ºC. Using the coarse side of a cheese grater, grate potatoes into a colander over a large bowl. Peel and finely slice the onion, then add it to the potatoes.
Add 1 teaspoon of salt and mix well. Let this sit for 10 minutes for excess moisture to come out, then rinse well with running water before transferring the mixture to a tea towel, then squeeze out as much liquid as you can.
Place the potato and onions into a clean, dry mixing bowl. Add the cheese, garlic, eggs, flour, baking powder, salt and pepper. Mix well.
Heat about half the oil in a medium-sized frying pan over medium-high heat. Make sure the pan is hot before you begin to cook the fritters – drop a small amount of the batter into the pan and wait for it to sizzle before you start to fry them up.
Pack three to four tablespoons of batter into a potato cake, then pop it into the pan, gently pressing it down to flatten it slightly. Cook for about four minutes until golden brown, then flip and cook on the other side. You can cook a few at a time, depending on the size of your frying pan.
Once done, place the cooked fritters on an ovenproof plate on a piece of kitchen paper (to soak up any excess oil) and pop them into the warm oven while you make the rest.
To serve, stack a few fritters on top of one another, add a big dollop of lemon feta cream cheese, then garnish with dill and a generous helping of pickled red onion. Add a healthy helping of fresh smoked salmon to the side. For that extra hit of protein and goodness, top with a fried or poached egg.
Tip: This whipped lemon feta cream cheese can be used as a delicious high-protein dip or a spread, and when combined with yoghurt, it makes a great salad dressing. Nutritional tip: Cooking the potato and allowing it to cool down before use will improve the GI load of the potato fritters.
Serving the potato fritters and whipped cream cheese with salmon or any other lean protein, e.g. chicken breast pieces, lean or fine biltong, or chopped nuts, will increase the protein content of the meal, keeping you fuller for longer.
2. Cottage cheese waffles
A wonderful lunch dish created by Sam Linsell for Rediscover Dairy.
You’ll need:
- 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese (you can use full- fat or fat-free smooth cottage cheese too)
- 4 large free-range eggs
- 10 Tbsp oat flour
- 4 Tbsp ground flaxseed/flaxseed flour
- 4 Tbsp chopped chives (optional)
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- 80 g grated mozzarella or Cheddar (optional) – approximately 10 g per waffle
To serve: Cream cheese, sliced avo, smoked salmon, fried eggs
To make: Place all the ingredients except the cheese into a bowl and whisk until well combined. Allow to sit for 5 to 10 minutes to thicken slightly and for the moisture to be absorbed by the oat flour.
Heat a non-stick waffle iron until ready to cook. Lightly spray with cooking spray or oil if necessary. If the iron is non-stick, it shouldn’t require any oil.
If you’re using cheese, lightly sprinkle a pinch of it on the base of the waffle iron, and then scoop about ¼ cup worth of batter onto the iron. The quantity will vary depending on the size of your waffle maker.
Sprinkle another pinch of cheese over the batter, close and cook until golden brown on both sides. Remove and top with a fried egg, cream cheese, avo and salmon.
3. Avo halloumi ritz
A new twist on a classic.
You’ll need:
- 300 g peeled and pre-cooked prawns
- 300 g halloumi (more or less an average-sized block)
- 4 limes
- 3 ripe avos
- micro herbs
- paprika
- a little butter for frying
For the sauce:
- 2 Tbsp tomato sauce
- 2 tbsp sour cream
- 2 Tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 Tbsp finely chopped chives, a squeeze of lime
To make: Heat some butter in a pan, and once hot, add your seasoned prawns. Cook for a few minutes until browned. Squeeze the juice of a lime onto the prawns and remove from the heat. Set aside to cool.
Thinly slice the halloumi. In a clean pan, add some butter, once hot pop it in and fry it on both sides until nice and golden. Set aside.
In a bowl, combine the tomato sauce, sour cream, mayonnaise, chives, and a small squeeze of lime. Give it a good mix and set aside until ready to use.
Halve the avos, take the stone out and remove the skin. Thinly and carefully slice them so that they form pretty fans.
On a wooden or marble board, fan out your avos, then arrange the prawns and halloumi slices on top. Dollop the avo ritz mayo on top, and garnish with micro herbs, a sprinkling of paprika and lime wedges.
Recipes by Rediscover Dairy – rediscoverdairy.co.za
