My favourite quick dish of the summer: Harissa-spiked houmous

If there is one dish that I've been making over and over again (apart from fried chantarelle mushrooms in various disguises), it's this quick and spicy version of houmous, the Middle-Eastern chickpea/garbanzo dish. I love the traditional houmous to bits, but sometimes it's nice to play around with your favourites a bit. I've had my fling with a beetroot houmus, and I've been eyeing a roasted pepper houmous recipe for a while now. But first, I need to get tired of this harissa-spiked houmus recipe, and this hasn't happened yet. (If you've got a favourite 'way with houmus', then I'd love to hear about it!)

I use Belazu's Rose Harissa, but any other favourite would work just as well. Suitable for vegetarians, vegans, celiacs as well, so a very handy recipe to have :)

Harissa-spiked houmous
(Hummus harissaga)
Adapted from BBC Good Food, June 2009 (see original recipe)
Serves 4 to 6



400 g can of chickpeas/garbanzos
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
couple of spoonfuls of water
1 large garlic clove, chopped
about half a lemon, juiced
1 scant Tbsp harissa paste
1 Tbsp tomato pureé / tomato paste
salt, to taste

coriander/cilantro or parsley for garnishing (optional)

Drain the chickpeas and place to the food processor with the rest of the ingredients. Blend until you've got a smooth paste (or slightly coarse, if that's how you prefer your houmous). Taste for seasoning - if you wish, add some more harissa or lemon juice or salt.
Excellent with toated pita bread, or on a slice of toast, or spread on crispy crostini or as a dipping sauce with some crudités.

Watermelon, feta and lime salad

Yet another watermelon salad that's perfect as a light meal on those hot summer days. I made this first about a year ago, when I spotted the recipe in Rachel Allen's lovely book "Rachel's Favourite Food for Friends". I love the fresh note that lime adds to the sweet watermelon.

Watermelon, feta and lime salad
(Arbuusi-fetasalat laimiga)

Serves 4

500 g watermelon (cleaned weight)
200 g barrel-aged feta cheese
1 lime
1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh mint

toasted pita bread, to serve

Peel the watermelon, remove the seeds. Cut the fruit into thin slices, about 4-5 cm (2 inches) wide. Place into the serving bowl.
Crumble the feta cheese on top, season with finely grated lime zest and freshly squeezed lime juice, sprinkle chopped mint on top.
Give it a gentle stir and serve. The salad tastes best within half an hour of preparing.

Coconut French Toast with Berries

Something for the forthcoming weekend :) We usually have pancakes or crepes on Saturday mornings, and try to go for a coffee in a nice café on Sunday mornings. I cannot make pancakes, so K. is our Saturday morning chef :) However, sometimes we stay in on Sunday mornings as well, and then I have to come up with a special breakfast. Last Sunday we had these lovely coconut french toast with berries on our sunny balcony. I make French toast quite often, but always with the traditional egg-and-milk mixture. These are made without eggs, making them a somewhat lighter option.

Coconut French Toast with Berries
(Vaesed rüütlid kookospiimaga)
Serves 4

8 slices of white bread (f.ex. bloomer)
200 ml creamy coconut milk
1 tsp cinnamon

butter, for frying

To serve:
250 g plain yogurt
1 tsp vanilla sugar
a heaped cup of raspberries and blueberries/bilberries

First, make the toast. Mix cinnamon and coconut milk in a deep plate. Dip both sides of the bread slices into the coconut milk.
Heat some butter on a non-stick frying pan and fry the bread slices on both sides until golden brown. Place onto a plate.
For the sauce, season the yogurt with vanilla, then gently stir in the berries. Spoon the sauce of the coconut french toast slices.