Grilled vegetables with pitta croutons

Recipe

Serves: 2 as a main, 4 as a starter

Cooking and preparation

• Preparations time: 15 minutes
• Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• For the croutons

• 2 ready-made pitta breads
• 2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• For the grilled vegetables

• 1 courgette
• 1 yellow pepper
• 1 red pepper
• ½ bulb fennel
• ½ large or 1 small red onion
• ½ large aubergine
• 8-10 button mushrooms or 2 large field mushrooms
• 1-2 tbsp olive oil, for brushing

• For the salad

• 10-12 ripe cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped
• small handful basil leaves
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar, or to taste
• salt
• 200g/7oz Greek feta cheese

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas 2. Cut or tear the pitta breads in half through the middle and cut into bite-sized triangular pieces.

2. Place the pieces in a bowl, drizzle with enough olive oil to coat each crouton and mix. Place the pitta pieces onto a baking tray and put to one side until ready to cook.

3. For the grilled vegetables, slice the courgettes into 1cm/0.5in slices. Cut the peppers into quarters, discarding the stalks and seeds. Cut into bite-sized pieces.

4. Trim the root end of the fennel and then cut into wedges, through the central core (cutting through the central core will help to keep the fennel pieces together).

5. Peel the onion and slice into 1cm/0.5in thick rings.

6. Slice the aubergines into 1cm/0.5in-thick slices.

7. Preheat a ridged grill pan (griddle).

8. Using a pastry brush, brush all the prepared vegetables with olive oil.

9. Place the vegetables, oiled side-down, on the grill pan in batches, in a single layer. Cook for about five minutes (they'll have blackened ridges on them when they're ready). Brush the other sides with olive oil before turning them over and cooking for another five minutes. (It's a good idea to start with the aubergines as they have a tendency to go brown once they've been cut.)

10. Place the baking tray with the pitta bread in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes and bake until lightly browned and crisp.

11. Remove the vegetables when they're cooked and place in a bowl, adding more vegetables to the grill pan until all the vegetables have been cooked. Cook the mushrooms last, brushing them first with olive oil.

12. Add the halved cherry tomatoes to the bowl with the grilled vegetables. Add the chopped garlic. Tear the basil leaves and add to the bowl. Add the pitta croutons.

13. Dress the salad with the olive oil and the balsamic vinegar. Season, to taste, with salt.

14. Mix the salad together thoroughly, then serve on a large plate. Crumble the feta and scatter it over the salad. Serve.

Step by step

1. 

   Step 1

   Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas 2. Cut or tear the pitta breads in half through the middle and cut into bite-sized triangular pieces.
2. 

   Step 2

   Place the pieces in a bowl, drizzle with enough olive oil to coat each crouton and mix. Place the pitta pieces onto a baking tray and put to one side until ready to cook.
3. 

   Step 3

   For the grilled vegetables, slice the courgettes into 1cm/0.5in slices.
4. 

   Step 4

   Cut the peppers into quarters, discarding the stalks and seeds. Cut into bite-sized pieces.
5. 

   Step 5

   Trim the root end of the fennel and then cut into wedges, through the central core (cutting through the central core will help keep the fennel pieces together).
6. 

   Step 6

   Peel the onion and slice into 1cm/0.5in thick rings.
7. 

   Step 7

   Slice the aubergines into 1cm/0.5in thick slices.
8. 

   Step 8

   Preheat a ridged grill pan (griddle).
9. 

   Step 9

   Using a pastry brush, brush all the prepared vegetables with olive oil.
10. 

    Step 10

    Place the vegetables, oiled side-down, on the grill pan in batches, in a single layer. Cook for about five minutes (they'll have blackened ridges on them when they're ready). Brush the other sides with olive oil before turning them over and cooking for another five minutes. (It's a good idea to start with the aubergines because they have a tendency to go brown once they've been cut.)
11. 

    Step 11

    Place the baking tray with the pitta bread in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes and bake until lightly browned and crisp.
12. 

    Step 12

    Remove the vegetables when they're cooked and place in a bowl, adding more vegetables to the grill pan until all the vegetables have been cooked. Cook the mushrooms last, brushing them first with olive oil.
13. 

    Step 13

    Add the halved cherry tomatoes to the bowl with the grilled vegetables. Add the chopped garlic. Tear the basil leaves and add to the bowl. Add the pitta croutons.
14. 

    Step 14

    Dress the salad with the olive oil and the balsamic vinegar. Season, to taste, with salt.
15. 

    Step 15

    Mix the salad together thoroughly, then serve on a large plate. Crumble the feta and scatter it over the salad. Serve.