Fika for a group

We had a casual flat-warming last Sunday afternoon, with people dropping in and out. With uncertainty over exactly how many would be coming, when, and how hungry they would be, figuring out what to prepare was initially a bit daunting. Also, we still had a lot of sorting out to do to get the place ready for visitors, so I didn't want to spend all day in the kitchen. In the end, the spread was easy, cheap and delicious:

My never-fail wholegrain bread, freshly baked
The potato and spinach bake from Vegan Brunch
Home-made hummus
Store-bought ajvar
Home-made tapanade (recipe below)Quinoa tabbouleh with roasted eggplant and pomegranate molasses dressing (recipe below)
Afghans
Watermelon mocktail (recipe below)
As well as ubiquitous chips and fizz

Plenty to go round, plenty left over (and we weren't complaining), good at any temperature.

Green Olive Tapande

Basically you need green olives (with or without pimento stuffing), capers, and garlic. Blend it all up in a blender with a little olive oil and a little water until a chunky dip forms. I added parsley, a little nutritional yeast, a little lemon juice and a little sriracha chilli sauce. Tapande is pretty much ground up olives with add-ins, so start with olives and test your way forwards.

A little goes a long way, so don't feel like you have to make a whole lot. Excellent on crackers, toast, or fresh bread. For some reason right now I want to dip celery sticks in it, but that could be just me. (Gluten-free)

Quinoa Tabbouleh with Roasted Eggplant and Pomegranate Molasses Dressing

Um, this one isn't really a 'recipe' either. Basically, roast your eggplant according to how you usually do it, and let it cool. Chop it into little bits, along with finely chopped cucumber, tomato, and plenty of chopped parsley, and add everything to cooked quinoa. Dress with olive oil, a little minced garlic, a little pomegranate molasses, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Serve cold or room temperature.
(Gluten-free)

Watermelon and Mint Mocktail

Blend de-seeded watermelon flesh till liquid (pulpy ok). Mix with a decent amount of lime juice, some freshly squeezed orange juice if you want it sweeter, and some chopped mint leaves. Add sparkling water or ice if desired. Serve cold.

Wilted Spinach and Chick Peas

This is quintessential Mum's cooking - easy, simple, healthy, quick, and tasty.

It makes an excellent lunch paired with wholemeal cous cous or pasta. Rice or bulgur or polenta or any of that would probably be excellent too. Roast potatoes? A fresh salad? It's really flexible, and works well as a flavourful and nutritious side-dish as well.

Basically, fry diced onion and plenty of finely sliced garlic in olive oil until softened. I chucked some sliced celery in there too, because upping the vege count never hurts and I had celery that needed eating. Carrots would probably be awesome as well.

Then add a good amount of cumin, and some ground coriander seed, paprika and chilli (powder, flakes, or sauce - if you've got fresh chillies then slice 'em fine and chuck 'em in with the onions instead). Add some chopped nuts (not heaps, just enough for some crunch), and continue frying until browned.

Add cooked chick peas and some chopped spinach (leaves direct from freezer ok). Stir together until spinach wilts. Squeeze lemon juice over generously and add salt (or extra chilli sauce or oil) to taste. Serve it hot or cold or at room temperature.