Perfect summer night with McDreamy

What a great big table for dinner! Puts my little Ikea table to shame!

Grey's is back on! Yay! And to celebrate, I had Pete, Shel and Kristabel over for dinner (although they didn't know it was in honour of the tv show - I kept that a secret until I sprang it on them mid main course!)

I trotted over the markets at lunchtime today to pick up supplies and have to admit, I'm pretty chuffed with my efforts!

We had marinated pork loin chops, warm sweet potato salad and fig, pomegranate and haloumi salad. Ah-mazing. Thanks to my friends Bill (Granger) and Donna (Hay).

Ginger - one of my fave ingredients at the mo

Pork cutlets in hoisin and ginger marinade

Serves 4

1/3 cup hoisin sauce

2 Tbspn soy sauce

2 Tbspn olive oil, plus extra to brush

1 Tbspn honey

2 tspn grated fresh ginger

2 garlic cloves, crushed

4 pork loin chops

Stir together the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, olive oil, honey, ginger and garlic in a shallow non-metallic dish. Add the pork and sir well. Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

Preheat your barbecue or chargrill pan to high heat and brush with olive oil. Cook the pork cutlet for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until cooked to your liking.

I looked up 'sun' and this is what I found. Bless! Gorgeous movie xo

Sweet potato with coriander and lemon

Serves 4-6

1 Tbspn olive oil

1 red onion, finely diced

2 tspn grated fresh ginger

1 tspn ground cumin

2 tspn ground coriander

1 kg sweet potatoes, peeled and diced (I ran out of sweet potato, so added in some pumpkin)

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 Tbspn chopped fresh coriander

2 preserved lemon quarters, flesh and pith removed, finely diced (I just used fresh lemon zest)

Heat the olive oil in a large deep frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stiring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add the ginger, cumin and coriander and cook, stirring for another minute. Add the sweet potato and 1 cup of water to the pan and stir well. Cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 12 minutes. Remove the lid and simmer for 5-10 minutes until all the water has evaporated and the sweet potato is tender.

Season with salt and pepper and serve warm or at room temperature, sprinkled with the coriander and lemon.

Both recipes courtesy of Bill Granger's Holiday

What a gorgeous, indulgent, sexy fruit!

Haloumi, fig and pomegranate salad

Serves 4

1/4 cup olive oil

250g haloumi, thinly sliced

1 cup mint leaves

100g rocket leaves

8 green figs, halved

1 pomegranate, seeds and juice removed

1 Tbspn red wine vinegar

2 Tbspn olive oil, extra

Heat the oil in a large non stick frying pan over high heat. Cook the haloumi for 2-3 minutes each side or until crispy. Place the haloumi, mint, rocket, figs, pomegranate seeds and juice in a bowl, drizzle with vinegar and extra olive oil and toss to combine.

*NB. To my dismay, apparently pomegranates aren't in season at the moment! Mum saved the day and dropped off some pomegranate juice which I mixed in with the red wine vinegar. Perfect.

Last recipe ccurtesy of Donna Hay's Seasons. Pics care of weheartit. Love!