Belazu sent me a jar of their spicy shawarma paste and I immediately thought of roasting aubergines and chick peas with it. To that I added their forbidden black rice and a little salad and garlicky yogurt it became a shawarma bowl. You can also serve this in a warm flatbread wrap with tahini or humus instead of the rice. It’s Middle Eastern and spicy, creamy, salty and super healthy.
On holiday in the South of France we tried the traditional Niçoise socca for the first time and couldn’t believe how delicious it was. It’s crispy and pancakey like a pizza and it really lends itself to all the flavours of a pizza or a sandwich, because like bread it’s a blank canvas. It’s also gluten free and made with chick pea flour so it’s high is protein. If you make small ones they could be fantastic as gluten free canapé bases… just sayin’. They are really easy to make, too… and my new store cupboard staple.
Continue reading
This tajine has all the flavours of a tasty Moroccan dish. It’s perfect for a warming supper or dinner party now it’s colder. It has that lovely combo of savoury and sweet because it’s got delicious spices and dried apricots in it. It’s super easy as it’s all baked in the oven and needs little attention. Perfect if you are busy. I serve it with saffron couscous, garlicky yogurt (Alpro have just started doing a sugar free plain yogurt) and my Moroccan orange salad, recipe in the index, and it’s a big hit with vegetarians and non vegetarians.
These slightly sweet falafels are soft and moist. They are perfect with humus, pita bread and salad, but I also like them warm with Apple sauce which I first had as a starter at the restaurant Caravan in Exmouth market and still remember it as a surprisingly brilliant combo. You can double or triple the amounts from the recipe and bake them in batches if you want to make more. My friends who I’ve tested this recipe on said that they’re the best falafels they’ve ever had!
This rice salad is taken from Ottolenghi’s Jerusalem cookbook, only I have made it simpler. My friends all complain that his recipes are too complicated so they don’t bother to make them. Perfect with meat and chicken or just vegetarian dishes.
Serves 6.
Ingredients:
400 g can of chickpeas, drained
1 bag of cooked basmati rice (about 2-3 cups)
2-3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 ½ teaspoon of curry powder
100 g currants
Crispy onions from supermarket (in a plastic tub)
2 tablespoons of chopped parsley
1 tablespoon of chopped coriander
1 tablespoon of chopped dill
Salt and pepper
