Until I started making couscous
this way, I did not have a very favourable impression. It always felt dry and
stodgy and lacked any real taste. I guarantee this recipe will definitely
change your mind like it did mine.
250 grams of wholemeal couscous
1 x 400 grams tin of chick peas
drained and rinsed
1 medium sized onion finely
chopped
2 cloves garlic chopped very fine
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon allspice powder
1 teaspoon chilli powder
½ teaspoon sweet paprika
1 x 400 grams tinned tomatoes
1 green chilli finely chopped
12 kalamata olives, pitted and
sliced
1 tablespoon finely chopped mint
and parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
Heat the olive oil in a heavy
based fry pan that has a lid. Add onion and cook on a low heat until soft. Then
add the garlic, coriander, cumin, all spice, chilli powder and paprika, and mix
well. Cook for a couple of minutes, add tomatoes, green chilli and honey. Cook
for a few minutes, add a cup of water and let it come up to the boil. Now add the couscous, chick peas and olives.
Cover and cook over a low heat until the couscous swells up and is soft. This
will take about 5 -10 minutes. Just before serving stir the parsley and mint
through. Serves 4 -6.
A fiery hot chilli relish
originally from Yemen but now popular in Israel. It is eaten as an
accompaniment to just about everything. I served it up with roast Maryland
chicken. This recipe is courtesy of Greg and Lucy Malouf from their Moorish
cook book.
4 cardamom pods
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
2 cups fresh coriander, roots
removed
4 – 6 red chillies – I did not
remove the seeds but you can if you don’t like super-hot relish
6 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon salt
A splash of water
Crush the cardamom pods,
peppercorns and caraway seeds in a mortar and pestle, then sift to remove the
husks. I used a tea strainer.
Wash and thoroughly dry the
coriander. Put the chillies, coriander, garlic, salt and water in a blender,
add the spices and mix well. Tip into a jar and seal with 1 tablespoon olive
oil. It will keep for around a week in the refrigerator.
Makes 100 ml
TRAY BAKED CHICKEN MARYLAND
Tray Baked Chicken Maryland with Zhoug
A chicken Maryland is a cut of chicken which contains both the
drumstick and thigh. It is a great budget-friendly cut to use for a quick roast chicken or in a one-pot wonder meal.
4 pieces chicken maryland cut
legs
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Maldon sea salt
Preheat oven to 210oC
or 190o C fan bake. Rub the vegetable oil on the legs and sprinkle
Maldon sea salt liberally. Place legs on a wire rack over an oven tray. Bake in
oven for 30 to 35 minutes until done. Serve with couscous and Zhoug. Serves 4.
Schmaltz is the rendered chicken
fat which collects in the tray. You can spoon into a small bowl and use it to
flavour rice or couscous.
In Andhra Pradesh, the state
where I was born vepudu is a common method of cooking vegetables. It literally
means fry but the vegetables are not deep fried and the dish is dryish to look
as it is eaten with liquid accompaniments like rasam or sambar.
There is sweetness from the
carrots and beetroot and a hint of chilli coming through. The vegetables are
lovely and juicy and I think it is a colourful accompaniment.
3 large carrots (450 grams)
evenly diced to 1 centimetre pieces
3 medium sized beetroots (250
grams) evenly diced to 1 centimetre pieces
1 dried red chilli
1 green chilli finely chopped
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon channa dhal (split
chick pea)
3 tablespoons peanut or other
vegetable oil
3 tablespoons roasted peanuts
3 tablespoons desiccated coconut
Salt to taste
METHOD
Heat the oil in a heavy based fry
pan with a lid. When hot add the channa dhal if using, followed by the red chilli.
Allow them to fry slightly for about thirty seconds and then add the green
chilli and cumin seeds. When you can smell the cumin seeds, add the beetroot
and fry for a minute before adding the carrots. Put the burner to high heat and
cover the pan with lid and do not touch for a minute. Then remove the lid, stir
to mix and do the same again that is cover with a lid and do not touch for a
minute. Then reduce heat to low, add salt and stir to mix. Cover with lid and
allow to cook for ten minutes. Fry once more this time remove the lid and allow
the moisture to evaporate. Turn off the heat, add the desiccated coconut and
the peanuts, mix and serve. Serves 6.
My maternal grandmother (Ammamma)
passed away when I was very young and I did not have the privilege to know her
better. My mother talks of the food she used to prepare very fondly and this is
one of my grandmother’s recipe. You need tender baby cabbage the one that has
almost soft, buttery leaves.
Grating the cabbage
1 small tender, baby cabbage, washed
and dried
100 grams grated coconut (I used
frozen coconut)
1 thumb ginger finely chopped
2 green chillies (seeded and finely
chopped)
1 shallot finely chopped
Juice from one lemon (about 30
ml)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil like
canola
50 grams peanuts (handful)
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon channa dhal (split
chick pea)
1 dried red chilli
Pinch of asafoetida (optional)
Salt to taste
Using a box grater, grate the cabbage. In a
large bowl, mix the cabbage with the green chilli, ginger and shallot. Heat a
tablespoon of oil in a small fry pan and fry the peanuts until golden brown.
This needs to be done on low heat otherwise they burn and taste bitter without
the crunch. Once fried, remove and set aside. Put the fry pan on heat again and
add the remaining oil to prepare popu (seasoning). Add the channa dhal,
followed by mustard seeds. When the channa dhal turns slightly brown, you can
also hear the mustard seeds popping, add the red chilli and asafoetida if
using. Remove heat as the residual heat is sufficient to fry off the asafoetida
and chilli. Just before serving, add the popu (seasoning) along with peanuts to
the cabbage mixture. Add salt, lemon juice and adjust seasoning to your taste.
Serve immediately. Serves 8 -10.
It was my son’s birthday over the
weekend and I baked this cake. This is my go to cake for any occasion. A friend
of mine Trish, gave this recipe about 20 years ago and we love it. It is so
moist, easy to prepare and uncomplicated and gluten free. The whole house has a
beautiful orange aroma when the cake is in the oven.
Orange Almond cake
6 Eggs
250 grams caster sugar
250 grams ground almonds
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 oranges
Put the oranges and 2 cups of
water into a saucepan that has a tight fitting lid. Cover and boil for 2 hours.
Check that the oranges don’t boil dry. Once cool, discard the water and cut
oranges open. Remove pips and core and purée.
Beat the eggs and sugar in a
large bowl until light and fluffy. Fold in oranges and ground almonds then add
baking powder.
Pour into a lined cake tin, preferably with a removable base. I used a 26 centimetres tin. Bake for about 60 minutes at 180°C. Cool in the tin before turning out.
200 grams of tinned tomatoes
crushed with your hand
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Salt and pepper to taste
METHOD
Wash the beans, soak in water
overnight, drain and rinse well.
Place the beans in a large
saucepan and cover with fresh water. Bring to the boil, reduce to a simmer then
cook, cover for an hour or hour and a half until the beans are softened. To
save time, alternatively, you may pressure cook. Otherwise you can use two tins
of lima beans and one half tin of red kidney beans.
In another pan, heat the oil. Fry
the onions for ten minutes. Then add the garlic and when garlic flavour is
evident, add the coriander and cumin powder, and the paprika powders. Fry to
mix. Add the tomato paste, the brown sugar and dark soy sauce. Continue frying
to mix and then add the tomatoes and chipotle peppers. Once the tomatoes are
bubbling, add half a cup water and then the beans along with their cooking
liquid. Salt to taste and grind a few generous grinds of pepper. Allow to come
up to the boil and gently simmer for about 15 -20 minutes. Serve hot for a
vegan breakfast like I did with balsamic mushrooms and hash browns (store
bought). Serves 6 – 8.
BALSAMIC MUSHROOMS
Prepare mushrooms by dusting off
with a kitchen towel and cut in half if larger than a fifty cent piece
otherwise leave them whole. The trick is to choose even sized ones that have a
very short stalk.
½ kilo button mushrooms
3 cloves garlic peeled and
crushed just enough to open them
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive
oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
Italian Parsley finely sliced to
garnish
METHOD
Heat two tablespoons of olive oil
in a largish fry pan (you do not want to crowd the mushrooms). Add the crushed
garlic and when they turn brown, add all the mushrooms. Toss around and add the
rest of the olive oil. Add the salt and
few grinds of pepper and turn the heat to high. Shake the pan from time to time
so the mushrooms fry evenly. If they are burning, reduce heat, cover and cook
for a minute. Remove the cover and when the mushrooms look cooked, add the
sugar and allow sugar to bubble/caramelize. Then add balsamic vinegar and toss
around so they turn glossy. Remove from heat and serve garnished with the
Italian Parsley. (Serves four)
Wash the black lentils and kidney
beans, soak in water overnight, drain and rinse well.
Place the beans and lentils in a
large saucepan and cover with fresh water. Bring to the boil, reduce to a
simmer then cook, cover for an hour or hour and a half until the beans are
softened. To save time, alternatively, you may pressure cook.
In another large pan, heat the
ghee and fry the onion till golden. Then add the ginger and garlic and continue
frying for a further five minutes. Add the turmeric and chilli powder, fry for
a few minutes. If you feel the bottom of the pan is burning add a teaspoon of
water. Add the tomato paste, tomatoes and their juice. Cook this for five
minutes before adding the cooked beans along with the cooking liquid.
Add salt, pepper and garam
masala, stir everything together and simmer, uncovered for about an hour. The
dhal should be thick. If it’s too liquid, cook for a bit longer to evaporate
some liquid.
Check for seasoning, stir in the fresh green chilli and cream. Serve hot with rice.
ALOO METHI
Fresh fenugreek or methi
It is a commonly held belief in
India, that fenugreek (methi), the herb has a number of health benefits. Fresh
fenugreek has a very earthy flavour and every time I eat it, I feel I am putting some goodness into my body. Simply
put aloo methi is fenugreek stir fried with some potatoes. Please take the time
to prepare the methi well otherwise you will end up with a fibrous inedible
mess. Like with any greens, wash thoroughly and dry. Keep the tender tops and
leaves and discard tough bottom bits.
400 grams of potatoes like
Vivaldi boiled with skin on and peeled
2 large bunches of fenugreek
prepared (prepared weight 300 grams)
2 plump garlic sliced thinly
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
½ teaspoon chilli powder
2 tablespoons ghee
Salt to taste
METHOD
Depending on size of your
potatoes, either quarter or cut into eighths. Finely chop all the fenugreek and
set aside. Heat the ghee in a fry pan and fry the garlic until the smell is
evident. Be careful to adjust heat so garlic does not burn. Then add the cumin
seeds and when they start to turn brown, add the potatoes. At the same time
sprinkle salt and chilli powder. Fry for thirty seconds to a minute and then
add the fenugreek. Stir fry continuously (may need to add a spoonful of water)
until all the fenugreek is cooked and sticking to the potatoes. Serve hot as a
side dish to your Indian meal.
1 cup of tightly packed leaves
and stems of coriander
½ cup of mint leaves
1 thumb ginger, roughly chopped
6-10 green chillies depending on
your heat preference and also how hot the chillies are to begin with
Cut the chicken into 5 centimetre
dice. To prepare the spice paste, soak the nuts in warm water for 10 -15
minutes. In a fry pan heat a tablespoon of oil and fry the chopped onion. Let
it cool. Put all the spice paste ingredients including the fried onion in a
blender and whiz to a paste.
Heat oil in a deep sauté pan and
add the red chilli along with cinnamon stick. When the flavour is evident, then
add the onions. When the onion begins to turn light brown, add the spice paste
and fry vigorously. Mind your hands as it can start to sputter! Continue frying
and add the yoghurt, tamarind paste, salt and a couple of tablespoons of water.
After frying five minutes, add all the chicken pieces. Give it a stir, cover
and cook for 15 – 20 minutes. Serve with rice or Indian breads.
There is no set recipe for
minestrone soup since it can be usually made with whatever vegetables or meat
one has at home. Just a note that the vegetables are a guide and you can create
your version depending on the vegetables you have and like. This is my
vegetarian version – which I like to serve with crusty bread for lunch.
Minestrone Soup
50 grams green cabbage shredded
100 grams cauliflower cut into
small florets
2 zucchini cut into 1 centimetre
dice
100 grams mushrooms cut eighths
or quarters depending on size
1 large carrot diced evenly
2 sticks celery sliced thinly
1 x 400 grams tin plum tomatoes
in juice
1 x 400 grams tin Borlotti beans drained
and rinsed
2 tablespoons tomato paste
50 grams orzo or risoni
3 plump garlic cloves finely
chopped
½ teaspoon chilli flakes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
plus extra to serve
4 tablespoons finely grated or
microplaned Parmigiano Reggiano for serving
Salt and freshly ground pepper to
taste
Vegetables prepared for Minestrone Soup
METHOD
In a large pan, heat the oil and
fry the onions for a few minutes. Then add the garlic, celery and carrots and
fry for three or four minutes. Then add the chilli flakes, oregano and the
remaining vegetables. Continue frying intermittently for a further five
minutes. Then add the tomato paste followed by the tomatoes in their juice. Add
a litre of water and bring it up to the boil. Cover and let simmer for 15
minutes. Give it a good stir after this period, add the borlotti beans and
salt. Continue cooking for a further 10 minutes and add the orzo or rizoni.
Cook for another 5 -7 minutes. Adjust seasoning.
Just before serving, once dished
out into individual bowls, sprinkle the cheese and pour a teaspoon of extra
virgin olive oil on top. Serve immediately with bread.
Our household loves my lasagne.
Over the years I have done several variations and this vegetarian version using
winter vegetables is a big hit. Please don’t be alarmed by all the ingredients
– it is relatively easy to make and I urge you to give it a try.
Pan Roasted Vegetable Lasagne
500 grams butternut squash peeled
and cut into 3 centimetre cubes
3 leeks thoroughly washed and cut
into 2 centimetre rounds
500 grams mushrooms sliced
1 large onion finely chopped
2 sticks celery, peeled and
finely chopped
1 x 400 grams can of brown
lentils drained and rinsed
6 plump garlic cloves finely
diced
2 x 400 grams tin of plum
tomatoes
½ to 1 teaspoon red hot chilli
flakes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
6 to 7 tablespoons extra virgin
olive oil
4 cups of milk
4 tablespoons of plain flour
Salt and pepper
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
(optional)
50 grams of butter evenly cubed
10 grams of butter evenly cubed
50 grams of Parmigiano Reggiano microplaned
400 grams of fresh lasagne sheets
METHOD
Heat a large, heavy bottomed fry
pan and once sufficiently hot add a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. Add
the butternut pieces (a few at a time so as not to crowd the pan) and roast
them until nicely caramelized on the sides. This is important as it gives a
sweetness. Repeat until all butternut is roasted this way. Set aside. Repeat
the same process for the leek rounds and then the mushrooms.
To make the sauce: Once the
vegetables are pan roasted, add some more oil and fry the onions, celery and
garlic for about 5-6 minutes. They should look soft and translucent. Squash up
the tomatoes and juice and add this to the onion mixture. Add the oregano, chilli
flakes, salt and pepper. Give it a good stir and simmer gently for about 10
minutes. If you feel the sauce is getting too thick, add about half a cup of
water. Then add the lentils and continue simmering for a further 10 minutes.
Once done cover with lid until needed.
To make the béchamel sauce: Heat
up the milk in a measuring cup and have it ready. Heat a saucepan and add the
50 grams of butter. When butter is melted, add the plain flour and mix
continuously so the flour and milk are incorporated. Add salt and pepper to
taste, reduce heat to lowest setting and start adding the milk little at a time
while stirring continuously ensuring that milk is incorporated into the butter
flour mixture. Continue until all milk is used up. If you don’t mix
continuously, you will have a very lumpy béchamel sauce. Continue stirring and
you will know that the sauce is ready to be used when it coats the back of your
spoon. Remove from heat but keep warm.
Pan Roasted Vegetable Lasagne
In a deep baking dish (26 centimetres
by 18 centimetres and 10 centimetres deep) start assembling the lasagne. Spread
a layer of béchamel sauce and then the lasagne sheet. Follow this with a layer
of the sauce followed by the vegetables and the béchamel sauce. Repeat until
all the lasagne sheets, vegetables and sauces are used up. Remember you have to
finish with a topping of béchamel sauce. Sprinkle the Parmigiano Reggiano. Dot
the 10 grams of butter and place the dish in a pre-heated moderate oven (180
degrees Celsius) for about 40 minutes or until golden. Once cooked allow to
rest for 30-40 minutes before serving with a fresh Cos lettuce salad. ( I normally
just cut up the Cos or Romaine lettuce to bite size pieces and toss with lemon
flavoured olive oil and squeeze a few drops of fresh lemon for a bit of zing
just before serving). Serves four generously.
