Chicken Tajine with Preserved Lemon and Chickpeas

Tajine Djaj Bi Zaytoun Wal Hamid

Ingredients

1 free range, organic chicken cut into 8 pieces
2 onions, chopped
chermoula
olive oil
preserved lemons, about a tablespoon
(use the whole piece of lemon and the juice)
1 tomato, chopped
green olives, as many as you like
sea salt and cracked pepper
diced potato and zucchini optional
1 cup of chickpeas, soaked and cooked or 1 can of rinsed chickpeas

Chermoula

1/4 bunch parsley
1/4 bunch coriander
1 clove of garlic, chopped
1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon mace
2 teaspoons ground ginger
pinch of saffron
1 bay leaf

Method

Fry the onions in oil and add the chicken pieces and cook for a few minutes. Add the ingredients of the chermoula and cook for a few minutes to release the flavour of the spices. Add the preserved lemon, tomato, potato and zucchini if using and 2 1/2 cups of water. Simmer for about an hour. Check the seasoning and add the olives and chickpeas, simmer for another ten minutes or until the chicken is tender.

Lamb Tajine with Apricots and Prunes

Tajine Bil Barkok Wal Loz

This is one of the most well known Moroccan tajines. It is sweet and succulent and full of flavour.

Ingredients

800g diced lamb
olive oil
100g apricots, fresh or canned
2 onions, chopped
about 12 stoned prunes
pinch of cinnamon
pinch of saffron
2 teaspoons ground ginger
fresh parsley (1/4 bunch)
fresh coriander (1/4 bunch)
sea salt and cracked pepper
roasted almonds, chopped

Method

Heat the oil in a tajine or heavy based casserole and saute the onion until translucent. Add the ginger, saffron and cinnamon, fresh herbs and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the lamb and saute for a few minutes. Pour in enough water to cover the meat and bring to the boil. Add the prunes and apricots. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 2 hours or until tender. Add more liquid if it becomes to dry while it is cooking. Sprinkle with the almonds and serve with crusty bread or couscous.

Gnocchi with Burnt Butter and Sage

Its really important to use the best quality unsalted butter you can get in this dish.

Ingredients

1 serve of gnocchi, about 500g
1/3 cup unsalted butter
about 20 sage leaves
sea salt and black pepper
freshly grated parmesan cheese

Method

Melt the butter in a frying pan and then add the sage leaves. Cook until the butter has stopped foaming and has turned a nut brown colour and the leaves are crisp (about 6 minutes).
Cook the gnocchi in boiling, salted water for 6 minutes then drain and add to the frying pan. Toss to coat with the burnt sage butter and season with salt and pepper. Serve with freshly grated parmesan and eat immediately.

Sage

My tiny sage plant

Sage is a small perenial shrub with woody stems, greyish leaves and small blue flowers. It is native to the Mediterranean which means it is perfect for our climate here in Adelaide. It is a member of the mint family and is used as a culinary and medicinal herb.

Sage has a slight peppery flavour and in Western cooking it is often use to flavour fatty meat such as pork, duck and eel. It is also used in pâté, meat loaves and sausages and goes very well with cheese. It is commonly used in Italian cooking, sautéed in olive oil and butter until crisp then pasta such as gnocchi is added.

Its botanical name 'Salvia' is derived from the Latin word 'salvatio' which means 'to heal' and sage has for centuries been considered one of the most important medicinal herbs.

It is said to aid digestion (hence its use in rich and fatty dishes) and is used in medicinal teas to relieve symptoms of colds, headaches and nervous tension. The infusion can also be used as an antiseptic mouthwash for sore throats, ulcers and bleeding gums. The dried leaves can be ground into a powder and rubbed on the teeth to clean, strengthen and whiten them. The Greeks and Romans used sage on snake bites and sores and even today some people use an infusion for skin disorders. Its even thought to be a cure for dandruff and the plague and has been found effective in managing Alzheimer's disease! Sprigs of sage left among clothes are believed to discourage insects and rodents.

Baklava

Walnut and Pistachio Baklava

Ingredients

Filling
1 1/2 cups of walnuts, finely chopped
1/2 cup of pistachios, finely chopped
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
350g filo pastry
150g unsalted butter

Syrup
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cinnamon stick
2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 cup of honey

Method

Preheat oven to 180°. Mix the nuts and spices together for the filling. Combine syrup ingredients and cook for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool. Remove cinnamon stick before using. Line a square cake tin baking paper and brush with melted butter. Cut the pastry to fit the tray. Place a sheet of filo in the tray then brush with melted butter, repeat 6 times. Sprinkle in an even layer of the nut mixture and then 4 more sheets of filo brushing with butter between each layer. Repeat until you have used all the nut mixture then add 6 sheets of pastry for the top layer. Brush the top with butter and cut into pieces before you bake it. Bake for one hour until golden brown. If it is getting too brown cover it with foil for the remaining cooking time. Pour the on the cooled syrup and leave to cool. Store in a cool place at room temperature.

Beautiful Zucchini Carbonara

Beautiful Zucchini (Courgette) Carbonara

Adapted from 'Jamie at Home' by Jamie Oliver

Ingredients

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 medium zucchini
250g penne
2 free range organic egg yolks
50ml double cream
2 good handfuls of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
olive oil
6 slices of pancetta or smoked bacon, sliced
a small bunch of fresh thyme

Method

Put a large pan of salted water on to boil. Halve and slice the zucchini on an angle (so they are roughly the same size as the penne), discarding any fluffy middle bits. Add the penne to the pan and cook according to the packet instructions.
To make the carbonara sauce, put the egg yolks into a bowl, add the cream and half the Parmesan, and mix together with a fork. Season lightly and set aside.
Heat a large frying pan, add a good splash of olive oil and fry the pancetta or bacon for a few minutes. Add the zucchini slices and two big pinches of black pepper to give it a bit of a kick. Sprinkle in the thyme leaves, give everything a stir, so the zucchini become coated in the lovely bacon flavored oil, and fry until the are lightly golden and the bacon is crisp.
When the pasta is cooked, drain it, reserving a little of the cooking water. Immediately, toss the pasta in the pan with the bacon and zucchini, then remove from the heat and add the creamy sauce and some of the pasta water. Stir together quickly, sprinkle with the rest of the Parmesan and serve (do not put back on the heat or the eggs will scramble).

Butter Bean, Chorizo and Red Onion Soup

I love this recipe from Gordon Ramsay's book 'Fast Food', its really delicious and so quick to make. Its also really nice with cannellini beans.

Ingredients

225g chorizo sausage, skin removed
3 tablespoons of olive oil, plus extra to drizzle
2 Spanish onions, peeled and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely sliced
few thyme sprigs
2 x 420g cans of butter beans, drained and rinsed
sea salt and black pepper
squeeze of lemon juice
large handful of Italian parsley, roughly chopped

Method

Chop the chorizo into small pieces. Put the kettle on to boil.

Heat the olive oil in a heavy based saucepan and add the onions, garlic and thyme. Cook, stirring for two minutes then add the chorizo.

Tip in the butter beans and pour in just enough boiling water to cover them. Bring to a simmer and cook gently for about ten minutes.

Season generously with salt and pepper and add a squeeze of lemon juice. Scatter over the chopped parsley and ladle the soup into warm bowls to serve.