North African Chicken, Vegetables And Chick Pea Tagine WIth Coucous

It was an extremely wet and cold weekend here in Melbourne... coldest day in 4 years and wettest May day in 17 years (both on the same day) should give you an idea of the dreary weather we are having at the moment.

Well instead of complaining about the weather which is a favourite Melbournian past time, I decided to cook something very comforting instead. A quick stop at the supermarket and this is what we had for dinner, better still there are enough leftover for quite a few more meals.

P.S This is equally delicious with some steamed rice or some toasted turkish bread.

serves 8
you'll need;
2 kg of chicken drumsticks or cuts of your choice
1 tbs paprika
1/2 tbs of cumin powder
1/2 tbs of coriander powder
salt and pepper to taste
1 large eggplant, cut into large cubes
2 medium size zucchini, cut into 3 mm discs
1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into 3 mm discs
1 can of chick peas, drained
olive oil for cooking
fresh coriander or parsley leaves to serve
couscous to serve
good yoghurt to serve

for the sauce;
3 tbs of olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 tbs of smoked paprika
1 tbs of allspice
1 tbs of sumac
2 x 400 ml can of chopped tomatoes
1 cup of stock
2 bay leaves
lemon rind or  1 tbs of chopped preserved
salt and pepper to taste

Rub chicken with spices, salt and pepper and leave aside until needed.

Prepare the vegetables and aromatics for the sauce.

Fry eggplant with a little olive oil until brown all over and is about 1/3 cooked. Remove from the pan and do the same with the sweet potato and zucchini. You may omit this stage but it does give the finished dish an extra smoky flavour.

Brown chicken with a little oil until is golden all over, remove and set aside.

Saute onion and garlic with a little olive oil, add in the spices when onion is soften and lightly brown. Add chopped tomatoes, stock, bay leaves, preserved lemon or lemon rind and season well.

Place chicken and chick peas to the pot and simmer for 25 minutes.

Next add the sweet potato, after 10 minutes add the eggplant and zucchini and continue to cook for a further 15 minutes. Check for seasonings.

Serve with couscous and a big dollop of yoghurt.

Chermoula Roasted Chicken, Tomato, Avocado And Cucumber Salsa Wraps

I have wanted to try my hands on cooking Mexican or even Tex-Mex food at home for a while now. When I finally got my acts together to do my research and found a recipe suitable for a first timer like me, the specialty shop was closed when I arrived with my list of ingredients. 

Thankfully the supermarket is a stone's throw away from the specialty shop and I managed to come out with a Mediterranean version of my planned tacos meal. 

This completely revised meal is now a tummies' favourite whenever we want to get away from rice and pasta. Mexican food is still on the pipeline and if you know of any good Mexican cookbook do let me know, thank you.

recipe from the tummies' kitchen
serves 4 as a one dish meal
you'll need;
1 free range chicken, butterflied
5 tbs of chermoula for marinade
8 to 10 shop bought tortillas or other flat breads
200 g of baby cos lettuce leaves
2 tbs of extra chermoula

for the salsa;
2 large tomatoes, diced
1 continental/telegraph cucumber, diced
1 avocado, diced
1 spanish onion, finely diced
2 tbs of chopped coriander leaves
2 tbs of chopped mint leaves
4 tbs of olive oil
juice from half a lemon
salt and pepper to taste

To butterfly or spatchcock the chicken - remove the backbones of the chicken using a pair of kitchen scissor then flatten it slightly with both the palms of your hands. Use 5 tbs of the chermoula to marinate the chicken for at least an hour in the fridge.

Heat up an oven tray and lightly brown the chicken on both sides (2 -3 minutes/side) then roast it in the preheated oven for ~45 to 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool down.

While waiting for the chicken to cool down, prepare the salsa by combining all the ingredients in a large bowl, check for seasonings and set aside.

When the chicken is cool enough to handle drain off most of the accumulating oil in the oven tray and shred the meat from the carcass, reserving the bones for your stock pot. Return the shredded chicken to the tray and mix it with the remaining delicious sticky bits and cooking juices and the extra 2 tbs of chermoula.

Place a tortilla or flat bread on the workbench, place some lettuce over then top with some of the shredded chicken and salsa.

They can be rolled up and eaten as they are or lightly grill on a hot plate which is how we like it.

Halve wraps at an angle and serve it with a little more salsa on the side.

Homemade Chermoula

We used to always have a selection of ready made spice mixes in our pantry and chermoula - a popular North African marinade was a big favourite at that time. These products though convenient and quite inoffensive, they do lack freshness which is especially important for something like chermoula. It is easy to make your own chermoula at home and the result is a very rewarding one. 

There are many different versions of chermoula around and this is one that I obtained from a shopkeeper at my local Middle Eastern shop.

ingredients;

1/3 cup of chopped coriander leaves

1/3 cup of chopped parsley leaves

4 garlic cloves

3 shallots

2 tsp of cumin powder

1 tsp of coriander powder

1 tsp of chili powder

1 tsp of smoked paprika

1/4 cup of olive oil

juice from half a lemon

salt and pepper to taste

Method;

Place all ingredients in a food processor and roughly chop and blend until you get a medium course paste. Alternatively this can be done using a mortar and pestle.

Lamb Kebabs And Warm Beetroot Salad With Spiced Yoghurt Sauce

As promised a post on one of our recent meals using the colourful warm beetroot and cumin salad as a side dish - It paired wonderfully with the delicious smokey lamb kebabs, with a little spiced yoghurt sauce on the side and we are talking about a very memorable meal indeed.

This is a very good example on how one can prepare an impressive looking dish without spending too much money and time. It is colourful and very inviting, all you need are some very basic everyday ingredients.

We are expecting hot weather ahead for the coming days; if you are panning to fire up the bbq and want something a little different, this might be the answer for you. 

serves 4 as a one dish meal
you'll need;
1kg of minced lamb or beef
1 onion, finely chopped
3 tbs of chopped parsley
2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp cumin powder
1 tbs smoked paprika
salt and pepper to taste
lemon wedges to serve
warm beetroot and cumin salad to serve

for the spiced yoghurt sauce;
300ml of Greek yoghurt
2 tbs of olive oil
1 tsp of cumin powder
juice from half a lemon
salt and pepper to taste

Place mince, onion, parsley, spices and seasonings in a large bowl and mix well. 

With wet hands form mixture into sausage shape, you should get about 16 - 18 pieces. This can be prepared beforehand, just chill until needed.

Cook kebabs on a wedge skillet or on the bbq until just cooked. They should be a little charred but still juicy and moist. Always undercook the kebabs just the little as they will continue to cook further during the resting time.

While the kebabs are on the grill prepare the yoghurt sauce by mixing everything in a bowl, check for seasonings.

Serve kebabs with warm beetroot salad, yoghurt sauce and some lemon wedges.

Warm Beetroot And Cumin Salad

This is a quick and easy recipe using one of the most underrated vegetables around. It puzzles me how such delicious and versatile vegetable is hated by so many. Fortunately there are also many like me who simply can't get enough it. 

A little spice makes a difference to any dish and such is the case here with this stunning looking salad. The warmth fragrant cumin pairs perfectly with the tender earthy beetroot, making it a perfect side dish to go with any grilled meat or fish. I served this as a side with lamb kebabs and spiced yoghurt sauce.

P.S always wear kitchen gloves to avoid staining your hands.

recipe adapted from The Food Of Morocco A Journey For Food Lovers
serve 4 as a side dish
you'll need;
6 beetroots, boiled till tender, peeled and cut into wedges
80 ml of olive oil
1 tbs of red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon of cumin
1 red onion, peeled and sliced
2 tbs of chopped coriander leaves
salt and pepper to taste

Boil beetroot with plenty of salted water until tender (~1 hour). Replenish pot with hot water if it evaporate during cooking. Drain and when they are cool enough to handle, peel and cut into wedges. 

Mix olive oil, red wine vinegar and cumin in a swallow bowl and mix well.

Place beetroot, onion and coriander in the bowl and mix well, season with salt and pepper.

This stunning side dish goes perfectly with kebabs, grilled meat or fish.

Lebanese Chicken Soup (Shourabat Djaj)

It seems to me almost every culture has a chicken soup that is considered a tonic and there is no exception for the Lebanese. Though I am not too sure about the healing power of this soup but it certainly tastes great and I see it as a wonderful way to end our short tour to the Middle East and North Africa, especially after all the previous dishes which were laden with quite a lot of spices. This gentle soup is light and very easy on the palate so it is not difficult to understand why it is generally served when someone is feeling unwell.

recipe adapted from Abla's Lebanese Kitchen

serves 4

you'll need;

2 chicken breasts

2 l of chicken stock

1 cinnamon stick

2 bay leaves

1 brown onion, finely chopped

1 cup finely chopped parsley, including stems

3 tomatoes, chopped

1/2 tsp of allspice

1/2 cup of crushed egg vermicelli

salt and pepper to taste

Prepare the onion and tomatoes.

Prepare the parsley and egg vermicelli.

Place chicken, bay leaves and cinnamon stick in a pot and slowly bring it to a simmer. Put the lid on and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove chicken from the pot and allow to cool and discharge the bay leaves and cinnamon stick. When chicken is cool enough to handle, shred and cut into bite size pieces and set aside.

Add onion, parsley and tomatoes into the stock and bring it to a simmer.

Add allspice, season with salt and pepper and return chicken to the pot and continue to cook for a further 20 minutes.

Finally add egg vermicelli and cook for a further 2 to 3 minutes.

Serve immediately with some extra chopped parsley and let the healing process begins.

Moroccan Lamb With Saffron Rice

It was a similar dish that triggered the little Middle Eastern revolution at the tummies'. The culprit came from a  reputable restaurant  and with a price tag of $32 we were expecting a lot more than a few pieces of lamb cubes on a bed of turmeric rice (not the saffron rice stated on the menu). Well dwelling on the past won't get us anyway but a little research and patience will guaranty many happy tummies and that was exactly we I did. I adapted a dish cooked by the "hairy bikers" during their Moroccan road tour (it was done in a tagine) and you will have to try to find out how tasty it is. Like all stews this one tastes a lot better the next day so make a big pot and embrace the cold Melbourne nights.

P.S The cost for this memorable meal enough to feed 6 to 8 was around $30.

serves 6 to 8
for the lamb you'll need;
1.5 kg of lamb dice
2 brown onions, chopped
6 cloves of garlic, chopped
5 cm knob of ginger, chopped
a few saffron threads, ground
2 tbs of cumin powder
2 tbs of coriander powder
1 tbs of turmeric powder
1 tbs of paprika
1/2 tsp of cinnamon powder
2 tbs of harissa
1 can of chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup of chicken stock
1/2 cup of chopped coriander leaves
1 can of chickpeas, drained
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil

for the saffron rice;
2 cups of basmati rice
2 tbs of olive oil
1/4 tsp of ground saffron threads
20 g of butter
water

Prepare the wet spices.

Put the drained chickpeas in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Rub a handful of chickpeas at a time between your hands to loosen the skins. Run more water into the bowl and remove the skins that float to the top. Repeat until all skins are removed. Drain and set aside.

Heat a little oil in a pot and brown lamb in batches until golden. Drain and set aside.

Add a little more olive oil to the pot and saute the chopped aromatics. Add in the spices and harissa when the spices are soften and continue to cook for a minute or two on medium heat, be careful not to burn the spices. 

Return the lamb to the pot follow by the chopped tomatoes, stock and herbs and mix well. Season with salt and pepper, simmer with the lid on until lamb is very tender (1.5 - 2 hours).

Add chickpeas and cook for a further 10 minutes, check for seasonings and it is ready to be served.

To cook the saffron rice - Wash rice and drain well in a sieve. Heat the oil in a pan and add the well drained rice, stir to make sure every grain of rice is coated with the oil. Transfer rice to a rice cooker and add enough water (roughly 4 cups) to cover the rice, add saffron and a little salt and press cook. When the rice is done, add in the butter and mix it lightly with a fork.

Ladle some lamb over a bed of saffron rice or couscous  and serve with a tomato, cucumber and onion salad.