Pureed Beetroot with Yoghurt and Za’atar – Ottolenghi, Jerusalem

6 medium beets trimmed
2 small garlic cloves, crushed
1 small red chilli, seeded and minced
250g plain Greek yogurt
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons Date syrup (or pure maple syrup works too)
1 tablespoon Za’atar
Salt
Handful roasted, crushed hazelnuts
2 tablespoons goat cheese, crumbled
2 spring onions, thinly sliced

Preheat the oven to 350°. Wash and trim the beetroot and wrap each one individually in silver foil. Place in a baking tray and cook for about an hour – until you can pierce them with a sharp knife.

Once cool peel the beetroot, cut into wedges and transfer to a food processor. Add the garlic, chilli and yoghurt and pulse until blended. Add the olive oil, date or maple syrup and za’atar and puree. Season with salt. Scrape into a wide, shallow bowl. Scatter the hazelnuts, goat cheese and spring onion on top and serve.

Za'atar: Middle Eastern Spice Mixture

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup sumac
• 2 tablespoons thyme
• 1 tablespoon roasted sesame seeds
• 2 tablespoons marjoram
• 2 tablespoons oregano
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt

Preparation:

Salad

Reprinted from Jerusalem: A Cookbook by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi

Filfel Chuma

20 garlic cloves, minced
4 teaspoon hot paprika (or cayenne)
4 tablespoons sweet paprika
1 Ancho pepper
3 teaspoon ground cumin

2 tsp caraway seeds
5 tablespoons oil, divided
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Toast spices in frying pan or on oven sheet.

Combine all but olive oil, and puree.

With motor running, pour oil into mixture.

Moroccan Spicy Carrot Salad

Moroccan Lentil Soup

Harissa (hot sauce)

Ingredients 

Ethiopian Cabbage Dish

Kenyan greens simmered with tomatoes

4 to 6 portions
Ingredients

Oil or fat -- 3 tablespoons
Onion, chopped or minced -- 1
Kale or collard greens, destemmed and finely chopped -- 2 pounds
Tomatoes, chopped -- 2 cups
Water or stock -- 1 cup
Salt and pepper -- to taste

Method

Heat the oil or fat over medium-high flame in a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Add the onion and sauté until translucent. Add the greens in batches, sautéing each addition until wilted.
Add the tomatoes, water or stock, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer gently until tender, from 20 to 30 minutes.
Adjust seasoning and serve with a little bit of the broth.

Variations

Add a chopped chili pepper or two with the onions if you like.

Some recipes call for thickening the dish with a flour-lemon juice mixture. Here's how: mix 2 tablespoons of flour well with the juice of 1 lemon and a little water. Stir into the greens after they have been simmering for about 10 minutes. Continue simmering for another 15 to 20 minutes until the dish is slightly thickened.

If you like, add some leftover meat for more flavor. Kenyans would most likely use goat or beef.

Fufu is a mash of yams or other starches served as an accompaniment to meat or vegetable stews. To eat fufu, pull a small ball of mush off with your fingers, form an indentation with your thumb and use it to scoop up stews and other dishes. Or place large balls in individual serving bowls and spoon stew around them.

4 to 6 servings

Moroccan Chickpea Stew

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
1 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1 pinch salt
3 potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup tomato sauce
1 cup golden raisins
water, or enough to cover
1 (14.5 ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 bunch kale, ribs removed, chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat; cook the onion and garlic in the hot oil until the onions are translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir the cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper, garam masala, curry powder, and salt into the onion and garlic; cook together until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the potatoes, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and raisins to the pot. Pour enough water over the mixture to cover; bring to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are soft, 10 to 15 minutes.

Add the chickpeas and kale to the pot; simmer until the kale wilts, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle the cilantro over the stew and immediately remove the pot from the heat.

Moroccan Oven Roasted Sesame Potatoes

Ingredients:

* 2 lbs potatoes , scrubbed (I used russets)
* 1 tablespoon harissa
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 ½ teaspoons coarse sea salt (I used the coarse type)
* 1 tablespoon sesame seed
* ¼-½ lemon

Directions:

1
Preheat oven to 375F.
2
Peel the potatoes if you like, but as long as they are well scrubbed, they give a nice earthy taste if you leave them on.
3
Cut the potatoes into chunks about 1-inch large across.
4
Place the chunks into a bowl and add harissa and toss until potatoes are evenly coated.
5
Add olive oil and toss again.
6
Sprinkle potatoes with salt and sesame seeds and toss one more time.
7
Spread foil on a large baking sheet and oil lightly (foil helps with clean-up later).
8
Place seasoned potato chunks on baking sheet in a single layer.
9
Bake potatoes at 375F for 30 minutes, then using spatula, turn potatoes so that the other side can cook, and bake 15 minutes more or until potatoes are tender and deep golden.

10
Squeeze lemon over potatoes before serving.

Fried Garlic Peanut Sauce

To most North Americans barbecue sauce is some variation on a combination of ketchup, brown sugar, and vinegar, but on any given day on Planet Barbecue probably far more people are dipping grilled meats in peanut sauce. The basic formula starts with deep-fried peanuts or peanut butter and the flavorings typically include garlic and ginger for pungency, sugar for sweetness, and fish sauce or soy sauce for saltiness. The peanut-sauce belt begins in Indonesia (its probable birthplace) and extends through Singapore, Thailand, and Malaysia, all the way to Hong Kong. The Singaporean version owes its fragrance to fresh lemongrass and ginger. Dried shrimp are available in Asian and Hispanic markets. Fish sauce isn’t a bad substitute, although you can omit it and still wind up with a killer sauce. The addition of fried garlic chips is very characteristic of Southeast Asia.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
5 cloves garlic, 3 cloves thinly sliced crosswise and 2 cloves minced
1 shallot, minced
1 stalk lemongrass, trimmed and minced, or 2 strips (each 1/2 by 2 inches) lemon zest
1 to 3 small hot chiles, such as Thai chiles or serrano or jalapeño peppers, stemmed, seeded, and minced (for a hotter peanut sauce, leave the seeds in)
1 tablespoon dried shrimp, minced, or 1 teaspoon fish sauce (optional)
3/4 cup peanut butter
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk, or as needed 2 tablespoons sugar, or more to taste
2 tablespoons soy sauce 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice, or more to taste
1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground pepper

1. Heat the oil in a wok or saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the sliced garlic and cook, stirring, until golden, 2 minutes. Remove the garlic with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Add the 2 cloves of minced garlic, the shallot, lemongrass, chile(s), and dried shrimp, if using, to the wok and cook over medium-high heat until fragrant and lightly browned, 2 minutes.
2. Stir in the peanut butter, coconut milk, sugar, soy sauce, fish sauce, if using (instead of the dried shrimp), lime juice, and 3/4 cup water. Reduce the heat and gently simmer the sauce until it is thick but pourable, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in the cilantro during the last 2 minutes of cooking.
3. Just before serving, stir in the fried garlic slices. If the sauce has gotten too thick and pasty, add a tablespoon or so of water. Taste and correct the seasoning, adding salt and pepper, and more sugar and lime juice if needed. The sauce should be richly flavored.

Ethiopian-style Lentils With Yams (or Sweet Potatoes)

Ingredients:

½ onion , diced
3 garlic cloves , minced
1 teaspoon fresh ginger , minced
½ small sweet potatoes or ½ small yam , diced
¼ red sweet bell pepper , diced
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 tablespoons lentils (split red)
1 -2 teaspoon tomato paste
1 cup water
¾ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground fenugreek
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
salt or soy sauce
black pepper

Directions:

1 saute the onion, garlic, ginger and yam in olive oil at medium heat until the onions are almost translucent.
2 add the red bell pepper and saute for an additional minute.
3 add the lentils, tomato paste and water.
4 bring water to a boil.
5 add the paprika, coriander, allspice, fenugreek and ginger.
6 lower heat slightly and allow the stew to simmer for 20 minutes or until the lentils are tender and all the water absorbed.
7 add salt, soy sauce and black pepper as needed, and serve.

Yellow Rice

Ingredients

* 3/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon curry powder
* Pinch cinnamon
* 3 cups water
* 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 1/2 cups long grain or basmati rice
* 2 tablespoons sliced scallions

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 med. onions, finely chopped

For the Furqa (topping)

5 Tablespoons oil

2 onions peeled and thinly sliced

Heat oil until sizzling, and fry onion til crispy and golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

Directions

In a medium saucepan, heat oil, add garlic, then onions, cook for about 1 minute. Add rice, or rice/lentils, then add the turmeric, cumin, and cinnamon over low heat until fragrant, stirring, about 30 seconds. Add the water, salt, and butter and bring to a boil. Add the rice and stir well. Cover and reduce heat to a bare simmer. Cook, covered, without stirring until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender, about 20 minutes.

Remove from the heat and let sit, covered, without stirring, for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork, add scallions, and serve.

Note: You can add 7oz. of lentils as well.

West African Peanut Soup #2

Ingredients

* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 2 medium onions, very finely diced
* 2 large bell peppers, (any color) finely chopped
* 6 large cloves garlic, minced
* 1 (28 ounce) can chopped tomatoes with juice
* 8 cups vegetable broth
* 1/4 teaspoon pepper
* 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
* 1/2 cup uncooked rice
* 1 (18 ounce) jar creamy peanut butter
* chopped roasted peanuts (optional)

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Cook onion, bell pepper, and garlic until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes with their juice, vegetable broth, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes.

2. Add rice to soup and stir. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 25 minutes, or until rice is tender.

3. When rice is cooked, whisk in peanut butter and return to a simmer, and serve. Garnish with chopped roasted peanuts, if desired.

Okra Stew

Ingredients:

* 3 lbs. chopped okra
* 1 lb. shrimp (de-veined & shelled)
* 1 lb. ham
* 1 lb. smoked sausage
* 2 14.5 ounce cans of chopped tomatoes
* 1 6oz. can tomato paste
* 2 cups chopped yellow onions
* 6 cloves garlic
* 1 6oz. can tomato paste
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 2 bay leaves
* ½ tsp. dried oregano
* ½ tsp. dried thyme
* ½ tsp. dried basil
* ½ tsp. red pepper flakes
* 1 tablespoon sugar
* 2 cups chicken stock or water

Cooking Instructions

You must sweat the okra using the following process:

* In a large sauce pan, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium high heat.
* Add okra, onion and garlic. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes.
* Uncover and stir. Cover and simmer for 3 minutes.
* Uncover bring fire to medium high heat and continue to turn okra with a spatula until all slime is burned off. i.e., when you turn with spatula and you see no slime strains. (This process may take 10 or 15 minutes)

* Add ham, smoked sausage, tomato paste, canned tomatoes, bay leaves, dried oregano, thyme, basil, pepper flakes and 2 cups chicken stock (or water). Simmer for 20 minutes in uncovered pan.
* Add shrimp and cook for 10 minutes until shrimp turn pink.

red lentil coconut soup

We finally got some snow here in Portland although it only lasted a few hours it was truly beautiful for a short while. Growing up in California I’ve spent very little time in the snow and I’m always struck by how still and silent the world seems when it is blanketed in white. While I was sloshing through all the slush left over from our little storm I started dreaming about a nice warm comforting bowl of soup. Since I’ve been trying to avoid meat, dairy, gluten and sugar I had to think about my usual bowl of soup a little differently. I thought maybe a coconut based soup with some Indian spices and then I found this recipe from my favorite blogger Heidi Swanson and dinner was served.

Lentils are a great source of protein, don’t need to be soaked before cooking and an entire cup of cooked lentils contains just 200 calories. This soup tastes rich and decadent but won’t weigh you down. To bulk it up a little bit more you could serve it with some quinoa or brown rice or maybe a nice spoonful of yogurt.

Ingredients:

2 cups red split lentils
1 onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper cut into 1/2 inch dice
1 fresh jalapeno or serrano chili, finely chopped, including seeds
1 tablespoon fresh peeled and minced ginger
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons salt
1/3 cup tomato paste
7 cups water
1 can unsweetened light coconut milk
1 15-ounce can of chickpeas
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
fresh cilantro and lime wedges for serving

Method:

Heat the tablespoon of olive oil in a dutch oven or large soup pan and add the onions, bell pepper and jalapeno and cook for 5-7 minutes until the vegetables have softened and start to take on some color. Add the garlic, ginger, spices and tomato paste and continue to cook for 2-3 more minutes until the mixture is toasty and fragrant. Add the water, coconut milk, lentils and chickpeas and cook uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes adding the lime juice at the end of cooking. Taste and adjust with more salt or more lime juice if desired. Serve the soup topped with a sprinkling of fresh cilantro and some extra limes on the side.

African Sweet Potato and Peanut Soup

[This calls for sweet potatoes, but you can use plain potatoes, no problem]

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger root
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 pinch ground cloves
3 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
4 1/2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chopped, unsalted dry-roasted peanuts
1 pinch cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1 bunch chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Saute the onion 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Mix in the garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, and cloves. Stir in the tomatoes, sweet potatoes, and carrot, and continue to cook and stir about 5 minutes.
Pour water into the saucepan, and season the mixture with salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes.

Remove the soup mixture from heat. In a food processor or blender, blend the soup and peanuts until almost smooth. Season with cayenne pepper. Return to the saucepan. Whisk in the peanut butter, and cook until heated through. Serve warm topped with fresh cilantro.

Shorbat Rumman (Iraqi Split-Pea Soup)

1 pound yellow split peas

2 bunches scallions, white and green parts, finely chopped

2 bunches cilantro, finely chopped

1 bunch mint, finely chopped

1/4 cup lime juice

2 Tablespoons pomegranate syrup

salt

Over med. heat cook split peas in about 6 cups water, about 30 min.

Add plants, return to simmer for 5 min.

Remove from heat, add lime juice and syrup. Salt to taste.

Fufu Recipes 

This Peanut Soup is popular served with it-