Experimenting with Moroccan fish and vegetable stew

Awhile ago a recipe posted by @foodista caught my eye on Twitter - twas a recipe for African vegetarian stew. Just the sound of the title enticed me - a quick look of ingredients revealed a tasty sounding stew filled with root vegetables like kohlrabi and sweet potatoes as well as chickpeas, tomato and lots of lovely north African spices.

Two things were missing for me: first, harissa, potentially the single-best condiment ever put on this Earth. It's fab as a marinade, in a sauce, or as a dip. (I like it on oat biscuits too with a bit of cheddar.) It's spicy, but deeply spicy, and just the thing in North African cooking. Secondly, I fancied a bit more protein, in the form of some haddock.

But you know what it's like - one tweak begets another.  Out goes the kolhrabi, in comes the swede. Out goes the couscous, in comes the pearl barley. Out goes the raisins, in come the figs. But all in all, I think I've kept the same essence of the dish, just made it a bit more accessible (and tasty, I like to think...)

And on the upside, it's really healthy (very low fat, as no oil was needed), super quick to make (bung in all in a pot and let it simmer), and most importantly, quite filling indeed. The recipe below makes four sizable servings - we had two of them last night and will have two more tonight. Just the thing for a crisp autumn evening.

Moroccan fish and vegetable stew

(serves 4)

1 small swede, peeled and diced
1 large onion, diced
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 courgette, sliced thickly
1 tin of chopped tomatoes

1 tin tomato puree
1 tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
100 g pearl barley, rinsed (or bulgur wheat or couscous, if you prefer)

50 g dried figs (or raisins, if you prefer)
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
2 tbsp cumin
3 tins water

salt/pepper
200 g white fish (haddock works well)

2 tbsp harissa

freshly chopped coriander

I shall keep this simple: all you do is chuck everything except the fish/harissa into a pot, bring to a boil, and simmer for 45 min. Meanwhile, cut the fish into chunks and marinate with the harissa. About 5 min before serving, drop the fish and the freshly chopped coriander in and allow it to poach.

Calories per serving: 366. That is proper good value for money for such a tasty, filling dish. I was worried the figs might put my husband off, but he loved them. It's a good thing too, since we're eating it again tonight...

spicy lamb burgers with tabbouleh and green beans

I’ve done this one before, but this was the first time I went “off-recipe” in making the burgers. As I’m a bit of a novice when it comes to lamb, I like to use recipes to guide me a little, even if I do tinker with the amounts.

But last night I was on my own, free to experiment. Armed with lean lamb mince and my tabbouleh recipe seared on my brain, I set to work.

Spicy lamb burgers
(serves 2)

250g lean lamb mince
1 tbsp fennel seeds
2 tsp harissa
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Toast the fennel seeds on a hot pan before grinding them in a pestle and mortar. Add to the other spices and use your hands to distribute the spices and harissa paste throughout the meat. Make into two patties, ensuring they aren’t too thick.

Get a pan really hot before adding the patties. (No oil is needed – the lamb and harissa have enough fat to ensure they don’t burn.)

Cook for about 5-6 minutes on each side over a med/med-high heat.

When done, serve with tabbouleh, green beans and a dollop of harissa on the side.

This is very yummy stuff, though my husband declared he could have eaten 10 of those burgers. Note to self, then: buy more lamb next time.

mini-mezze

Tonight it was wine tasting night - pinot noir at that. After interviewing six excellent wines, I came to the professional decision that the most expensive one was the best. Brilliance, I tell you.

But after such lovely wines, nothing but the best produce would do. I wasn't in the mood to cook much of anything, but seeing as I've rededicated myself to simple food at home, I dutifully headed home for dinner.

I went straight for the veggies: namely, aubergine and courgette. These soft, delicate vegetables are getting better by the day.

Simple preparation serves these vegetables best: roast the halved aubergine with a few sprays of olive oil, and finely chop the courgette and mix with fat-free yogurt. Once the aubergine is ready, spread a thin film of harissa over the flesh. Serve together.

I'd be happy (I have been happy) to serve these two as part of a larger mezze - but not tonight. And luckily I didn't have to cook for anyone else - while I was busy elegantly tasting wines, my husband was tucking into a kebab.

harissa-coated chicken thighs in tomatoes, leeks and butter beans with avocado and steamed broccoli

Yet again, I’ve been missing in action. 15 days. I’ve been massively busy, without much time to cook. Late nights at the office, evening functions, leaving dos, catching up at the pub… you name it, and it has kept me out of the flat this April.

This has really opened my eyes to how hard it is to cook with a busy schedule. But I’m determined to figure out a way that it will work.

Now that winter has nearly passed, I think it will be easier. Softer, more delicate produce inherently takes less time to cook. So time’s on our side.

And I’ve rededicated myself to fast, healthy, simple, amazing meals. No small challenge, I know.

This dinner, which I cooked up last night, ticks all of those boxes. And another one – the cheap box – to boot.

Harissa-coated chicken thighs in tomatoes, leeks and butter beans with avocado and steamed broccoli
(serves 2 medium portions or 1 large, 1 small portion)

4 skinless boneless organic chicken thights
2 tsp harissa
1 large leek, sliced lengthways in half and then thinly across
1 tin of cherry tomatoes
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
1 tin of butter beans, rinsed and picked through
1 large ripe beef tomato, chopped
5 sprays of olive oil

1 head of broccoli, chopped
1 small avocado, peeled, stoned, pitted, halved and sliced
1 lime, juice of

a handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped
5 sprigs of mint, chopped (optional)

Coat the chicken in the harissa and allow to sit for 30 minutes. (Or, coat in the morning and leave to set during the day.)

Heat the olive oil and sear the chicken for about 3 minutes each side in a large sauté pan. Add the leeks and garlic and sauté for another minute before slowly adding the cherry tomatoes (juice first). Mix rapidly to deglaze the pan. Fill the can halfway full with water and add to the pan. Bring to boil, reduce, cover and allow it to simmer for about 10 minutes.

Spread the avocado on a plate and sprinkle with the lime juice and salt.

After about 10 minutes, add the butter beans, half of the fresh tomatoes and parsley to the pan. Season well. Stir and recover, and allow to simmer for another 5 minutes.

Place the broccoli in a steamer and cook for about 6 minutes, until al dente.

When the mixture is ready, remove the cover. Add half of the broccoli to each plate, and spoon the correct amount per portion onto each dish. (The dish contains four small portions.) Place the sliced avocado on the side, sprinkle with mint and parsley, and serve immediately.

Though it looks fairly plain, the combination of subtle earthy harissa, clean cool mint, creamy avocado and butter beans and tangy tomatoes really work well together, and the flavours are just spot-on. I think it would work well with fish too - or even as a vegetarian dish.

I got the nod from the hungry man next to me on the couch. There’s that final box ticked then.

more delicious Mediterranean flavours

I just can't get enough. Of these amazing Mediterranean flavours that is, this time north African. Last night I tried a recipe at home from the most recent issue of Gourmet - Merguez lamb patties with golden raisin couscous. I liked the look of it from the start - lots of spices and seasonings, but low on the added fats.

Cumin, coriander, harissa, cinnamon, garlic and fennel seeds all get mixed into the lamb patties (be careful, it turns your hands red). Once those go in the frying pan, boil some chicken stock and add the couscous, golden sultanas, lemon zest and fresh coriander (cilantro).

While I was putting this together (under 30 minutes from start to finish!), I realised that the dish lacked something refreshing to cleanse the palate, what with all those spicy flavours and the filling couscous. I quickly dropped a courgette into the food processor with some dill to finely chop in. Then I scooped it out into a bowl and added two tablespoons (big 'uns) of fat-free natural yogurt to the bowl (a la my recent mezze night). The mixture was then split evenly on the two plates, alongside the couscous and the lamb patties piled on top. (I only gave myself 1/3 of the couscous mixture - believe me, that was plenty.)

Munching down on my dinner over an episode of House, I realised that actually the lamb mince itself has quite a lot of fat, and I'm not sure that it's also necessary to fry those patties in a tablespoon of oil as well. I think next time I might grill them. I love the harissa (I always do). Surprisingly, I liked the couscous too - I was suspicious of raisins, lemon and coriander, but actually, it worked. And my courgette yogurt was a fantastic addition - very palate cleansing and really healthy. It pleased me other half too. Definitely a keeper, this one.

grilled lamb steaks on a bed of roasted sweet potatoes and tomatoes with chickpeas, harissa and rosemary

When in doubt, grill it: a healthy option, generally hard to mess up and a time saver (or saviour, depending on your viewpoint). Last night, I created this warming, rustic dish full of autumn colours and deep, savoury flavours.

(serves 2)

Preparation time: 10-15 minutes

Cooking time: 60 minutes

(for the lamb)

2-3 lamb leg steaks

Fresh rosemary

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tsp of harissa

5 sprays of olive oil

(for the sweet potato mixture)

2 medium-large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into small chunks

200 grams of the ripest tomatoes you can find (I used a mixture of cherry, pomodorino, and flavouripe), halved

Leaves of three stalks of rosemary

15 sprays of olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1 can of cherry tomatoes in rich juices

1 tablespoon of harissa

1 tbsp of red wine vinegar

2 stalks of rosemary

Preheat the oven to 200 C. Combine the sweet potatoes, tomatoes, olive oil, rosemary and salt and pepper in a foil-lined roasting tin. Roast for 45 minutes.

About 15 minutes before the sweet potatoes are done, combine the can of cherry tomatoes with juice, the red wine vinegar and the can of drained chickpeas to a large sauté pan. Bring slowly to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.

Prepare the lamb steaks by seasoning with pepper and sticking a part of a sprig of rosemary into the centre of the steak (use a knife to cut a small slit). Smear a small amount of harissa onto the top of the meat.

Once the sweet potatoes/tomatoes are ready, remove from the oven and allow to rest.

Change the setting from the oven to the grill and allow the grill to preheat to medium. Once it is ready, place the lamb steaks under the grill for about 4 minutes on each side.

Add the entire contents of the roasting tin to the chickpea mixture and add a tablespoon of harissa and the 2 stalks of rosemary. Mix the contents gently, then cover and allow the flavours to infuse until the lamb steaks are finished.

Spoon generous helpings of the mixture on to a place, piling high near the centre. Gently rest the lamb steak on the top of the mixture. Serve with the jar of harissa to the side should some want a bit of extra heat.

As it was only my second venture into cooking with lamb, I was particularly pleased with the outcome. The aromas of rosemary permeated the flat, but very delicately infused the meat. The addition of harissa was a crucial one: it added a spicy, earthy layer to the dish (I even added a bit more during the meal, and would consider marinating the lamb in harissa for a few hours prior to cooking next time).

As always, the sweet potatoes were deep and sweet, having soaked the tangy addition of tomatoes and vinegar. I am keen to seek out the original flavour from lamb: thus far, for me, it has been more about what is added to accompany this sweet, fatty meat rather than the meat itself. For fish, I find the complete opposite is true. On to the next stage of experimentation, then...

learning to lamb

Despite the sheer amount of cheese in my refrigerator from my trip to the British Cheese Festival yesterday, I'm not using any for dinner tonight. Instead, lamb is on the menu. I will admit, lamb is not one of my preferred meats. I can count on one hand the number of times I have eaten it. But, as a thank you to my husband for driving me to said cheese festival yesterday, I will be cooking lamb.

(Oh, and there's the other reason - I have been reading about the gastronomic virtues of autumn lamb, which is evidently much tastier than the young spring meat - but I'll let my husband believe it is only the former point that tipped the scales in his favour.)

Truth be told, I am properly excited. As I cook, on average, 6.5 nights out of 7, it can feel as though I have lost that exhilirating feeling of experimentation. Gone are the days of learning simple techniques. What I am not saying is that I have learned everything - what I am saying is that some of my novice excitement has matured somewhat (a bit like the autumn lamb).

So tonight, full-on experimentation will be happening in my kitchen. I have yet to consult a cookery book for lamb - those pages in my recipe books are wholly untouched and not at all stuck together, unlike the fish section, glued together by repeated usage.

But knowing what I do about lamb, I know flavours earthy, sweet, and tangy work well. Here is what I'm thinking - sweet potatoes, chickpeas, rosemary, harissa paste. It has probably been done before, as it is quite a Mediterranean-inspired combination. I am flying blind here: wish me luck.

a thursday night dinner

Portobello mushrooms are a great 'base' for food. Substituting for bread, they are often used for veggie burgers or even a pizza base. They're low in calories as well.

It's not just a dish for vegetarians or women; men like them too. While scoffing this down, my husband commented, "They're big." When asked to elaborate, he said, "They remind me of an English breakfast."

Well, perhaps an English breakfast without the bacon, sausage, egg and baked beans. But I'll take it.

Juicy and earthy, and topped with a light spring goat's cheese, this recipe made an excellent weeknight meal and serving sizes can easily be doubled, tripled, quadrupled by increasing the number of mushrooms. I was happy with one large mushroom, but for those not watching calories, two may be preferred.

baked portobello mushrooms topped with couscous, harissa, tomatoes and goats cheese with salad
(serves 2)
2 large mushrooms (approximately 150 g each)
20 sprays Fry Light olive oil
2 tbsp harissa (red pesto can be substituted for those who don't like this spicy paste)
100 g couscous
1/2 large beef tomato, sliced
75 g mild French goats cheese
for the salad:
hearty helpings of salad (a peppery spinach, rocket and watercress salad worked well)
1/2 large beef tomato, chopped
juice of a lemon
1 small avocado, diced
oregano

Preheat the oven to 200 C. Measure out the couscous and pour approximately 200 ml boiling water over. Cover, and allow to sit for approximately 15 minutes.

Line a baking tray with foil and spray approximately 5 sprays of olive oil. Wipe the mushrooms with a towel and remove the stem. Pierce the mushrooms with a fork and spray with the Fry Light oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Smear a tablespoon of harissa onto the inside of the mushroom

When the couscous is ready, form half into a burger shape and press into the inside of the mushroom. Use the other half for the other mushroom.

Slice two thick slices of tomato and layer onto the mushrooms. Season again with salt and pepper. Top the mushrooms with half of the goats cheese each. Place in the middle of the oven for 15-20 minutes.

While the mushrooms are cooking, wash the salad leaves and arrange on two places. Chop the rest of the tomato as well as the avocado and mix with the lemon juice. Add salt, pepper and oregano. Allow to sit until the mushrooms are done.

When the mushrooms are finished baking, remove from the oven and place on top of the salad leaves. Garnish with the tomato-avocado mix.

calories per serving: 481