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...

an old favourite

Burgers and chips, made from scratch – there’s not many dinners that are better. But this time it’s healthy. Here are my steps to a guilt-free yet completely enjoyable dinner.

1) lose the bun

2) bulk up on the garnishes – tomato, lettuce, red onion

3) use sweet potatoes instead of potatoes (they’re actually lower in GI than carrots, even)

4) go easy on the mayo, but allow yourself a little for a dip

5) use reduced-fat cheese for the burger – cheddar, blue vinney, it’s your choice

6) use extra lean mince (Sainsbury’s BGTY range is a good one) and flavour it with finely-chopped onions and herbs (I used rosemary this time). Mix together mince, egg, salt, pepper, onion and herbs and form into little patties. Make an indentation with your thumb in the middle – it helps it keep its shape when being grilled, which brings me to my next point…

7) grill your burger, don’t fry it.

Follow my advice and you’re likely to drop at least 200 calories off the meal’s total, but none of the enjoyment!

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.

comparing carbohydrates

Since diets such as Atkins and the South Beach became popular, a widespread anti-carbohydrate movement has been brewing. I think some of this unfounded.

Sure, toss out crisps and cakes. But many starches and grains are quite good for you and help to fill your stomach. Comparing calories is a useful exercise.

carbohydrate	Average serving size	Calories*	Calories per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Potatoes, uncooked	150	112.5	75
Sweet potatoes, uncooked	150	139.5	93
White pasta, uncooked	100 g	352	352
Wheat pasta, uncooked	100 g	315	315
Brown rice, uncooked	50 g	176	352
Bulgur wheat, uncooked	50 g (1.75 oz)	179.5	359
Couscous, uncooked	50 g	182.5	365
Quinoa, uncooked	50 g	270	360
Chickpeas, dry weight, uncooked	50 g	167.5	335
Butter beans, dry weight, uncooked	50 g	145	290
Chickpeas, canned, cooked	¼ can (60 g)	71.5	119
Butter beans, canned, cooked	¼ can (60 g)	59	98

*calories are estimated based on varieties available at a local supermarket and should be used only as a general guideline

Many find it surprising that potatoes are actually LOW in calories. But consider the fact that most people, when eating potatoes, consume much more than one serving, sometimes wolfing down two or three.

Also, whereas brown rice, couscous, and bulgur wheat are often eaten without any extra additives, potatoes – and pasta – often receive a buttery treatment. The calorie amounts listed above refer to the plain carbohydrate in question that is boiled and served.

The overall message in my opinion is clear: carbohydrates are not bad, in fact they are very good. But eat the recommended portion size and refrain from loading the carbohydrates full of fats – instead complement them with vegetables. (They'll be flattered.)