Lamb Shawarma and Grilled Eggplants with Fried onion, lemon and Feta

At Christmas our friend, Mary Ann, gave us each a copy of a gorgeous new cookbook called Jerusalem, by Sami Tamimi and Yotam Ottolenghi, author or Plenty.  Although the recipes were not designed for the barbecue we knew the flavours would lend themselves nicely to the grill, so we changed up the techniques a little, but stayed true to the authors' ingredients.  This was a great menu for our girls ski weekend:  we marinated the lamb overnight, then popped it onto the rotisserie after a nice down-hill ski and lunch. While it turned and self basted with the delicious flavours of the marinade, we had a long snowshoe through the forest. We returned to  a relaxing soak in the hot tub and then fortified ourselves with a glass of wine. We were then ready to divide and conquer the rest of the dishes.  It was absolute mayhem in the kitchen for an hour, but by the end of it we had turned out a delicious spread, and we all felt deservedly proud of the results!

Imagine 7 women working in the same kitchen!!

Baby Spinach Salad with Dates and Almonds

Grilled Eggplant with Fried Onion and Chopped Lemon

Roasted Cauliflower and Hazelnut Salad

Basmati and Wild Rice with Chickpeas, Currants and Herbs

Lamb Shawarma with Fresh Cucumber and Tomato in a Pita

Baby Spinach Salad with Dates and Almonds

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

½ medium red onion, thinly sliced

4 ounces pitted dates, quartered lengthwise

Nicely done, Terry!

1 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoons olive oil

½ cup sliced almonds

2 teaspoons sumac

½ teaspoon chile flakes

Baby spinach leaves

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Salt, to taste

Put the vinegar, onion and dates in a small bowl.  Add a pinch of salt and mix well.  Leave to marinate for 20 minutes. 

Meanwhile, heat the butter and olive oil in a medium frying pan over MEDIUM heat.  Add the almonds and cook for about 4 minutes, stirring constantly, until golden brown.  Remove from heat mix in sumac, chile flakes and a pinch of salt.  Set aside to cool.

In a large salad bowl, toss the spinach leaves with the almond mixture.  Add the dates and red onion, the lemon juice and another pinch of salt.  Taste to adjust seasonings, adding another splash of olive oil if needed.  Serve immediately.

Grilled Eggplant with Fried Onion and Chopped Lemon

Team Debbie and Nancy were awesome.

3 large eggplants, halved lengthwise, stem intact

2/3 cup olive oil

4 small onions, thinly sliced

1 ½ jalapeno peppers

1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon sumac

2 ounces feta cheese, broken into large chunks

1 medium lemon, skin, pith and seeds removed

1 clove garlic, minced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat barbecue on MEDIUM , then reduce heat to MEDIUM LOW to maintain a temperature of 425°F. 

Score the cut side of each eggplant with a crisscross pattern.  Brush liberally with olive oil and sprinkle with plenty of salt and pepper.  Place on a baking sheet, cut side up and set on the upper rack of the preheated barbecue for 45 minutes, until the flesh is golden brown and completely cooked.  Check the temperature often and adjust as necessary.

Meanwhile, add the remaining olive oil to a large skillet and place over MEDIUM HIGH heat.  Add the onions and ½ teaspoon salt, and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring often, so that parts of the onion become brown and crisp.  Seed and chop the chiles, keeping the whole one separate from the half.  Add the ground cumin, sumac, and the whole chopped chile and cook the onions for a further 2 minutes before adding the feta.  Cook for a final minute without stirring, then remove from heat.

Coarsely chop the prepared lemons, reserving any juices, and combine with the remaining ½ chile and the garlic.

When the eggplants are cooked, transfer them to a serving dish and spoon the lemon sauce over the flesh.  Spoon the onions on top and serve warm or at room temperature.

Roasted Cauliflower and Hazelnut Salad

Barb really wanted this to be broccoli

1 head cauliflower, cut into small florets

5 tablespoons olive oil

1 large stalk celery, cut into diagonal ¼” slices

5 tablespoons hazelnuts, with skins

1/3 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves

1/3 cup pomegranate seeds

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground allspice

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

1 ½ teaspoons maple syrup

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Toss the cauliflower with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Spread them on a baking sheet and place in a preheated barbecue, stirring often, until it is crispy and golden.  Transfer to a serving bowl and let cool.

Roast the hazelnuts in a 325°F oven for 15 minutes.  Let them cool and if desired, rub the skins off with a tea towel.  Coarsely chop them and add to the cauliflower, along with the remaining oil and the rest of the ingredients.  Stir, taste and season with salt and pepper accordingly.  Serve at room temperature.

Basmati and Wild Rice with Chickpeas, Currants and Herbs

Bev perfected this delicious rice

1/3 cup wild rice

2 ½ tablespoons olive oil

2 ¼ cups basmati rice

1 ½ cups boiling water

2 teaspoons cumin seeds

1 ½ teaspoons curry powder

1 ½ cups drained chickpeas

2/3 cup currants

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

1 tablespoon chopped dill

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place the wild rice in a small saucepan, cover with plenty of water, bring to a boil and leave to simmer for about 40 minutes, until the rice is cooked but still quite firm.  Drain and set aside.

To cook the basmati rice, pour 1 tablespoon of the olive oil into a medium saucepan with a tightly fitting lid and place over high heat.  Add the rice and ¼ teaspoon salt and stir as you warm up the rice.  Carefully add teh boiling water, decrease the heat to very low, cover the pan with the lid and leave to cook for 15 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat, cover with a clean tea towel and then the lid, and leave off the heat for 10 minutes.

While the rice is cooking, prepare the chickpeas.  Heat the remaining 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil in a small saucepan over high heat.  Add the cumin seeds and curry powder, wait for a couple of seconds, then add the chickpeas and ¼ teaspoon salt;  do this quickly or the spices may burn in the oil.  Stir over the heat for a minute or two, just to heat the chickpeas, then transfer to a large mixing bowl. 

Add both types of rice to the chickpeas and then add the currants and herbs.  Stir, taste and add salt and pepper to taste.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Lamb Shawarma with Fresh Cucumber and Tomato in a Pita

For the Lamb:

2 teaspoons black peppercorns

5 whole cloves

½ teaspoon cardamom pods

¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

1 tablespoon cumin seeds

1 star anise

½ cinnamon stick

½ whole nutmeg, grated

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

1 tablespoon sweet paprika

1 tablespoon sumac

2 ½ teaspoons Maldon sea salt

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

3 cloves garlic, minced

2/3 cup chopped cilantro leaves and stems

¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

½ cup canola oil

1 boneless leg of lamb, 3-4 pounds

For the Sauce:

2/3 cup chopped canned tomatoes

2 teaspoons harissa paste

4 teaspoons tomato paste

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt and pepper

For the Fresh Cucumber and Tomato:

½ English cucumber, diced

1 large tomato, seeded and diced

1 tablespoon minced onion

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Sprinkle of sumac

Pitas

Prepare the lamb marinade one day before serving.  Place the first 8 spices in a cast-iron pan and dry-roast over MEDIUM-HIGH heat for a minute or two, until they begin to pop and release their aromas.  Remove from heat and add the nutmeg, ground ginger and paprika.  Toss over the heat for a few more seconds, then transfer to a spice grinder.  Process to a uniform powder, and place in a medium bowl with all the remaining ingredients except the lamb.

Using a small, sharp knife, make 2/3” slits around the surface of the lamb.  Place it in a large glass dish and pour the marinade over the lamb, using your hands to massage the meat well.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Remove the upper and lower racks of your barbecue, and place a foil pan on the bottom of the grill.  Light the rear rotisserie burner and set it on LOW.  Secure one of the spit forks on the rotisserie rod, then skewer the lamb, centering it as well as possible.  Push the second spit fork into the meat, and adjust the spit balance.  Place the rotisserie rod on the barbecue and start the motor.  Start checking for doneness after 2 ½ hours. When cooked to your liking, transfer it to a carving board, cover with foil and a tea towel and allow to rest for ½ hour before carving into thin slices.

In a small bowl, combine the tomato sauce ingredients and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine all the cucumber and tomato salad ingredients.

Replace the cooking grids on the barbecue, and set the temperature to LOW.  Warm the pitas quickly on the grill, then assemble as follows:  Spread a little of the sauce on the pita, cover with sliced lamb and top with the cucumber mixture.

Ta da! Kris made everything look beautiful as always!