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| 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
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| Nicely done, Terry! |
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
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| Team Debbie and Nancy were awesome. |
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
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| Barb really wanted this to be broccoli |
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
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| Bev perfected this delicious 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
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 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.
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| Ta da! Kris made everything look beautiful as always! |
