Posts tagged pitta

Green Shakshuka

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Green Shakshuka

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 say this a lot but what a dish. A new favourite. Please make it. Breakfast, lunch or dinner appropriate. It thus needs little said about it (added to the fact I was back at work today after a two week holiday and I’m feeling a bit tired for “words”). I love shakshuka but I also love my greens. This combination of sweet, slowly cooked leeks, fresh crisp pea crunch and subtle spice and chilli in the background is such a comforting mix. Topped classically with feta and unclassically with dill and sumac. Ottolenghi would be proud. Luckily since I’ve detoured from his new book on this one.

Its my Mum’s birthday today so I cooked with her in mind as I often do as she is ultimately where I learnt my craft. This weekend I will return home for birthday hugs and to cook her a birthday meal. She today requested my previous post – Salmon & Salsa. However, perhaps this will be not he menu after tonight?

Serve with your preference of bread. Toasted pitta, flatbreads, warm sourdough chunks…anything to scoop up those gooey yolks.

Serves 2 (greedily for dinner, 4 for brunch with bread)

  • 4 spring onions, chopped
  • 1 large garlic clove, chopped
  • 1-2 green chillis, sliced
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 2 tsp coriander seeds
  • 2 leeks, sliced thinly
  • 150g “ish” spinach leaves (this was a guess…it was just enough to fill my pan!)
  • 100g peas (frozen, blanched in hot water)
  • 4 free range eggs
  • 1/2 packet feta cheese
  • 1 lemon, zest (wedges for serving)
  • 1 small handful coriander, leaves chopped finely
  • 1 small handful dill, chopped finely
  • Sumac to serve
  • Pita/flatbreads/toasted chunky bread to serve for “scooping”
  1. heat a large fry pan and toast the cumin and coriander seeds for a few minutes until fragrant. Remove from the pan and crush in a pestle and mortar. Set aside.
  2. Heat some olive/sunflower/rapeseed oil in a large frying pan (never extra virgin oil! Do not cook with this ever, a post to follow on this). Add the spring onions and soften for a few minutes. Add the garlic and chilli and fry gently careful not to catch/burn the garlic.
  3. Add the cumin and coriander mix. Stir to combine.
  4. Add the chopped leeks and stir. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to a gentle temperature and let the leeks soften down for about 10-15 minutes until beginning to caramelise. Add a lid if you like to help them along.
  5. Add the spinach leaves and toss with the leeks and allow these to wilt with the heat. Add the peas.
  6. When the spinach is wilted, make 4 wells inside the mixture. Crack your eggs carefully into each well and reduce the heat a little. Eggs need long and slow cooking! Season the eggs and then let them gently cook. Cover with a lid or foil towards the end to help the whites along their way.
  7. Whilst the eggs cook, get all your garnish ready if you haven’t already so you can serve immeidaelyy.
  8. The eggs are ready when the whites are just beginning to set on top and the yolks are still runny. Remove from the heat. Sprinkle over the coriander, dill, lemon zest, feta and finally a pinch of sumac over each yolk.
  9. Serve immediately with your warm bread and a wedge of lemon!

Gooey, runny, sumac and dill sprinkled yolks. Food porn.

Baked Hummus

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Baked Hummus

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ealthy’ food could not be more in our face at the moment with celebrity chefs in the media, tortuous instagram or yet another cookbook launch. While some are giving out a positive message on the whole I can’t help but feel that those that are taking it to the extreme are frankly just quite annoying? What ever happened to a balanced diet I don’t know. Some fads I have kindly embraced – avocado toast for example with lashings of lemon and maldon salt, but at this time of year the thought of a raw pizza (whatever that is…a cracker I think!?) washed down with a kale and spinach juice sends icy and fun-killing shivers down my spine. What with January being plagued with this health theme and matched with the chilly winter weather we’ve been experiencing lately I am craving warmth from soups, stews and slow baked dishes which by all means can be healthy too.

Take the humble, versatile and much loved hummus. Warm and familiar when deep fried as falafel, there is nothing stopping it being baked and devoured ‘fondue style’? And yes, you are more than welcome to imagine you are enjoying a fondue….just with far less milk, fat and cheese hangovers. Eat as you would fondue or enjoy smothered on your favourite toasted bread.

A delicious, healthy adaptation for the winter weather.

Serves about 4

  • 1 can drained chickpeas (250g approx)
  • 1 heaped teaspoon cumin seeds (dry toasted and then ground)
  • 1 teaspoon spice mix (see here – optional)
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • Juice 1 lemon
  • 1 tbsp tahini
  • 3 tbsp thick yoghurt
  • Seasoning
  • Handful pine nuts
  • 1 tbsp butter
  1. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
  2. Place all the ingredients (except the pine nuts and butter) into a food processor and blend until thoroughly smooth. You may need to scrape down the sites a few times.
  3. Add more yoghurt or oil to vary the constancy to your liking.
  4. Spoon the hummus into a small ovenproof serving dish or bowl
  5. Heat a large frying pan and dry toast the pine nuts until golden. Add the butter and remove from the what while it browns and melts.
  6. Top the hummus with the buttery nuts and place in the oven for 25-30 minutes.
  7. The mixture will warm and turn golden. If you use a thin consistency it may even rise a little.
  8. Serve with crudités, warm toasted pitta breads, rye bread etc.

This is lovely served warm as a shared starter with crudités or warm pittas. Alternatively as a light lunch I had mine smothered on lemony avocado on toasted rye bread and sprinkled with flaky salt…..

Jess - Warm Hummus Avocado_

Herby Halloumi Wrap

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Herby Halloumi Wrap

 

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These are an enticing, comforting and friendly hug inside a warm pitta on a rainy December afternoon with the prospect of a Christmas feast approaching. A perfect semi-healthy lunch in the lead up to Christmas. I’m back home in the country air with a day of present wrapping, card writing and general festivity on the agenda. With the house and, more importantly, the kitchen blissfully to myself I welcomed the peace and solidarity and devoured these for a welcome lunch break mid Christmas chores. Alone I’ll admit but I don’t regret a thing…..a thing.

Serves 2

  • 4-6 slices of halloumi (cut thickly)
  • 2 pitta breads (For my homemade pittas see here) or warm wraps
  • Small bunch parsley/coriander
  • Small bunch basil/mint
  • Small bunch dill
  • 4 tbsp thick yoghurt
  • ½ lemon juice and zest
  • 1 tbsp runny honey
  1. If making your own the pitta breads start with these (see here) and keep warm while you deal with the halloumi. If not, lightly toast the pitta breads or warm the wraps.
  2. Chop your chosen herbs finely and add the lemon zest. Mix the yoghurt with the lemon juice and some seasoning and set both aside.
  3. Heat a frying pan until hot and add a drizzle of olive oil. Fry the halloumi slices for a few minutes each side on a high heat until golden. Add the honey and remove from the heat and coat the slices in the syrup.
  4. Now assemble your pittas. Cut each open and spoon in a some yoghurt and a handful of herbs. Add your warm sweet halloumi slices and stuff with some more of the herbs and yoghurt.
  5. Devour while warm!

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Wrapped appropriately in a festive napkin….and eaten appropriately with a festive appetite!