a meal for 15-30 with options for meat eaters
1 : yoghurt dip
1 litre of yoghurt
(strained in cloth for 2 hours-not necessary but well worth it)
2 cucumbers finely cut and drained
2 garlic cloves
½ cup of mint
rind of one lemon (adds something else)
mix together and allow 1 hour (minimum) to marinate
2 : tahina dip
1 cup of sesame paste (tahina – raw if possible)
4 gloves of garlic
juice of 2 lemons – you may need more – check the flavour
1 teaspoons of cumin
mix all ingredients well – add water to create a cream like texture
3 : tomato and cucumber salsa
6 tomoatoes
2 cucumbers
3 peppers mixed colours
1 bunch of parsley
1 bunch of spring onions & I red onion
and any other greens or flavours you may like
it is essential to cut all ingredients finely or its just another salad
make a olive oil and vinegar dressing with black pepper and salt
make at least 2 hours before serving to allow for marinating.
4 : chickpea and vegetable tangine
18 garlic cloves
9 shallots &1 red onion
6 long sweet peppers (red, green and yellow medium size)
250gms of cooked and shelled chickpeas
4 carrots cubed
8 zucchini cubed
½ teaspoon of hot chill
½ teaspoon of cumin
1 bay leaf
½ cup of olive oil
½ dry sherry or white wine
4 x 400gm tins of tomatos (or 4 kilos of fresh tomatoes if you are keen)
½ cup of tomato paste
200gms of dried fruit
2 bunches of coriander
2tbs of pomegranate syrup
4 lemons
fry onions, shallots and garlic in olive oil – add peppers and spices – brown – deglaze with sherry, pomegranate syrup and lemons
add carrots and zucchini
add tomato & dried fruit cook for 2 hours
take half the mixture and add to the cooked meats
add coriander and the juice from 2 lemons just before serving both dishes
5 : chicken and goat tangine
1 ½ goat topside cubed
1kg of chicken breasts cubed
pan fry both meats separately and deglaze with ½ cup of sherry
add 1 can of tinned tomato and cook for 1 hour
add half of the vegetable mixture to the meat and cook for another 1 hour in the oven
6 : persian rice
1 kilo of rice and a pinch of saffron (cooked in a rice cooker)
½ cup mixture dry fruit (sultanas, apricots, currants, dates etc)
brown 1/2 cup of almond flakes, pine-nuts and any others you wish.
serve with flat bread and fresh harissa
