Hummus

Hummus

I think its the weather.  All this recent heat has left me wanting food from warmer climes; Indian, Thai, North African... 

There seems to be some kind of foodie correlation between the rise in temperature and the frequency with which I cook these kinds of dishes.  Maybe its because, if I sit in the sun, eat exotic food, and close my eyes, I might fool myself long enough to think that I'm sitting on a Keralan river boat or in a Bedouin tent.  If I close my eyes tightly enough.  And ignore the traffic.  

I need a holiday. 

Anyway, Hummus.  I love the stuff and could quite happily munch my way through a whole pot. Some shop brought hummus is very good, but its much cheaper and easier make your own.  I guess, strictly speaking this isn't traditional hummus, as it doesn't contain any Tahini paste, but I'm not always one for tradition.  

Serves 4 or so

INGREDIENTS:

1 Tin of Chickpeas

1-2 Cloves of Garlic sliced

Good Pinch of Black Pepper

Scant Tablespoon of Sherry Vinegar

1/4 Teaspoon of Smoked Paprika (Pimenton de la Vera), plus extra for sprinkling over

Juice from a Lemon, to taste

Salt to taste

1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus extra for drizzling 

Fresh Coriander

1. Empty the entire tin of chickpeas (and it's juice) into a pan over a medium heat.  
2. Add in the sliced garlic and Sherry Vinegar, and bring to the boil.  
3. Turn down the heat and let it bubble gently for a few minutes (don't let the pan dry though).  Add in the Smoked Paprika.  
4. Using a stick blender, whizz the chickpeas until they become a consistency that you like.  Add in the lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste and stir in the olive oil.  If the hummus is looking too watery, let it gently bubble in the pan and it will thicken.  
5. Take it off the heat and let it cool before serving.  
6. Drizzle over some more olive oil and lemon juice, and scatter over the Smoked Paprika and Coriander.  
7. Serve with Pitta Bread, Vegetables or whatever takes your fancy.  

Spicy Moroccan Lamb Stew

Spicy Moroccan Lamb Stew

This stew is essentially a Tagine, albeit without the fancy cooking pot. It takes very little fuss to prepare, a bit of chopping, the opening of some tins and a gentle bubbling in a pan for a few hours.  It all results in a meltingly tender lamb, fragrant, spicy and wonderful. 

The cut of lamb used is fairly important; it needs to have a bit of fat on it, so I use Lamb neck fillet.  The fat eventually melts after a long cooking, but too much fat is not good, so any large bits of fat need to be trimmed off. 

I use typical Moroccan spices to flavour the tagine, such as cumin, coriander, ginger and cinnamon, along with three spices - cayenne, chili flakes and the brilliant Pimenton de la Vera (Smoked Paprika) to give a hot smokey kick to the stew.  Leave out the chili flakes if you prefer a milder flavour.  

INGREDIENTS (Serves 2 plus leftovers):
2 Tablespoons oil
350g Lamb Neck Fillet, trimmed of unnecessary fat and diced into inch cubes

1 Teaspoon Ground Cumin

1 Teaspoon Ground Coriander

1/2 Teaspoon Ground Ginger

1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

1/2 Teaspoon Cayenne

1/2 Teaspoon Smoked Paprika (Pimenton de la Vera)

1/2 Teaspoon Chili Flakes

1 large Red Onion, thickly sliced
1 large Carrot, peeled and cut into inch cubes
2 Fat Garlic Cloves squished
500ml Chicken Stock
1 Tin Chopped Tomatoes
1 Tablespoon Tomato Puree
1 Tin of cooked Chickpeas, washed and drained
Lemon Juice
Couscous to serve with the stew
Fresh Coriander chopped

1. In a large pan, heat the oil until hot.  Add the trimmed and cubed lamb, and fry until browned all over.  
2. Add in the spices (Cumin, Coriander, Ginger, Cinnamon, Cayenne, Smoked Paprika and Chili Flakes) and stir the lamb so that the pieces are fully coated.  Continue to fry for 2 minutes.  
3. Add in the squished garlic cloves, onions and carrots, turn the heat down and cook for 5 minutes or so, stirring occasionally.  
4. Add in the chicken stock, tomato puree and the tin of chopped tomatoes, stir and turn the heat down low.
5. Cook for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally and adding more stock or water if the stew becomes too dry.
6. About 20 minutes before you want to serve, add in a can of drained chickpeas. 
7. Season with salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice.  
8. Scatter with chopped fresh coriander and serve with a mound of fluffy couscous