Moroccan Braised Brinjal and Chickpea Salad

I LOVE EXPERIMENTING!

On Sunday evening we smoked some chicken on the Weber Kettle Braai. 

Needing a vegetable dish to compliment the chicken I looked for something to do with chickpeas,

Something Mediterranean that would be a bit spicy and warm for a winter evening.

I came up with this idea with finger brinjals (small long aubergines) and carrots with Moroccan spicing,

Not too hot but with a bit of a kick...

It's a meal on it's own, but if you prefer a vegetarian option,

 then use vegetable stock instead of the chicken stock I have used.

Normally I'd have used apricots, which are commonly used in Moroccan cuisine, but didn't have any, so I left them out and just used raisins. 

It was absolutely delicious and definitely worth repeating!

Give it a try.

As for the chicken, we will have to make that again also;

when we do I'll take photos and share the way to do it with you all.

Ingredients:

30ml olive oil

2 onions, each cut into 8 wedges

6-8 finger brinjals, cut in 1cm thick slices

5ml ground cumin

2.5ml turmeric

2.5ml cayenne pepper or ground chillies

7.5ml ground coriander

5ml ground cinnamon

300ml chicken stock (or vegetable stock for a vegetarian option) 

2 carrots, sliced

125ml raisins

125ml dried apricots, chunky chopped (optional)

60ml flaked almonds

I x 410g can chickpeas, drained

60ml couscous

60ml chopped fresh coriander

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan, add the onions and brinjals and fry over a medium heat for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally until the onions are softened and the brinjal has taken a bit of colour. 

Add the spices and cook for a further 2-3 minutes. Stir in the stock, carrots, apricots (if using), raisins and almonds and bring to the boil. Simmer for 5-10 minutes.

Wash and drain the chickpeas and add them to the vegetables, stirring to mix the chickpeas through. Cover and return the pot to the boil and allow to cook for about 20 minutes. Sprinkle in the couscous, fold it in and continue to simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

Season with salt and pepper and fold in half the coriander. Serve sprinkled with the remainder of the coriander.

Bedouin Chicken

Although this is done with barley, you could use another grain of choice such as bulgar wheat, quinoa, orzo, brown rice, millet or couscous. 

Ingredients:

5ml olive oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

60g cooked barley

1 small apple, diced

4 fresh dates, stoned and chopped

30g raisins, well washed

5ml chopped almonds

2.5ml allspice (ground cumin)

2.5ml cinnamon

1 x 1.4kg chicken

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Juice of half a lemon

1 lemon, cut into 8 pieces length ways

Method:

Heat the oil and fry onions until just transparent. Put the onions, together with all the other stuffing ingredients and spices, in a mixing bowl and combine. Stuff the chicken with the mixture and tie it up. Transfer the chicken to a roasting pan, season liberally with salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Heat the oven to 220˚C. Put the chicken into the oven and cook for 10 minutes, the turn the oven down to 190 ˚C and continue to roast for 1 ¼ hours or until the juices run clear from the thigh when you pierce it with a skewer.

Serve with a hot salad of brinjal, courgette, apple, sweet potato and onion roasted with garlic and cumin seeds, garnished with sesame seeds or almonds, or with a green or rocket salad.

Moroccan Couscous Salad

Ingredients:

250ml couscous

1 red pepper, seeds removed and flesh diced

1 green pepper, seeds removed and flesh diced

2 ribs of celery, washed, trimmed and finely sliced

125ml seedless raisins

60ml white vinegar

10ml ground coriander

5ml ground cumin

1-2ml chilli powder

60ml olive oil

Method:

Cook the couscous according to the package instructions.

Add the peppers, celery and raisins to the couscous.

To make the dressing, whisk together the vinegar, coriander, cumin, chilli powder and olive oil and mix into the salad.

Carrot and Nut Salad

This salad is a real family favourite. 

My daughter, in particular, raves about it 

because it's so healthy 

and fits in with her weight management diet. 

It's truly well worth making, 

especially for a girly get together 

or for a summer picnic, braai or barbecue.

Ingredients:

4 medium or 3 large carrots, grated

2 ribs celery, finely chopped

2 spring onions, sliced on the diagonal

1-2 inches slice fresh pineapple, peeled and diced finely

125ml macadamia nuts

125ml seedless raisins

Zest of 1 orange

45ml fresh orange juice, or juice of one orange

5ml Dijon mustard

Poppy seeds or Sesame seeds to garnish

Method:

Mix together the grated carrots, chopped celery, sliced onions, diced pineapple, macadamia nuts, raisins and orange zest in a salad bowl.

In a small mason jar, make the dressing. Shake together the orange juice and mustard and pour over the salad. Toss to coat all the salad with dressing. Garnish with Poppy seeds or sesame seeds and serve.

Pasta Slaw

Coleslaw is one of South Africa’s favourite salads, but we got tired of the ubiquitous cabbage and carrot smothered with mayonnaise and added pasta to it for an interesting variation.

I like to add a few extra special touches to this salad, which always goes down a treat, such as a couple of handfuls of raisins, sultanas or chopped dried apricots and some chopped nuts such as macadamias, pecans, walnuts or cashew nuts. Mix some fruit or nuts into the salad and sprinkle some on top to garnish.

Ingredients:

250g Elbow Macaroni

15ml olive oil

¼ cabbage, shredded finely

2 ribs of celery, finely sliced

1 large carrot, grated

½ 470g can crushed pineapple

250ml mayonnaise

60ml snipped chives

100ml sultanas (optional)

100g chopped macadamia nuts (optional)

Method:

Cook the macaroni according to the package instructions. Drain well and mix with the oil.

Combine the pasta, cabbage, celery, carrot, pineapple and some of the sultanas and macadamia nuts, if using, reserving some of each of the dried fruit and nuts for garnish, then mix in the mayonnaise.

Garnish with sultanas and macadamia nuts, if using, and snipped chives.

Nuts and Raisins Oatmeal Biscuits

Ingredients:

335g pecans

75g butter at room temperature

220g dark brown sugar

220g caster sugar

2 extra-large eggs at room temperature

10ml vanilla essence

335g flour

5ml baking powder

5ml ground cinnamon

5ml salt

675g rolled oats or porridge oats

335g raisins

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180C. Place the pecans on a baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes, until crisp. Set aside to cool. Chop very coarsely.

In a bowl, beat the butter, brown sugar and caster sugar together until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating all the time. Add the vanilla and mix in.

Sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt together in a separate bowl, then slowly add to the butter mixture. Add the oats, raisins and pecans and mix until just combined.

Using a small ice-cream scoop or a tablespoon, drop 5cm mounds of dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Flatten slightly with a damp hand. Bake in a moderate oven (180C) for 12-15 minutes, until lightly browned. Transfer the cookies to a baking rack and cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Orange Raisin and Almond Rice

It doesn't take much to dickey up a bit of rice, but what a difference it makes when it's pleasing to the eye and not just a plain bed of white. An orange, a couple of onions, a few hard boiled eggs and a sprinkling of nuts and raisins and you have something quite amazing!

Ingredients:

60ml ghee
2 large onions sliced in rings
seeds from 2 cardamom pods
2 sticks cinnamon
4 cloves
500ml long grain rice or basmati rice
250ml fresh orange juice
freshly shredded zest from 1 orange
1 litre of chicken stock
125ml blanched and sliced almonds
60ml raisins
3 eggs, hard boiled and sliced

Method:

Heat the ghee and fry the onion rings until they are a pale golden brown. Drain and set aside. In the same ghee, fry the almonds and raisins. Drain and set aside. Add the cardamom seeds, cinnamon and cloves to the pan and fry for about 1 minute then remove from the heat and stir in the dry rice, orange juice, half of the orange rind and the chicken stock.

Return to the stove and bring to the boil, lower the heat, cover and simmer until all the liquid has been absorbed - about 25 minutes. Toss in the fried onion rings, almonds and raisins and garnish with the sliced hard boiled eggs and the remaining orange zest.

Muesli Bars

These are great for breakfast on the run. With oats, fruit, nuts and seeds, they are nutricious and delicious, packed with essential carbohydrate, vitamins, minerals and fibre.

Sunflower seeds are a super source of Omega 3 and Omega 6, necessary for good health, preventing heart desease, cholesterol problems and some skin conditions.

Pumpkin seeds are aslo packed with fibre, vitamin Bs, especially Niacin and Pyridoxine, minerals such as calcium, magnesium and selenium, and numerous health promoting antioxidants. Although their calorific content comes mainly from fats, pumpkin kernels are especially rich in mono-unsaturated fats, which help to lower bad cholesterol and increase good cholesterol.

All in all, a great way to start the day.

Ingredients:
65g butter
160ml honey - I like to use heather or lavender honey as they give such a wonderful flavour
50g dark brown muscovado sugar
130g wholemeal flour
200g rolled oats
50g desiccated coconut
100g sunflower seeds
50g dried pumpkin seeds, chopped
50g dried apricots, chopped
50g dates, chopped
50g raisins
50g chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans, hazel nuts)
25g sesame seeds

Method:
Preheat the oven to 180C.
In a saucepan, melt the butter over a low heat. Add the honey and sugar, stirring to bring to the boil. Simmer for 5 minutes, then remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the remaining ingredients, then gradually stir in the prepared butter and sugar mixture.
Press into a greased biscuit tray and bake for 25 minutes or until golden on top. Cut into bars while still hot and leave to cool.

Sausage Stuffed Shoulder of Lamb

This stunning main course is so versatile. Vary it by using different sausages (pork or lamb) and various herbs. While mint makes a marvellous marriage with lamb, rosemary, marjoram, oregano, coriander or parsley could also be used, but then I would exclude the chilli flakes and add ground paprika instead. Fennel seeds give a Middle East flavour, but you could use coriander or cumin seeds instead. Serve with garlicky spinach, with pine nuts and raisins to make it extra special.

Ingredients:

For the lamb:

4 tbsp olive oil 

1 onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 tsp fennel seeds

pinch chilli flakes

180 g fresh breadcrumbs

30ml fresh mint leaves, finely chopped

500 g sausages, casing removed

1 boneless lamb shoulder

For the spinach:

2 tbsp raisins, soaked in hot water for 15 minutes, drained

2 tbsp olive oil

500 g spinach, stems removed

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 tbsp pine nuts, lightly roasted

Method:

For the lamb:

Preheat the oven to 200C. Heat half the oil in a frying pan over a low heat and fry the onion and garlic for 10-15 minutes, or until the onions start to caramelise. Remove from the heat, transfer to a bowl and add the fennel seeds, chilli flakes, breadcrumbs and mint. Mix well, then set aside to cool. Once cooled, mix in the sausage meat and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Place lamb shoulder skin-side down into a roasting tin, season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and spread over the sausage stuffing. Roll up tightly and secure with kitchen string. Rub with the remaining olive oil and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Roast the lamb shoulder for 20 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and toast for a further 1 hour and 30 minutes, or until the lamb is tender. Remove from the oven and cover with foil. Set aside to rest for 15 minutes. 

For the spinach:

Soak the raisins in a bowl of water for 15 minutes, then drain. Heat half the olive oil in a large frying pan, add the spinach and cook until the spinach starts to wilt. Remove from the heat and drain the spinach in a colander to get rid of any excess liquid. Return the pan to the heat, add the remaining olive oil and fry the garlic for 1-2 minutes, or until softened but not coloured. Add the spinach back to the pan, along with the pine nuts and soaked raisins. Season to taste with sea salt and cook for a further minute to warm through. To serve, remove the string from the lamb and carve into thick slices. Serve on a bed of the spinach.

Double Stuffed Goose

Christmas is getting nearer

and the goose is getting fat.

And it will just have to get fatter

because we are going to my mother-in-law

for Christmas Dinner

and she won't eat goose.

She used to keep them as pets

and insists they are inedible.

;-))

Love you Mom,

but I also love eating goose at Christmas......

This is a great traditional way to do goose

for the festive dinner on Christmas day.

Ingredients:
1 goose, about 5kg more or less

For the Neck-end Stuffing;
100g dried cranberries, apricots or raisins (or a mix of dried fruits of your choice)
60ml medium sherry
1 small onion, chopped fine
2 rashers of unsmoked back bacon, cut into strips
50g butter
2 garlic cloves, chopped or mashed through a garlic press
450g good sausage meat
3 slices of fresh white bread, crumbed
30ml chopped fresh parsley
a couple of sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves stripped off the stems.
150g cooked chestnuts, roughly chopped
1 egg, beaten
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to season

For the Bum-end Stuffing:
350g shallots, thinly sliced
60g butter
15g caster sugar
finely grated zest and juice of 1 orange
50ml fresh sage, chopped
85g roasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped
5 slices of fresh white bread, crumbed
1 egg, beaten
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to season

Method:

To make the neck-end stuffing, soak the cranberries in the port for an hour. Fry the onion and bacon gently in the butter until the onion is tender and the bacon cooked.

Add the garlic and fry for another minute or so. Cool slightly then mix with the remaining ingredients, including the cranberries and port, adding enough of the egg to bind.

Fry a small piece of stuffing to test seasoning and adjust accordingly.

To make the bum-end stuffing, fry the shallots gently in the butter until golden, then add the sugar and the orange juice.

Simmer until the liquid has virtually all evaporated leaving a delicious jammy mass of shallots.

Pour boiling water over the sage, leave for one minute, then drain and squeeze dry. Add to the shallots, along with all the other ingredients.

Fry a small piece of stuffing to test seasoning and adjust accordingly.

Preheat the oven to 190C.

To prepare the goose, trim the excess fat from inside the goose. Pack the neck-end stuffing into the neck end of the goose, pressing it firmly and then tucking the flap of skin neatly down around it.

Secure firmly underneath with wooden cocktail sticks or a metal skewer.

Three-quarters fill the stomach cavity with the bum-end stuffing.

Prick the skin of the goose all over with a fork. Season with salt and pepper. Lay some of the fat removed from the cavity over the thighs to keep them moist.

Cover with foil and place on a rack in the oven with a tray underneath so that you can empty out the fat regularly.

Roast a 4kg goose for three hours, a 4.5-5kg goose for three-and-a-half hours and a 5.5kg goose for four hours.

Remove the foil for 30-40 minutes before the end of the cooking time so that the skin can brown and crisp.

To test it is cooked, pierce the fattest part of the thigh with a skewer. If the juices run clear then the bird is done.

Rest for 20-30 minutes, oven turned off with the door ajar, before carving.