Humous with zataar and sumac

May 26, 2014May 23, 2014Leave a comment

Like its spelling, everyone has their own way of making humous, I like mine without loads of oil but rammed full of added spices so I can tuck in to mountains of it guilt free. This is a really simple recipe, I vary it slightly depending on what fresh spices I’ve acquired and if guests are about I usually add more olive oil and less water (it’s the chef in me I just can’t help it).

Humous with zataar and sumac

1 tin cooked chickpeas, half drained
2 teaspoons dried garlic granules (sweeter than using raw)
juice of 1 lemon
1 heaped tablespoon tahini
large pinch freshly ground black pepper
pinch sea salt flakes
1 tablespoon zataar
1 tablespoon sumac
1 heaped teaspoon ground cumin
few tablespoons cold water
a sprinkle of zataar, sumac and a drizzle of olive oil to serve

Combine the chickpeas, tahini, lemon, garlic and spices in a food processor.
Blitz and loosen with more water until you have a smooth, creamy consistency. Taste and adjust seasonings.
Scoop into a bowl, sprinkle with the extra zataar, sumac and olive oil and leave to sit if you can for an hour at room temperature to allow the flavours to develop.

Superfood salad with cocoa nibs

May 24, 2014May 23, 2014Leave a comment

Usually if anyone mentions the word “Quinoa” I’m immediately turned off a dish, it’s often made so badly that it resembles a soggy mush of squirly disappointment but if cooked well and combined with some peaky flavours it’s actually rather nutty and lovely and this salad proves just that.

Superfood salad with cocoa nibs

2 handfuls raw quinoa
1 tablespoon powdered veg stock
1 small orange
2 handfuls of frozen board beans, defrosted in water and drained
1 tablespoon cocoa nibs
3 tablespoons salad sprinkle mix (mixture of seeds such as pumpkin, sesame, sunflower, linseed etc)
1 teaspoon poppy seeds
1 handful blanched almonds
1 yellow chilli finely chopped
1 handful of feta, crumbled
1 handful of fresh mint, roughly chopped
freshly ground black pepper

Cook the quinoa according to packet instructions but add the stock to the water. Once cooked drain in a sieve and leave to cool completely, this will also help dry it out a bit.
Slice the orange into rounds and sear on a very hot griddle, turning over a couple of times then slice each round into quarters.
Combine everything in a bowl, you can drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil over if you fancy it, leave for at least an hour at room temperature to allow all the flavours to mix.

Kickass parsley and fennel salad

May 23, 2014Leave a comment

I had a meeting in Leicester on Wednesday so took the opportunity to head to Radio Leicester and catch up with the wonderful Ben Jackson with whom I do the Food Friday cooking items. Ben had just been at the Chelsea Flower Show the previous day and was telling me about an amazing Lebanese meal he went for in Knightsbridge at a restaurant called Randa, he raved about a parsley dish that I knew I needed to go and experiment with.

I’ve been sprinkling this on everything: BBQ’d fish and meat, flat breads smothered in humous and my personal favourite is to dive into it using a piece of crispy smoked bacon as a spoon, yeah, all the ace.

Parsley and fennel salad

1 large bunch flat leave parsley, chopped
1 large handful fennel fronds, chopped
1 red banana shallot, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, grated on a microplane
zest 1 lemon, grated on a microplane
juice 1 lemon
2 spring onions, finely chopped
5 radishes very thinly sliced
1 handful cherry tomatoes, cooked on a very hot griddle for a minute or two
pinch sea salt flakes
pinch freshly ground pepper
drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
pea shoots, chervil and edible flowers to garnish

Just combine everything in a bowl, stir well and leave for at least 2 hours if you can at room temperature before serving then keep in the fridge for up to 4 days.