Orange & Honey Puffs In Syrup

Orange & Honey Puffs In Syrup

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Equipment

Ingredients

  • 3 eggs
  • juice of 1 orange
  • grated rind of 2 oranges plus extra to garnish
  • 50 ml 2 fl oz sunflower oil, plus extra for deep-frying
  • 2 tablespoons runny honey
  • 350 g plain flour plus extra for dusting
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • Syrup
  • 225 g granulated sugar
  • 250 ml 8 fl oz water
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 1½ tablespoons orange blossom water

Instructions

  • Place the eggs, orange juice, orange rind and oil in a bowl and whisk until frothy, then stir in the honey.
  • Sift in 300 g of the flour and the baking powder and beat to form a thick batter.
  • Make the syrup.
  • Place the sugar and measurement water in a heavy-based saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring until the sugar has dissolved.
  • Stir in the lemon juice, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes until syrupy.
  • Stir in the orange blossom water and simmer over a low heat.
  • Beat the remaining flour into the batter until it forms a pliable dough.
  • Tip onto a lightly floured surface and roll out to about 5 mm (¼ inch) thick, pulling out the dough until it stops springing back.
  • Using a 5–7 cm (3 inch) cutter, cut out about 16 rounds.
  • Pour enough oil into a saucepan for deep-frying.
  • Heat the oil to 180–190°C (350–375°F), or until a cube of bread browns in 30 seconds.
  • Deep-fry the dough in batches for 3 minutes until puffed up and golden brown.
  • Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.
  • Using tongs, dip the puffs into the syrup and serve immediately, garnished with grated orange rind.

Notes & Wine Advice

For ice cream with orange & honey sauce, put 125 ml water into a small saucepan and stir in 1 teaspoon cornflour until dissolved. Add the grated rind and juice of 1 orange, 2½ tablespoons orange blossom water and 2 tablespoons honey, then bring to the boil over a medium heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for 4 minutes. Serve with vanilla ice cream.
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Course; Dessert
Cuisine; Arabic

Crystallized Rose Petals

Crystallized Rose Petals

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Equipment

  • greaseproof paper

Ingredients

  • 2 egg whites
  • 2½ tablespoons caster sugar
  • 2 sweet-scented opened roses

Instructions

  • Line a baking sheet with greaseproof paper.
  • In a spotlessly clean bowl, whisk the egg whites with a hand-held electric whisk until stiff.
  • Tip the sugar onto a plate.
  • Carefully pull the rose petals off the flower heads.
  • Brush a rose petal with a little egg white, then dip into the sugar.
  • Shake off any excess and place on the greaseproof paper to dry.
  • Repeat with the remaining rose petals.
  • For best results, leave for 1,5 hours until completely dry.
  • Peel off the paper, then use the crystallized petals to decorate puddings, cakes and milk drinks.

Notes & Wine Advice

For rose syrup cordial, place 450 g granulated sugar and 225 ml (7½fl oz) water in a heavy-based saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring continuously until the sugar has dissolved. Add the juice of ½ lemon and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in 100 ml rosewater and simmer for 4–5 minutes. Leave to cool in the pan, then pass through a sieve into a sterilized bottle or jar. To serve, put a few ice cubes into a glass, add 2½ tablespoons rose syrup and top up with cold water. (The cordial can also be stored in the refrigerator for 4 weeks.)
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Course; Dessert
Cuisine; Arabic

Pistachio & Raisin Couscous

Pistachio & Raisin Couscous

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Equipment

  • heatproof bowl
  • heavy-based frying pan

Ingredients

  • 250 g fine couscous
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon plus extra for dusting
  • ½ teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1½ tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 300 ml boiling water
  • 1 tablespoon sunflower oil
  • 60 g butter
  • 120 g shelled unsalted pistachio nuts
  • 2½ tablespoons sultanas or raisins
  • 125 ml milk
  • 125 ml double cream
  • 4 tablespoons runny honey

Instructions

  • Put the couscous into a heatproof bowl and stir in the cinnamon, cloves and sugar.
  • Pour over the boiling measurement water, cover with a clean tea towel and leave to stand for 10–15 minutes.
  • Drizzle the oil over the couscous and, using your fingers, rub the oil into the grains until light, airy and any lumps are broken up.
  • Melt the butter in a heavy-based frying pan over a medium heat, stir in the pistachios and cook for 3 minutes until they emit a nutty aroma.
  • Add the sultanas or raisins and cook until plump, then tip the mixture over the couscous.
  • Toss well and spoon the couscous into 4 serving bowls.
  • Meanwhile, heat the milk and cream in a small saucepan.
  • Pour over the couscous and drizzle over the honey.
  • Serve immediately, with a dusting of cinnamon.

Notes & Wine Advice

For sweet cinnamon couscous balls, tip 350 g couscous into a heatproof bowl and just cover with boiling water. Cover with clingfilm and leave to stand for 5 minutes, then fluff up with a fork. Leave to cool slightly then, using your fingers, rub the grains to loosen and mould small pieces into balls, squeezing them together. Roll the balls in 2 tablespoons icing sugar and dust with 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon.
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Course; Dessert / Fruit / Nuts
Cuisine; Arabic

Baked Carrot & Potato Tagine

Baked Carrot & Potato Tagine

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Equipment

  • Tagine

Ingredients

  • 2½ tablespoons olive or argan oil
  • 2 onions thickly sliced
  • 4 garlic cloves finely chopped
  • 25 g fresh root ginger peeled and finely chopped
  • 1,5 red chillies deseeded and finely chopped
  • 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
  • 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
  • 4 large potatoes peeled and thickly sliced
  • 2 large carrots peeled and thickly sliced
  • 300 ml vegetable or chicken stock
  • finely sliced rind of 1 preserved lemon
  • 4 to matoes sliced
  • 15 g butter cut into small pieces
  • sea salt and black pepper
  • bunch of coriander finely chopped, to garnish

Instructions

  • Heat the oil in the base of a large tagine or a heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat, stir in the onions and cook for 1,5 minutes until they begin to soften.
  • Add the garlic, ginger, chillies, cumin and fennel seeds and cook for a further 1,5 minutes.
  • Add the potatoes and carrots and pour in the stock.
  • Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover and cook gently for 15 minutes.
  • If cooked in a saucepan, now transfer to a tagine or oven-proof dish.
  • Stir in the preserved lemon rind, season with salt and pepper and arrange the tomato slices over the top.
  • Dot the tomatoes with the butter, then place the tagine, uncovered, in a preheated oven, 180°C , Gas Mark 4, for 15 minutes until the tomatoes are lightly browned.
  • Garnish with the coriander and serve with couscous, if liked, or as an accompaniment to meat and poultry tagines.

Notes & Wine Advice

For baked potato & tomato tagine, make the tagine as for Baked carrot & potato tagine, omitting the fennel seeds and carrots, adding 150 g crumbled feta cheese with the preserved lemon and increasing the quantity of potatoes to 6.
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Cuisine; Arabic
Diets; Vegetarian

Sweet Potatoes With Green Olives

Sweet Potatoes With Green Olives

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Equipment

  • Tagine

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons olive oil or argan oil
  • 1 onion coarsely chopped
  • 25 g fresh root ginger peeled and grated
  • 1½ teaspoons cumin seeds
  • 500 g sweet potatoes peeled and cut into bite-size pieces
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 12 large cracked green olives
  • 2½ tablespoons orange blossom water
  • small bunch of coriander finely chopped
  • sea salt and black pepper

Instructions

  • Heat the oil in the base of a tagine or a large, heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat, stir in the onion, ginger and cumin seeds and cook for 3 minutes until the onion starts to soften.
  • Add the sweet potatoes and stir to coat well.
  • Pour in the lemon juice, then cover and cook gently for 15 minutes.
  • Add the olives and the orange blossom water, re-cover and cook for a further 10–15 minutes to let the flavours mingle.
  • Season to taste with salt and pepper, then stir in the coriander.
  • Serve with couscous, if liked, or as an accompaniment to a meat or poultry tagine.

Notes & Wine Advice

For green olives with tomatoes & preserved lemon, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in the base of a tagine or heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat, stir in 1 finely chopped onion, 2 finely chopped garlic cloves and 2 teaspoons coriander seeds and cook for 3 minutes to let the flavours mingle. Toss in 16 large cracked green olives and add 1 x 400 g can chopped tomatoes and 1½ teaspoons sugar. Cover and cook gently for 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then stir in a small bunch of finely chopped coriander. Serve as an accompaniment to meat and poultry tagines.
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Cuisine; Arabic
Diets; Vegetarian

Lemony Okra & Tomatoes

Lemony Okra & Tomatoes

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Equipment

  • non-metallic bowl
  • Tagine

Ingredients

  • 500 g okra washed and trimmed
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 onion halved and finely sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves finely chopped
  • 1,5 red chillies deseeded and finely chopped
  • 2 teaspoons coriander seeds
  • 1½ teaspoons sugar
  • 1 x 400 g can chopped tomatoes
  • sea salt and black pepper
  • ½ preserved lemon finely sliced rind to garnish

Instructions

  • Place the okra in a non-metallic bowl, pour over the lemon juice and leave to stand for 10–15 minutes.
  • Heat the oil in the base of a tagine or a large, heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat, stir in the onion, garlic, chillies, coriander seeds and sugar and cook for 3 minutes until the onion starts to soften.
  • Add the okra and lemon juice and stir in the tomatoes, then cover and cook gently for 20 minutes until the okra is cooked through but still retaining its crunch.
  • Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  • Garnish with the preserved lemon and serve with couscous, if liked.

Notes & Wine Advice

For okra with ginger & preserved lemon, combine 500 g okra with the juice of 1 lemon in a non-metallic bowl and leave to stand for 10–15 minutes. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in the base of a tagine or heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat, stir in 2 finely chopped garlic cloves, 1 deseeded and finely chopped chilli and 40 g fresh root ginger, peeled and finely chopped, and cook for 3 minutes to let the flavours mingle. Drain the okra, pat dry with kitchen paper, then add to the garlic, ginger and chillies and toss to coat well. Cover and cook gently for 4 minutes until the okra is cooked through but still retains its crunch. Serve with couscous or as an accompaniment to tagines.
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Course; Fruit / Vegetables
Cuisine; Arabic
Diets; Vegetarian

Pepper, Olive, Feta & Egg Tagine

Pepper, Olive, Feta & Egg Tagine

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Deel op Facebook Print Recipe

Equipment

  • Tagine

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
  • 1 green red and yellow pepper, all cored, deseeded and finely sliced
  • 2 tablespoons pitted and halved black olives
  • 150 g feta cheese cubed
  • 4 eggs
  • pepper
  • shredded basil leaves to garnish

Instructions

  • Heat the oil in the base of a tagine or a large, heavy-based frying pan over a medium heat, stir in the cumin and coriander seeds and cook for 1,5 minutes to let the flavours mingle.
  • Add the peppers and cook for a further 3 minutes, then stir in the olives.
  • Cover, reduce the heat and cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes until the peppers have softened.
  • Add the feta and cook for 3 minutes until it begins to soften, then make 4 wells in the mixture.
  • Break the eggs into the wells, cover and cook for 4–5 minutes until the whites are firm.
  • Grind pepper over the eggs, garnish with the basil leaves and serve with warm crusty bread, if liked.

Notes & Wine Advice

For spiced tomatoes & eggs with roasted red peppers, heat 1½ tablespoons ghee in the base of a tagine or a large, heavy-based frying pan over a medium heat, stir in 1 teaspoon each of coriander seeds and cumin seeds and 2 crushed garlic cloves and cook for 1,5 minutes to let the flavours mingle. Top with 4 sliced tomatoes, then break over 8 eggs. Cover and cook over a medium heat for 6–8 minutes until the eggs are firm. Season, garnish with roasted red peppers from a jar, sliced, and scatter over a chopped small bunch of flat leaf parsley. Serve on buttered, toasted flatbreads.
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Cuisine; Arabic
Diets; Vegetarian

Herby Baby Aubergines

Herby Baby Aubergines

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Deel op Facebook Print Recipe

Equipment

  • Tagine

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • knob of butter
  • 1 onion halved and sliced
  • 4 garlic cloves chopped
  • 1,5 red chillies deseeded and sliced
  • 1½ teaspoons coriander seeds
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1½ teaspoons sugar
  • 12 baby aubergines left whole with stalk intact
  • 2 x 400 g cans chopped tomatoes
  • bunch of mint finely chopped
  • bunch of coriander finely chopped
  • sea salt and black pepper

Instructions

  • Heat the oil and butter in the base of a tagine or a large, heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat, stir in the onion and garlic and cook for 3 minutes until they begin to soften and colour.
  • Stir in the chillies, coriander and cumin seeds, and sugar and cook for 1,5 minutes, then toss in the baby aubergines, making sure they are coated in the spices.
  • Pour over the tomatoes, cover and cook gently for about 40 minutes until the aubergines are beautifully tender.
  • Toss in half the mint and coriander, season to taste with salt and pepper, then re-cover and simmer for a further 5 minutes.
  • Garnish with the remaining mint and coriander and serve hot with couscous and yogurt, if liked.

Notes & Wine Advice

For baby courgettes with mint, replace the baby aubergines with 12 baby courgettes. Follow the recipe as for Herby baby aubergines but reduce the cooking time to 30 minutes after adding the tomatoes and omit the coriander and double the quantity of mint.
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Cuisine; Arabic
Diets; Vegetarian

Butternut Squash With Sultanas

Butternut Squash With Sultanas

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Deel op Facebook Print Recipe

Equipment

  • Tagine

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • knob of butter
  • 8 shallots peeled
  • 4 garlic cloves peeled and lightly smashed
  • 125 g sultanas
  • 1½ teaspoons harissa paste
  • 1½ tablespoons honey
  • 1 large butternut squash peeled, deseeded and cut into bite-size chunks
  • sea salt and black pepper
  • a small bunch fresh coriander finely chopped, to garnish
  • 1 lemon cut into quarters, to serve

Instructions

  • Heat the oil and butter in the base of a tagine or a large, heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat, stir in the shallots and garlic and cook for 3 minutes until they begin to soften and colour.
  • Add the sultanas, harissa and honey, then toss in the butternut squash, making sure it is coated in the spicy mixture.
  • Pour in enough water to cover the base of the tagine or saucepan, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover and cook gently for about 20 minutes until the squash is tender.
  • Season to taste with salt and pepper, scatter the coriander over the top and serve with wedges of lemon to squeeze over it.

Notes & Wine Advice

For butternut squash with apple, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and a knob of butter in the base of a tagine or a large, heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat, stir in 1 finely chopped onion and cook for 3 minutes until it begins to soften. Stir in 1½ teaspoons harissa paste, 1 butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cut into bite-sized chunks, and 2 apples, cored and thickly diced, and proceed with the rest of the recipe as for Butternut squash with sultanas.
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Cuisine; Arabic