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Carrot & Olive Salad

With all the hot weather we’ve been having here in Sydney, I have become a bit of a fan of cold salads recently. Something fresh and light. This one I served with some beef steak done on the BBQ naturally. The sweetness of the carrot worked perfectly with the saltiness of the olives and meatiness of the beef. Really delicious. I blanched the carrots slightly as I often find them hard work when they’re raw. It worked a treat.

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Albondigas (Spanish Meatballs)

I love meatballs! What can I say! There’s something so satisfying in them. I especially love the Spanish version called albondigas. I always order them in Spanish restaurants and always eat the lion’s share. So, making them at home is dangerous as I have a tendency not only to eat them from the pan, before serving, but also returing to the pan after eating to finish them off; one by one. The sauce for this is beautiful and will greatly benefit from you using good quality chopped tomatoes.

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Ethiopian Berbere Chicken

After buying some berbere spice mix, it’s been on bloody everything since! It’s so delicious… thankfully I used the last of it for this simple chicken stew from Ethiopia. The spice mix really adds depth of flavour to this dish. Maybe now I can eat something that isn’t Ethiopian…

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Apple & Fennel Salad

I made this to accompany some spiced pork cutlets that had been rubbed in an Ethiopian spice mix called Berbere. The sweetness of the apple and slightly aniseed taste of fennel worked perfectly with pork. This zingy, refreshing salad could also accompany fish or chicken. It’s perfect for a summer’s evening.

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Moroccan Tomato Ketchup

I do like a bit of tomato ketchup from the bottle once in a while, but I must say it’s way too sweet and strangely doesn’t really taste of tomatoes anymore. This is a simple, homespun sauce which takes a Moroccan character. Lovely and rich, and spicy too. It’s great served just as you would with normal tomato ketchup – dip your chips in it, smother your bacon sandwich. Cover your Christmas dinner with it for all I care – just give it a try!

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Chickpea Patties

These little patties were the star of the show! The delicious aromatic Berbere spice mix brings a fragrance and taste to these that is just glorious. The crunch of the crumbed crust works perfectly with the soft, creamy texture inside. All it needs is a little yoghurt on the side to finish it (and me) off!

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Berbere Spiced Pork Cutlets

Berbere is an Ethiopian spice mix. I’d seen it on TV recently and when I saw some in my local deli, I chucked it into the basket. Once home, I decided to make a simple spice rub on some rather expensive pork cutlets I’d bought in a moment of madness. The spice mix is a cornucopia of ingredients reminiscent of Indian curry powder. That said, It has a milder, more aromatic temperament than its Indian counterpart and it worked brilliantly on the pork. I accompanied this with a deliciously refreshing APPLE & FENNEL SALAD and CHICKPEA PATTIES, both of which worked perfectly with the meat. All in all, it was pretty refreshing – just what we needed in the sweltering 35ºC heat of a Sydney evening.

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Lamb & Pea Curry

This is one of the easiest curries you’re likely to make. There’s no fussing about adding things at certain times, there’s no blending, grinding, frying. All you are required to do is put everything in a pan and cook it for 1 1/2 hours. Nobody could mess it up. I challenge you. Oh, and incidentally it’s pretty damn tasty!

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Cauliflower, Dill & Cumin Fritters

I love cauliflower, and I love finding new, interesting ways to cook it. Here’s a simple recipe for cauliflower fritters. It takes its influence from Indian vegetable pakora’s but gives the little fritters more of a middle eastern slant with the use of my favourite spice, cumin and one of my favourite herbs, dill. They’re light and fresh with a little spice from the chilli to liven up things. Great with fish or meat and even as a simple vegetarian starter too. Splendid.

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