So much for 60 fucking degrees. This DC June heatwave has been killing me. Fortunately I am about to go on vacation to Norway where the highs will be in the mid 60s and I can cool off and eat an insane amount of fish, potatoes, and brown cheese. Expect some Scandinavian inspired recipes when I return.
In the meantime, here is Ottolenghi and Tamimi's hummus kawarma aka hummus with lamb. This dish is not only one of my favorite things to eat, it's also one of my favorite things to make. The recipe flows so well. You put the chickpeas on to cook, then prepare the marinade for the meat, as the meat marinades, you make the hummus, once the hummus is done, you put the meat on to cook, as the meat cooks, you prepare the lemon sauce, and then you put the plate together. It sounds like a lot, but each step is short and simple. You're busy in the kitchen but never rushed or forced to multi-task.
Jerusalem is one of my favorite cookbooks. I have cooked my way through almost every recipe and aside from some burnt couscous and a bit of bitter eggplant (my own errors), everything I've made has blown me away. Tahini and pomegranate molasses are now stables in my kitchen and many of the recipes are on my regular rota.
As you may know, I'm fussy about my hummus. I've been making it for years now and I've picked up certain tips along the way; cook the chickpeas with baking soda (it speeds up the process and helps remove the starch), remove the loose skins from the chickpeas (it makes the hummus smoother), use the water you cook the chickpeas in to make the hummus (it adds more flavor). But the specific recipe itself is something you just have to feel out. Everyone has certain preference (less garlic, more lemon etc.), once you start making it you'll learn how much of everything you like. It's also helpful to think of hummus a bit like gazpacho, the flavors combine and mellow overnight, so don't worry too much... I've made plenty of batches I thought we're too much 'something' but tasted great after 24 hours in the fridge!
Stuff for Hummus
1 cup dried chickpeas
pinch baking soda
1/2 cup tanhini
juice from 2 lemons
2 big garlic cloves
pinch cumin
1/4 olive oil
salt & pepper
Steps for Hummus
Soak the chickpeas over night (they drink a lot, so make sure they have plenty of water). Put chickpeas on to boil and add a pinch of salt and baking soda. Boil for about 40 mins or until they're done and their skins begin to loosen.
Drain chickpeas but keep the cooking water. Put chickpeas in the food processor with the garlic and blitz for about 30 seconds - 1 minute. Add tahini, most of the lemon juice, cumin, most of the olive oil, salt & pepper. Blitz again and slowly pour in a little of the chickpea water until the mixture turns smooth.
Taste and add in extra lemon, olive oil, salt, or whatever else it needs. Blitz again. Repeat this process until desired taste and consistency are reached. Once done, store hummus in a airtight container in the fridge.
Ottolenghi specifies neck meat for the kawarma, but I find that to fatty and removing the neck bones is a hassle. For this recipe I used a leg steak from Whiffletree Farm and it was delicious. The full recipe as it appears in the book can be found here. I usually don't measure the spices, I often use extra herbs, I swap dried oregano for fresh, and I skip the white pepper.
Stuff for the Kawarma
Lamb leg steak
good pinch of black pepper
good pinch of allspice
good pinch of cinnamon
good pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
small handful of oregano
small handful of parsley
small handful of mint
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
handful of pine nuts
Steps for the Kawarma
Chop the lamb into bite size chunks and place in bowl to marinate. Chop the herbs and add them to the bowl with the spices and the vinegar. Mix everything together and let it marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour.
Once marinated, heat butter and olive oil in pan over a medium heat. Add the lamb and cook for about 10 minutes or until cooked through.
Toast the pine nuts in a small pan over a medium heat until they begin to turn golden brown.
To plate, spread hummus in a bowl and top with the lamb, pine nuts, lemon sauce (see below), and lightly season with salt & pepper.
Steps for Lemon Sauce
Finely chop the parsley, chili, and garlic. Mix in a small bowl or container with the lemon juice, white wine vinegar, and salt.
The weather has been a bit up and down, but it's June now so it's summer, right? I don't care if it's 60 degrees and raining, it's the season of BBQs, potlucks, picnics, and general eating outdoorsness (totally a word). The question is, what do you bring to such occasions? Meat? Salad? Chips? Beer? All of the above? Well, you can't really go wrong with any of those... but my go to for summer sharing is this tomato tart.
It works all summer, because tomatoes. Everyone loves it, because pastry. It's perfect for people to snack on while they wait for the grill to get going, it's easy enough to transport, and you can eat it hot or cold (though I'd recommend hot).
I also love this because it's simple and easy (my favorite kind of summer food). You don't need a knife or fork to eat it, just a nice beer or a chilled glass of wine and you're all set to enjoy a beautiful summer evening.
Stuff
1 sheet puff pastry
3 vine tomatoes
handful of feta
few sprigs of thyme
drizzle of balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper
Steps
Preheat oven to 400F. Roll out puff pasty on a baking sheet lined with parchment and trim edges to form a neat rectangle (or not, whatever). With a sharp knife, score the pastry about 1/2 an inch from the edge on all sides. With a fork, prick the middle section of the pastry multiple times.
Thinly slice the tomatoes and arrange in the middle section of the pastry. Crumble and scatter the feta over the tomatoes. Remove thyme leaves from their stems and scatter over the tomatoes. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and season with salt and pepper.
Bake in the oven for 25 minutes or until pasty is golden brown and crispy. Remove from oven and place on cooling rack before cutting into slices.
P.S. If you've got left over puff pasty and tomatoes you can make a mini one that's not for sharing...
Spring has arrived and I know this because there are super cute radishes in my CSA. I'll roast, slice, and pickle these little cuties but my favorite way to eat them is just as they are with butter and maldon salt or with some whipped goat cheese and black pepper. Few things make me happier right now than sitting outside with a beer after work and chowing down on some radishes. I highly recommend you try it.
It really doesn't get any easier than this. Let the ingredients speak for themselves and you won't be disappointed. If you're not super into goat cheese (sorry, this blog will be a huge disappointment) then I recommend mascarpone or maybe even some backed ricotta?
Stuff
radishes
goat cheese
dash of milk
black pepper
Steps
Mix the goat cheese with the milk and black pepper until you get yogurt like consistency. Wash the radishes and enjoy your simple spring snack.
There are many subtle differences between the UK and the US (such as the definition of "biscuit" or the pronunciation of "h" in herbs) but perhaps a less commonly known discrepancy is the the taste of store bought hummus. For whatever reason, hummus from US stores tastes completely different to hummus from UK stores and I just can't stomach it. Sorry, but US hummus is disgusting and no one should be eating it. Really, stop eating it.
Anyway, since I can't live without hummus, I quickly learnt to make my own and now do so pretty much every weekend. However, sometimes I go out on Saturday and I forget to soak my chickpeas and I can't be bothered to wait two hours for them to cook and I just want to sit on the couch watching Gilmore Girls for 6 hours.... So I needed a way to satisfy my hummus craving even when I'm feeling supremely lazy.
So this is my lazy girl hummus for lazy weekends and week nights. It's super quick and super delicious. I use sheep yogurt because I find it has the right flavor (very tart) and consistency (lighter than greek yogurt, thicker than plain yogurt). If you have access to a Whole Foods or a ewe, you're all set for sheep yogurt. Otherwise, just use whatever you have on hand.
Stuff for "Hummus"
1/2 cup plain sheep yogurt
1/2 cup tahini
1/2 a lemon
handful of parsley
pinch of cumin
pepper
olive oil
Steps for "Hummus"
Chop the parsley and juice the lemon. In a bowl mix together yogurt, tahini, lemon juice, parsley, cumin, and pepper. Taste and adjust flavors to your taste. Drizzle with olive oil to serve.
Stuff for Pita Chips
2 pitas
olive oil
sumac
salt and pepper
Steps for Pita Chips
Pre-heat oven to 400F. Cut pita into triangles. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with sumac, salt, and pepper. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.
Mini sausage rolls are a British party snack similar to the American pigs in a blanket. They're a kids party staple that I've never quite grown out of because, let's face it, they're basically just meat wrapped in butter. They're easy to make and go down a treat with guests of all ages. I know this because we threw down for the Oscars at the end of February and these disappeared fast.
I try not to eat too much meat but for a party or special occasion it's nice to treat yo' self. There are a couple of places I can buy decent meat, one close to work (Stachowski's) and close to home (Meats and Foods). They do excellent dogs/sandwiches as well, so if you're ever in DC--check them out.
This recipe is insanely easy, mainly because I use store bought puff pastry. But hey, if it's good enough for Ina, it's good enough for me. Depending on the size of the party, I'll usually make a couple of batches ahead of time and then re-heat them before serving. Traditionally, sausage rolls are just sausage and pastry, but I always add a few extras because I'm not seven anymore and mustard is my jam.
Stuff
1 sheet of puff pastry
1 pork sausage
spoonful of mustard
sprig or two of thyme
dash of worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper
egg/milk (to glaze)
Steps
Preheat oven to 400F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and lay out the pastry. Just below the center, spread the mustard in an inch think line all the way across the pasty.
Take sausage meat out of its skin and and arrange in an inch thick log on top of the mustard. Drizzle worcestershire sauce over the sausage. Sprinkle thyme leaves across the pasty and lightly season with salt and pepper.
Fold top half of the pastry over the sausage and press the edges together with a fork. Trim the edge to get a neat line. Gently slice the pastry log into inch wide segments and slash the top of each segment.
Glaze the log with egg or milk. Bake in the oven for 30 mins or until pasty is golden and sausage is cooked.
Once cooked, remove from oven, cut the segments apart, and place on cooling rack. These can be eaten hot or cold, but are best when they're fresh out of the oven!
