spicy harissa grilled chicken skewers

Harissa is a spicy pepper based sauce common in Tunisa and North African cuisine. This recipe is based on one I found in the Ottolenghi cookbook and goes brilliantly with most meats but works particularly well with these chicken skewers. This is very, very easy to make and makes an excellent dinner any day of the week.

Ingredients Serves 4

800g diced chicken breast
1 tbsp greek yogurt


Harissa:
2 fresh red chillies roughly chopped
2 dried red chillies roughly chopped
2 small or  1 large grilled red pepper (I used shop bought jarred ones but you could do this yourself)
1 small red onion, chopped
1/4 tsp whole cumin
1/4 tsp whole coriander
1/4 tsp caraway seed
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

Put the cumin, coriander and caraway in a dry frying pan and gently toast for a couple of minutes over a low heat. They'll be ready when the scent is released. Place in pestle and mortar and grind to a fine powder.

Next, heat the oil in the same pan you used for the spices. Add the onion, chillies and garlic and cook over a medium heat for around 10 minutes or until they have coloured round the edges and cooked through.

Place all the ingredients in a food processor with the lemon juice (or pestle and mortar if you've got the time and energy) and blitz together until you've got a smooth paste. Transfer to a bowl now if you are just making the harissa but if you're making the chicken skewers mix in the yogurt. 

In a large plastic container mix together the chicken pieces and harissa paste until it is all thoroughly coated. Cover and set aside in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight if you like. 

When you're ready to cook your skewers preheat the oven to 200C and put your griddle pan on the stove. Divide the chicken pieces between four metal skewers then once the griddle pan is hot cook the skewers until chicken has got some colour on all sides but not cooked through. Transfer the chicken on the griddle pan to the oven and cook for around a further 10-15 minutes or until cooked through.

Serve with lemon wedges, salad and flat bread.

I'm entering this recipe in the July Four Seasons Food Challenge hosted by the lovely people at Chez Foti and Delicieux. 

super easy pumpkin soup

I know I say this about a lot of my recipes but I really do love this one. It is stupendously easy, even after a crazy busy day at work I can bring myself to make this when I get home. It is very low calorie, pretty much fat free if you don't use oil for the roasting or for garnishing and surprisingly creamy for a dairy free soup. Sometimes I will vary this recipe by roasting the pumpkin with a couple of tablespoons of ras al hanout or cumin powder and chilli flakes, or I might add in some whole garlic and rosemary for something completely different a current favourite is to add a little creamed coconut and thai green or red curry paste when I blend it. There really is no end to what you can do with this awesome, simple recipe. The version in these pictures is topped with a dollop of mascarpone cheese and some smoked chilli and garlic oil.

Makes enough for 2-3 people

Ingredients 
1 butternut squash, acorn squash or similar sized amount of pumpkin (approx 1kg unpeeled)
Oil spray (optional)
1 or 2 chicken or vegetable stock cubes (to taste)
c.500ml just boiled water
salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 200C fan. Cut the pumpkin/squash in half and scoop out the seeds with a spoon.
2. Spray the pumpkin flesh with a little oil if using, season with salt and pepper and any other seasonings you are using. Place the pumpkin cut side down in a roasting pan then put in the oven for around 45 minutes or until cooked. I usually check after 30 minutes. You will know the pumpkin is ready when you can easily insert a knife and the skin is coming away from the flesh.
3. Once the flesh is cooked, boil the kettle then scoop the pumpkin flesh into a food processor.  Add the stock cubes and blitz it all together until you have a smooth puree and everything is combined. While the food processor is still running slowly and carefully add the just boiled water until your soup reaches your desired consistency. I usually use around 500ml.
4. You can either pour this straight into bowls from the food processor or transfer it to a saucepan and keep warm until you are ready to eat. I'm sure this soup would keep well in the fridge for a few days however I've never tried as it always disappears in one sitting in my house.

  

Optional Extras To make your soup more special why not try one or more of these optional extras. There's also nothing wrong with a chunk of crusty, buttered bread with this soup either, in fact you're missing out if you don't!

1. Drizzle with some smoked chilli and garlic oil such as this one from L'ail Olive with which I am currently obsessed. It's glorious.
2. Sage leaves gently fried in a little butter.
3. Crumbled feta/riccotta/cottage cheese with or without some chilli flakes.
4. Crumbled blue cheese.
5. Crispy fried bacon or pancetta.
6. Poached, shredded chicken.
7. Roasted pumpkin seeds.
8. Crispy fried onions.
9. Chunks of roasted squash.
10. Harissa paste swirl.

Let me know if you've got any other ideas for favourite pumpkin soup additions - I'm always looking for new inspirations.

tasty easy lamb kebabs

We've recently come back from a weekend camping trip and were lucky enough to have glorious weather the whole time. As the campsite provided fire pits with cooking grills I decided to make the most of it and cook up an outdoor feast of lamb kebabs and grilled veggies. I can't help thinking that I was inspired to cook lamb because I was in a field of sheep!

You can't beat the flavour you get in these kebabs if you are able to barbecue them but they can also be cooked at home in a ridged griddle pan. To make them in to a meal add your favourite combination of flat bread, grilled veg, aubergine puree, hummus, yogurt dressing and chili sauce (this one is my current favourite). YUM

Ingredients

400g lean lamb mince (you can use the full fat version but this still has more than enough fat in it)

2-4 tsp harissa paste

1 tsp dried mint (it really is much better than fresh in this recipe)

red chilli flakes (optional)

small onion, finely chopped or grated

salt & pepper

Skewers (if you are using wooden ones make sure they are soaked in water for at least 30 mins)

Makes 6-8 kebabs depending on size.

1. Preheat your griddle pan if cooking indoors or make sure you barbecue/fire is glowing hot and ready to cook on.
2. Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl, hands work best but use a spoon if you must.
3. Divide the mix into 6-8 portions in the bowl then take each portion and form into long sausage shapes around the skewers. You don't have to use the skewers but it does make it easier to turn the kebabs. If you don't use skewers feel free to shape the lamb however you wish.
4. Place the kebabs on the very hot grill/griddle pan and don't move them around or turn them until they are nicely browned and come away easily from the grill. Once they can be moved, rotate them so that they are cooked evenly. you want them to be nice a golden brown all round - not burnt.