Tagine of Pumpkin and Chickpeas

My mother claimed that she had "scoured the internet" for tagine recipes and had come up with only three recipes. So, that meant there was a challenge to find as many recipes as I could for her. In the process, I came across a few vegan and vegetarian recipes that sounded interesting. Here is the first of many!

This dish is very aromatic and beautifully sweet.

Definition courtesy of Wikipedia:

"A tagine or tajine (pronounced /tɑːˈʒiːn/; Arabic: طاجين, pronounced [tˁaːdʒiːn]) is a type of dish found in the North African cuisines of Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia, which is named after the special pot in which it is cooked. The traditional tagine pot is formed entirely of a heavy clay which is sometimes painted or glazed. It consists of two parts; a base unit which is flat and circular with low sides, and a large cone or dome-shaped cover that rests inside the base during cooking. The cover is so designed to promote the return of all condensation to the bottom. With the cover removed, the base can be taken to the table for serving."

Tagine of Pumpkin and Chickpeas

Ingredients:

1 cup chickpeas, soaked overnight *
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter **
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, sliced
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
1 cinnamon stick
1/4 tsp dried chilli flakes
1/4 tsp saffron threads, steeped in 100ml hot water
500g pumpkin, peeled and cut into large pieces
2 waxy potatoes, peeled and cut in half
half a 400g tin tomatoes
2 zucchini, sliced
1/2 a preserved lemon, chopped
cooked cous cous or rice, to serve
1/2 cup plain yoghurt (not sweetened) ***
1/2 cup coriander leaves

Method:

1. Put the chickpeas in a pot with plenty of cold water and boil for 30 minutes. Drain.

2. In a large pot, heat the oil and butter and cook the onion and garlic until soft and lightly golden. Add the spices (except saffron), cook for a couple of minutes, then add the partially cooked chickpeas, saffron, pumpkin, potatoes, tomatoes and just enough water to cover. Season with salt and simmer gently until the potatoes are almost soft (about 30-40 minutes).

3. Add the zucchini and preserved lemon and cook for 5 more minutes or until the potatoes and pumpkin are soft (but not mushy).

4. Serve with cous cous or rice and a dollop of yoghurt and some freshly chopped coriander.

Notes:

* You may use 1-2 cans of tinned chickpeas instead if you do not have the time or inclination to soak and cook your own. If this is the case, omit step one.

** Vegans should use a vegan margarine such as Nuttlex

*** Vegans may use unflavoured vegan yoghurt or products such as the "Better than Sour Cream" or "Better than Cream Cheese" by Tofutti

Source: http://www.cuisine.com.au/recipe/tagine-of-pumpkin-and-chickpeas

Serves: 6
Rating:

Vegetable Triangles

Great for disguising vegetables from those who claim not to like them! This recipe should make approximately 20 triangles.

Vegetable Triangles

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp oil
1 cup cooked, mashed sweet potato
1/2 cup cooked, mashed pumpkin
1 potato, diced small, and boiled till tender
1/2 cup spinach, steamed with all liquid drained out
1 cup tomatoes, diced
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 free range egg
1 onion
6 sheets Filo pastry

Method:

1. Combine oil with the next five ingredients and simmer for 5 minutes until onion and tomatoes are tender.

2. Blend ricotta and egg together and slowly add to vegetable mix.

3. Simmer for 5 minutes, then take off heat. (You can now freeze the mixture if you are not ready to use straight away).

4. Arrange filo pastry into strips and place a tablespoon of mixture into the corner and fold the pastry onto itself to form triangles.

5. Bake in oven until the filo pastry browns.

Serves: 4

Rating: 4

"Potatoes Deluxe"

Just something else you can do with potatoes. You can serve it at a dinner party or BBQ and it will be a hit. It makes a great side dish.

"Potatoes Deluxe"

Ingredients:

500g potatoes, peeled and halved
400g sweet potatoes, peeled and cut same as potatoes
200g pumpkin, peeled and cut same as potatoes
1 tbsp oil
30g butter
1-2 large onions, sliced thinly
1-2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 Tbsp wholegrain mustard
1 Tbsp honey
2 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
200g Australian fetta, cut into cubes
salt and pepper

Method:

1. Boil potatoes, sweet potatoes and pumpkin pieces until JUST soft.

2. Fry the onions in the oil and butter until just soft, add the garlic and fry another minute.

3. Add the cooked vegetables, mustard, honey and rosemary, tossing until heated through.

4. Add the fetta and stir fry another couple of minutes, then season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serves: 4+

Rating: 4

The Best Potato Salad Recipe Ever

The exact quantities for this recipe are a bit difficult to say as it depends on your tastes. You can always add more or less.

BUT, what is not difficult to say is that you'll love this recipe!

The Best Potato Salad Recipe Ever

Ingredients:

1.5kg Waxy Potatoes (Kipfler & Dutch Cream are great) roughly chopped
4-5 free range eggs
4 Tbsp mayonnaise
4 Tbsp light sour cream
Small bunch of shallots (spring onions), chopped
Sea salt flakes
Fresh dill (optional), roughly chopped
pinenuts (lightly toasted)

Method:

1. Cover the potatoes with cold water, adding 1/2 teaspoon of the salt to the water. Bring to the boil and cook just until tender. Drain and allow to cool. Place in a large bowl.

2. Boil eggs until hard (about 3 mins), remove shell and cut in quarters.

3. Lightly toast the pinenuts in a little oil (be careful not to burn them), drain and set aside to cool.

4. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, cooled pinenuts and fresh dill. Mix well, and pour over cooled potatoes. DO NOT POUR OVER HOT POTATOES. Toss gently, then add egg and shallots and ensure mixed through lightly.

5. Chill for several hours or overnight before serving.

NOTE: this recipe tastes even better the day after!

Variation: You can add a little whole-seed mustard to the sauce, if you'd like to vary the taste. Also, this salad tastes amazing if you add a little sweet potato in place of some of the potato.

Serves: 4+

Rating: 5!!

Herbed Gnocchi

This dish is definitely worth the time taken to make it!

Herbed Gnocchi

Ingredients:

4 Potatoes peeled & boiled
1/2 cup Finely chopped fresh parsley (or any you like, really)
1 1/2 cups Plain flour
1 cup Plain flour (extra) for kneading
750g Jap pumpkin
1/2 cup Cream
1/4 tsp Nutmeg
Salt & white pepper
1/4 cup Grated parmesan

Method:

1. Drain potatoes and return to pan, mash then transfer to a bowl

2. Add parsley & flour to potatoes & mix with hand suntil well combined. Put mixture on a well floured surface, then knead gently on a well floured surface until dough is smooth & slightly sticky. Roll into 3cm thick tubes & using a flat edge knife cut into 2cm pieces. Stand for 20 min before cooking

3. Cut pumpkin into pieces. Boil until soft. Drain & mash, add cream, nutmeg, salt & pepper.

4. Preheat oven 180c Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Drop gnocchi (about 12 at a time) into the pan. When they float to top of water remove from pan with slotted spoon. Place in a large casserole dish pour over pumpkin sauce, top with cheese and bake 15-20 mins

Serves: 4

Rating: 4

Lentil Cottage Pie

This recipe is DELICIOUS! It's great to take to work as it reheats well, and you can even cook it in individual rammikins if you wish. Definitely goes down well.

Lentil Cottage Pie:

Ingredients:

800g medium new potatoes, quartered
40g butter
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1 medium brown onion, chopped finely
2 cloves of garlic, crushed (or to taste)
415g can crushed tomatoes
1 cup vegetable stock
1 cup water
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1/3 cup dry red wine
2/3 cup red lentils
1 medium carrot, chopped finely
1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Method:

1. Preheat oven to hot (220-230*C)

2. Boil or steam potato until tender, and drain. Mash in large bown with half of the butter and the parmesan cheese.

3. Melt remaining butter in medium deep frying pan and cook onion and garlic, stirring until onion softens. Add undrained tomatoes, stock, the water, paste, wine, lentils and carrot. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 15 mins, stirring occasionally.

4. Add peas and parsley and cook, uncovered, for 5 mins. Spoon lentil mixture into shallow 1 litre ovenproof dish (or individual rammikins, as discussed above).

5. Spread potato mash on top. Bake, uncovered, in hot oven for 20 mins. Stand the pie for 10 mins before serving.

Variation:

Also tastes great with sweet potato or pumpkin mash, instead of the potato mash.

Serves: 4

Rating: 5!

Leek and Potato Soup

An old favourite

Leek and Potato Soup:

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
4 small leeks (800g), sliced thinly
4 medium potatoes (800g), chopped coarsely
2 litres vegetable stock
2 shallots, sliced thinly

Method:

1. Heat oil in large saucepan; cook garlic, thyme and leek, stirring, about 3 minutes or until leek softens. Add potato and stock; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer, covered, about 15 minutes or until potato is tender.

2. Blend or process leek mixture until smooth

3. Reheat soup; serve soup topped with onion


Serves: 4

Rating: 4