Salmon Bulgar Risotto

This really does have a risotto like texture despite not being made anything like a risotto. It was also very tasty and felt like the flavours of summer in the middle of January!

Salmon Bulgar Risotto (from Beauty Bites)
(Serves 4)

4 tomatoes, chopped
4 salmon fillets, chopped
200g bulgar wheat
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tbsp oil
1 pepper, chopped
handful coriander, chopped
handful dill, chopped
handful green olives, chopped
1 tbsp capers

Bring a pan of water to the boil and cook the bulgar according to packet instructions. Drain.

Add the tomatoes to frying pan and heat over a medium-high heat for a few mins, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes start to fall apart and start looking like a sauce. Then add the bulgar and chopped salmon and mix together. If you need to, add some water.

After 3-4 mins cooking, stir in the garlic and oil. Cover and stir from time to time for another 3-4 mins. Turn off the heat and add the pepper, coriander, dill, olives and capers, cover and let sit for a few more mins on the warm stove. Serve.

Kisir

With some of the last of the tomatoes from the garden, I made kisir, which is a lovely Turkish grain salad. Really easy to make. I served it topped with a poached egg.

Kisir (from Amazing Grains by Ghillie James)
(Serves 4)

1 1/2 tbsp oil
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 red chilli, deseeded and chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tbsp tomato puree
200g bulgar wheat, rinsed
250ml boiling hot veg stock
4 tomatoes, diced
handful mint, torn
small bunch parsley, chopped
3 spring onions, finely chopped
juice 1 lemon
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
salt and pepper

Heat 1 1/2 tbsp oil in a medium pan and saute the onion, chilli and garlic for 3-4 mins. Stir in the cumin, then the tomato puree and cook for a min. Add the bulgar wheat and the boiling hot stock, then take the pan off the heat. Cover with a lid and leave it to sit until the bulgar has cooled, about 15 mins.

Fork the cooked grains to separate, then add the tomatoes, herbs and spring onions. Mix in the lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil and pomegranate molasses and season, stir to combine. Serve.

Salmon and Bulgar Pilaf Salad

I served this as a salad but I think the original recipe was meant to be eaten hot. Delicious!

Salmon and Bulgar Pilaf Salad (from BBC Food)
(Serves 4)

4 salmon fillets, boned and skinned
1 tbsp smoked paprika
250g bulgur wheat
85g frozen peas
200g runner beans, chopped
2 tbsp chopped chives
2 tbsp chopped parsley
salt and pepper
juice 1/2 lemon

Preheat the oven to 180C.

Sprinkle the smoked paprika over the salmon and cook in the oven for 12-15 mins, or until the salmon is cooked through.

Meanwhile, cook the bulgar wheat according to packet instructions. Add the beans for the last 5 mins of cooking time and the peas for the last 3 mins.

Flake the salmon and mix it into the bulgur wheat with the peas and beans. Add in the chives and parsley and squeeze over the lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Asparagus, Chard, Goat's Cheese and Bulgar Wheat Salad

Another easy summer salad. It makes full use of the beautiful British asparagus now in season. I love this time of year with the asparagus and the strawberries. 

Asparagus, Chard, Goat's Cheese and Bulgar Wheat Salad
(Serve 1)

50g bulgar wheat
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
4-5 asparagus spears, cut into 1 inch pieces
handful spinach or chard, chopped if large
juice 1/2 lemon
1 heaped tsp sunflower seeds
20g goat's cheese
salt and pepper

Bring a pan of water to the boil and add the bulgur wheat. Cook according to packet instructions. When cooked, drain, rinse under the cold tap and then drain again well.

Heat a little oil in a frying pan and cook the garlic for 30 secs. Add the asparagus and saute for 3-4 mins. Add spinach and cook until the spinach wilts.

Put the bulgar into a bowl and stir in the vegetables. Squeeze over the lemon juice, season and mix in the sunflower seeds. Transfer to a bowl or pack into a lunchbox and crumble over the goat's cheese.

Warm Pigeon Breast with Cracked Wheat Salad

This is a warm salad I remember from way back when I did my Leith's course 10 years ago. It was one of the demonstrations during the course and actually it's a very simple and yet very tasty dish to make. I made a double batch of the bulgar wheat salad and had the second half without the pigeon later in the week and it is a fab salad on it's own.

Warm Pigeon Breast with Cracked Wheat Salad (from Leiths Cookery Bible)
(Serves 4)

2 tbsp Chinese five spice powder
1 tbsp light soy sauce
8 pigeon breasts, skinned
310g bulgar wheat
2 tbsp oil
1/2 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
2.5cm piece ginger, peeled and grated
110g shiitake mushrooms, sliced
100g parma ham, sliced
140g plum jam
5 spring onions, sliced
55g sun-dried tomatoes, sliced
salt and pepper
lemon juice
30g pinenuts, toasted
1/2 cucumber, deseeded and finely chopped
2 tbsp oil
2 tbsp snipped chives

Mix together the five spice and soy sauce and coat the pigeon breasts on both sides. Put into a shallow dish, cover and leave to marinate for at least 30 mins or overnight in the fridge.

Bring a pan of water to the boil and cook the bulgar wheat according to the packet instructions. Drain thoroughly.

Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan, add the chilli, ginger, mushrooms and parma ham and stir-fry over a high heat for 2-3 mins. Add the jam, spring onions and sun-dried tomatoes and bring to the boil. Add the bulgar wheat and season to taste with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Heat thoroughly and stir in the pine nuts and cucumber. Keep warm.

Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the pigeon breasts and fry for 3 mins. Turn and cook for a further 2 mins until browned but pink inside.

Divide the bulgar wheat between 4 plates and top with the pigeon breasts. Sprinle with chives.

Beetroot and Bulgar Wheat Salad with Rose Petals

My Mum gave me some rose petals for Christmas and apart from putting them on cupcakes I wasn't sure what to do with them but a couple of weeks ago the Waitrose Weekend newsletter thing had 3 ideas for what to do with them. One was to put them with beetroot in a salad. I'm not sure I could really taste them but they were very pretty!

Beetroot and Bulgar Wheat Salad with Rose Petals (Adapted from Salad Days - Good Housekeeping)
(Serves 4)

2 red onions, each cut into eight wedges
2 medium beetroot, peeled and cut into wedges
cooking spray
200g bulgar wheat
200g edamame beans or peas
juice 1 lemon
100g feta cheese, crumbled
handful chopped mint
100g spinach leaves
salt and pepper
small handful rose petals

Preheat the oven to 200C. Put the onions and beetroot wedges on a baking tray, spray with cooking spray, season well and gently toss together. Roast for 25-30 mins.

Meanwhile bring a pan of water to the boil and cook the bulgar wheat according to packet instructions, adding the edamame or peas for the last 5 mins. Drain and then fluff with a fork. Stir in the lemon juice, feta and mint.

Put the spinach in the bottom of a lunchbox or bowl and top with the bulgar mixture and then the roasted veg, sprinkle over the rose petals and serve.

Jamie's 15 Minute Meals: Chilli Con Carne Meatballs

I think I forgot to stir the sauce properly for this recipe as I ended up with a watery layer on top and all the delicious tomato and peppers at the bottom, my fault though. Otherwise this is a really tasty meatball dish and I loved the bulgar with preserved lemon, really tangy. I served it with the first purple sprouting broccoli from my garden. Delicious!

Chilli Con Carne Meatballs (from Jamies 15 Minute Meals - Jamie Oliver)
(Serves 4)

Bulgar wheat

300g bulgar wheat

1 preserved lemon

1 cinnamon stick

Meatballs

400g lean beef mince

1 heaped tsp garam masala

1 tbsp oil

3 jarred red peppers

4 spring onions

1 tsp smoked paprika

700g passata

bunch of fresh coriander

1 x 400g tin of red kidney beans

pinch of cumin seeds

4 tsp fat free natural yoghurt

1 lime

Put 1 mug of bulgar wheat, 2 mugs of boiling water, the preserved lemon and the cinnamon stick into medium pan, stir it occasionally.

Scrunch the mince with salt and pepper. Divide the mixture into 4, then with wet hands quickly shape each piece into 4 balls, placing them into the frying pan as you roll them. Add the oil and toss regularly.

Blitz the peppers, half the trimmed spring onions, the paprika, passata, half the coriander and a pinch of salt and pepper in the liquidiser until smooth. Pour the mixture into another frying pan and turn the heat up to high.

Rinse and drain the beans, then add to the meatballs with the cumin seeds.

Transfer the meatballs straight into the pan of sauce leaving the beans behind. Finely slice the remaining trimmed spring onions. Stir the beans into the sauce.

Remove the cinnamon stick, then mash the lemon into the bulgar wheat and serve with the meatball sauce over it.

Add some yogurt and wedges of lime, scattered with the remaining spring onions and coriander leaves.

Minty Bulgar with Tuna and Lemon

This looks like a really simple salad but it turned out to be unexpectedly really tasty. Few ingredients but the tuna really works in this and brings out the flavour of everything else.

inty Bulgar with Tuna and Lemon
(Serves 4-6)

300g bulgar wheat
2 200 g tins of tuna in water, drained and flaked
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 red bell or pointed pepper, diced
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
handful of fresh mint leaves, chopped
1 lemon zest and juice

Bring a pan of water to the boil and cook according to packet instructions. Stir in the lemon zest and onion while still hot.

Then add the tuna, lemon juice, olive oil, mint and red pepper. Stir well, season to taste with salt and pepper. Leave to cool and pack into a lunchbox.

Jamie's 15 Minute Meals: Chicken Salad

This was a really yummy chicken salad, I loved all the textures and the dish was just really tasty.

Chicken Salad

(from Jamie's 15 Minute Meals)

(Serves 4)

1 head broccoli

4 small skinless chicken breasts
1 heaped tsp ground coriander
oil
300g bulgur wheat
2 preserved lemons
1 bunch radishes
2 spring onions
1/2 bunch fresh mint
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp sunflower seeds
4  tbsp fat-free natural yoghurt
2 tsp harissa
1 lemon

Fill the medium pan with boiling salted water. Trim the end off the broccoli stalk, then cut up the broccoli head and add to the pan, cover and boil for 4 minutes. On a large sheet of greaseproof paper, toss the chicken with salt, pepper and the ground coriander, then fold the paper over and bash and flatten to 1.5cm thick with a rolling pin. Put into the frying pan with 2 tbsp of olive oil, turning after 3 or 4 mins, until golden and cooked through.

With tongs, remove and drain the broccoli (leaving the pan of water on the heat), then place on the griddle until nicely charred. Add 1 mug of bulgur wheat and the preserved lemons to the broccoli water and cover, stirring occasionally. Halve or crush the radishes, trim and finely slice the spring onions and the top leafy half of the mint, then toss it all in a bowl with the extra virgin olive oil and vinegar, and season to taste.

Drain the bulgur wheat and tip into a large serving bowl, then mash and mix in the preserved lemons and arrange the broccoli on top. Toss the sunflower seeds in the chicken pan, then slice the chicken and add to the salad, scattering over the seeds and snipping over the cress. Serve dolloped with the yoghurt and drizzles of harissa, with lemon wedges on the side.

Kibbeh Tabbouleh

This was a really refreshing and tasty salad. It used mainly ingredients that I had in or that were in my cupboards, so a really handy clear out the cupboard dish.

 

Kibbeh Tabbouleh (from A Salad for All Seasons - Harry Eastwood)

(Serves 6)

250g quinoa or bulgar wheat

1 veg stock cube

4 tbsp oil

5 small aubergines, cubed

1kg large tomatoes, deseeded and diced

pinch salt

60g parsley, roughly chopped

2 red onions, diced

120g pine nuts

1 heaped tsp mixed spice

Cook the quinoa and/or bulgar wheat according to packet instructions, adding the stock cube to the water. One cooked, drain.

Heat half the oil in a large frying pan. When it's hot add half the aubergine cubes and cook until golden on all sides, about 8 mins. Once cooked, remove and add the other half of the oil and aubergine. Set aside.

Mix together the quinoa/bulgar, tomatoes and aubergine with the rest of the ingredients. Toss to combine and serve.

Seared Chicken Salad with Mint Yoghurt Dressing

This makes a really lovely fresh tasty summer salad. I was a bit worried about putting the peppers in boiling water but it was absolutely fine.

Seared Chicken with Mint Yoghurt Dressing (from WeightWatchers Weekly)
(Serves 2)
(9 WW ProPoints per serving)

75g bulgar wheat
½ tsp vegetable stock powder or ½ stock cube
300g skinless boneless chicken breast, cut into 1cm (½ inch) wide strips
50g frozen peas
50g sugar snap peas, sliced diagonally
½ red pepper, de-seeded and cut into thin strips
2 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp ground coriander
cooking spray
2 spring onions, sliced
salt and pepper

For the dressing:
small handful mint leaves, finely chopped
75g 0% fat Greek yogurt
Juice ½ a lime
½ tsp cumin seeds

Bring a pan of water to a boil, add the stock and bulgar wheat. Cook according to packet instructions, adding the peas, sugar snaps and pepper for the last 3 mins. Drain, run under the cold tap and then drain again well.

Meanwhile, mix together the dressing ingredients.

Sprinkle the chicken with the thyme and coriander. Season then turn until evenly coated. Heat a griddle pan or frying pan over a high heat. Spray the chicken with the cooking spray. Cook over a medium-high heat for 6 mins, turning once, until cooked through and golden.

To serve, divide the bulgar wheat between two  bowls then top with the peas, sugar snap peas, red pepper, spring onion and chicken. Spoon over the dressing and serve.

Pomegranate Molasses Salmon with Bulgar Wheat

This is a really simple recipe that I made up off the top my head with the stuff I had in the house. It works perfectly together. It was the first time I had tried pomegranate molasses but now I'm addicted!

Pomegranate Molasses Salmon with Bulgar Wheat
(Serves 1)

1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
juice 1/2 orange
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 salmon fillet

60g bulgar wheat
1/2 pepper, chopped
1/2 small fennel bulb, chopped
1 spring onion, chopped
5 cherry tomatoes, halved

Put the pomegranate molasses, orange juice and garlic into a bowl or zippy bag. Add the salmon and make sure that the marinade is covering the salmon and then leave for 30 mins.

Preheat the oven to 200C.

Bring a pan of water to the boil and cook the bulgar wheat according to packet instructions.

Meanwhile, put then salmon into the oven and bake for 12-15 mins.

Heat a little oil in a frying pan and cook the fennel and peppers for about 5 mins until starting to soften. Add in the cherry tomatoes and spring onions and cook for another couple of mins.

When the bulgar wheat is cooked, add to the veg mixture and stir well to combine. Transfer to a plate or bowl and top with the salmon. Serve.

Smoked Trout and Bulgar Salad

This was a lovely and fresh tasting barley salad. Just be careful when you drain the barley for the second time that you drain thoroughly and maybe leave for a bit to dry and I ended up with a little water in the bottom of my box.

Smoked Trout and Bulgar Salad (from Good Food Magazine August 2005)
(Serves 2)

100g bulgar wheat

juice 1/2 lemon

2 garlic cloves, crushed

4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 tomato, halved, deseeded and diced

4 spring onions, finely sliced

20g parsley, leaves roughly chopped

handful fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped

2 smoked trout fillets

2 tbsp Greek yogurt

1 tsp chopped dill

Cook bulgar wheat according to pack instructions, and leave to cool. Make a dressing: whisk the lemon juice, garlic and olive oil together and season to taste.

Tip the bulgar wheat into a bowl, add the tomatoes, spring onions, parsley and mint. Pour the dressing in and stir to combine. Flake the trout into chunks –discarding skin and bone. Gently fold into the salad.

Mix the yogurt and dill together in a small bowl, adding enough water to give the consistency of pouring cream. Season to taste and serve alongside the salad to drizzle on top.

Smoked Mackerel Bulgar Salad

This was a clean out the fridge job, using last bits of things I had leftover, but it turned into a really lovely and healthy lunch!

Smoked Mackerel Bulgar Salad
(Serves 1)

60g bulgar wheat
1/2 carrot, grated
1/2 courgette, grated
4 stalks tenderstem broccoli, cut into inch long pieces
1 tbsp olive oil
squeeze lemon juice
salt and pepper
1 tbsp pine nuts, toasted
1 smoked mackerel fillet, skin removed

Bring a pan of water to the boil and cook the bulgar wheat according to packet instructions, adding the broccoli for the last 3-4 mins. Drain and then run under the cold tap. Drain again.

Combine the bulgar, broccoli, carrot and courgette in a bowl or lunchbox. Drizzle over the olive oil and lemon juice and season. Mix well to combine.

Flake the smoked mackerel into chunks and put it on top of the bulgar. Sprinkle over the pine nuts and serve.

Asian Salmon and Bulgar Salad

This is a weird combination but it really works. I sometimes end up with strange things to eat when I'm trying to use stuff up and I need whole grains, this was perfect.


















Asian Salmon and Bulgar Salad
(Serves 4)

3 tbsp plus 2 tsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp sherry vinegar
1 tsp Thai curry paste
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp Dijon mustard
salt and pepper
200g bulgar wheat
50g sugar snap peas, halved
4 salmon fillets
1 bunch of watercress, large stems discarded
50g bean sprouts
160g enoki mushrooms
1 tbsp chopped mint
1 tbsp chopped coriander

Preheat the oven to 200C. In a small bowl, mix 3 tbsp of the oil with the vinegar, curry paste, soy sauce and mustard and season with salt and pepper.

Bring a pan of water to the boil and cook the bulgar wheat according to packet instructions. adding the peas for the last 2-3 mins. Drain and leave to cool.

Bake the salmon for about 8-10 mins depending on the thickness of your fillet. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

Put the rest of the oil into a frying pan and cook the mushrooms for about 5 mins until soft,. add the bean sprouts and cook for 1 min more.

In a large bowl, toss the bulgar, watercress, mushrooms bean sprouts, mint and cilantro together. Add 5 tbsp of the dressing and toss to coat. Mound the salad on plates and top with the salmon. Dab the remaining dressing on the salmon and serve.

Bulgar with Balsamic Roasted Vegetables and Goat’s Cheese

This was so good. Really really flavourful and I loved that I finally got to eat roasted veg hot rather than having them cold in salads all the time at work. It was the perfect thing to eat on a lovely summers day but would also be lovely and warming in winter.

Bulgar with Balsamic Roasted Vegetables and Goat’s Cheese
(adapted from Olive Magazine November 2011)
(Serves 2)

1 beetroot, peeled and quartered

250g carrots, cut into batons

2 red onions, thickly sliced

2 courgettes, cut into thin batons

5 tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp golden caster sugar

2 tbsp olive oil

150g bulgar wheat

handful mixed seeds, toasted

100g goat's cheese, crumbled

basil leaves, a few to serve

Heat the oven to 190C.

Put the beetroot onto a baking tray/roasting tin covered with greaseproof paper. Spray with cooking spray and cook for 45 mins.

Spread the rest of the vegetables out in a single layer in a large shallow roasting tin. Mix the vinegar, sugar and olive oil. Pour over the veg and season well. Roast for 25 minutes until golden, stirring a couple of times.

Prepare the bulgar following the pack instructions. Drain well and put in a bowl.

Tip the veg and all of their juices in with the bulgar. Sprinkle the nuts over. Toss everything together then serve with the goat’s cheese and basil leaves scattered over the top.

Bulgar Wheat, Lentil and Feta Salad

I put way too many lentils into this. I didn't have any canned lentils but had a packet of dried green lentils and just poured some into the saucepan, it was far too many! So I made the best of it and used half of what I cooked, which was still so many that I couldn't finish it. The dish however was fairly tasty and it made a very easy take to work lunch.

Bulgar Wheat, Lentil and Feta Salad (adapted from Good Food Magazine July 2009)
(Serves 4)

200g bulgar wheat
1 tsp olive oil
1 shallot or ½ onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp tarragon, roughly chopped
400g can Puy or green lentils, rinsed and drained
¼ cucumber, diced
100g feta cheese, crumbled
6 spring onions, thinly sliced
zest and juice 1 orange
1 tbsp red or white wine vinegar

Cook the bulgar wheat according to packet instructions, drain well, then set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a small pan, then cook the shallot or onion for a few mins until softened. Add the tarragon, stir well, then remove from the heat.

Stir the softened shallot and tarragon into the cooled bulgar wheat along with the lentils, cucumber, feta, spring onions, orange zest and juice and vinegar. Toss together well and pack into your lunch box.

Grilled Turkey with Bulgar Wheat Greek Salad

The original recipe for this uses chicken but when I checked what meat I had got out of the freezer it was in fact turkey. It's the same thing really! So I used the turkey instead and it was lovely, it didn't dry out at all and the addition of both the turkey and the bulgar to a Greek salad was delicious.

Grilled Turkey with Bulgar Wheat Greek Salad
(adapted from Good Food Magazine June 2012)
(Serves 4)

225g bulgar wheat
25g butter
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp garlic powder
4 turkey steaks
1½ tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
300g tomatoes, roughly chopped
handful pitted black olives
1 red onion, finely sliced
100g feta cheese, crumbled
small bunch mint leaves, chopped
juice and zest ½ lemon

Preheat the grill.

Cook the bulgar wheat following the pack instructions, then rinse in cold water and drain thoroughly.

Toss the turkey steaks in 2 tsp of the olive oil with the chilli powder, garlic powder and some seasoning. Lay in a hot griddle pan and cook for 7-8 mins each side or until cooked through.

Next, tip the tomatoes, olives, onion, feta and mint into a bowl. Toss in the cooked bulgar wheat. Stir through the remaining olive oil, lemon juice and zest, and season well. Serve with the turkey on top.

Vegetarian Christmas Burgers

I realise it is a little late to be posting Christmas recipes at the end of January but I did make these after Christmas, froze a bunch and then had one last week. It was again a good way of using up that leftover uncooked veg from Christmas. The original recipe used cranberries but I didn't have any, what I did have in abundance though is frozen sweetcorn so I added that instead, making the burger feel a bit more summerish maybe?! I served it with cheese, tomato chutney and lettuce in a wholemeal bun.

I also quickly want to say that I love Shaheen's blog, Allotment2Kitchen, where this recipe came from. Although I am not vegan and not even vegetarian I have found so many recipes that I want to make!

Vegetarian Christmas Burgers (adapted from Allotment2Kitchen)
Makes 8 burgers

100g bulgar wheat
1 medium parsnips, grated
1 medium carrot, grated
4 raw Brussels sprouts, grated
1 medium onion, grated
200g chickpea flour
40g sweetcorn, cooked
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Cook the bulgar wheat according to the packet instructions. When cooked, leave to cool.

Put the grated vegetables into a large bowl, stir in the flour, sweetcorn, sage and season to taste. When the bulgar wheat has cooled down add it to the bowl. 

Divide the mixture into 6 – 8 burger shapes and place on a tray. Leave to rest for a while to firm up.

Heat the oven to 200C and place the burgers spread out on a baking sheet. Bake for 30 mins until they look set and cooked but aren't too brown. They are then perfect for freezing at this point.

When ready to eat, defrost the burgers thoroughly and heat some oil in a wide frying pan. Cook the burgers gently for about 3-4 mins on each side until brown and crisp. Serve immediately.

Christmas Eve Fish Tagine

We have a tradition of always having fish on Christmas Eve and every year my Mum and I try and think of a dish that will be really tasty and please everyone, no mean feat! This year I volunteered for the job. I don't often cook for more than one or two people on a regular basis so it's nice every so often to try and cook for a few more, this time it was six and I chose something very simple and quick to make, a lovely fish tagine full of Moroccan flavours. It was inspired by this Festive Fish Tagine at Lavender and Lovage but as I couldn't use tomatoes I made it my own. Annoyingly my fish broke up during the cooking but it was delicious nonetheless and everyone went back for seconds.

I served it with mint, parsley and lemon bulgar wheat and flat breads.

Christmas Eve Fish Tagine
(Serves 6)

1 onion, peeled and diced
1 red, 1 yellow pepper, deseeded and cut into chunks

2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

600-700g tilapia fillets, cut into chunks

flour to coat the fish

2 1/2 tsp Ras-el-Hanout

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

salt and pepper

2 preserved lemon, finely diced

750ml fish stock

11/2 tsp harissa paste

3 tbsp natural yoghurt

12 green olives, pitted

 

Heat some oil in a large casserole dish and add the onion and peppers, fry over gentle heat for 5 minutes and then add the garlic and cook for a further 2 to 3 minutes.

Coat the tilapia pieces in flour and add to the cooked onions and garlic; stirring well, fry for 3 to 4 minutes before adding the spices, salt and pepper, stock, chopped preserved lemon, harissa and yoghurt. Stir well, turn the heat down and simmer, covered for 10 minutes.

Take the lid off the tagine, add the olives and heat for a further 2 minutes, before serving.