This is an unusual way to serve carrots. Not a main dish, but great with roast chicken or fish. It’s sweet, sharp flavour is delicious.

RECIPE:

INGREDIENTS:
500g carrots (thinly sliced)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup good quality red wine vinegar
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh flat leaf parsely (chopped)
2 cloves garlic (crushed)
salt & pepper

DIRECTIONS:
Cook the carrots in 2 cups water until tender. Be careful not to overcook. Drain, and set aside to cool.
Whisk the cumin, vinegar, oil, parsley, garlic, salt & pepper. Add the cooled carrots and combine well. Cover and set aside for 1 hour to develop the flavours.

SERVING:
As a side dish to roast meat or fish. Also can be great as a part of a meze presentation.

A Moroccan themed dinner tonight.This was easy and very satisfying. The marinade contains harissa, a paste made from chillies which originates from Tunisian cuisine but also widely used in Morocco and Algeria. You can buy shop bought Harissa pretty easily these days. The whole dish has a bit of a kick which, in my opinion, is good any night of the week. This serves 2.

RECIPE:

INGREDIENTS:

LAMB AND MARINADE
INGREDIENTS:
4 lamb chops/steaks
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons harissa paste
2 garlic cloves (crushed)
juice of 1/4 lemon
2 tablespoons fresh mint (chopped roughly)
salt & pepper

DIRECTIONS:
Combine all the marinade ingredients and coat the lamb chops in it. Leave in a covered bowl, in the fridge for 1 1/2 hours or overnight.
To cook, remove from marinade, season with salt & pepper and depending on the thickness of the meat, place under hot grill for 7-8 minutes per side until slightly crispy on the outside but pink and juicy inside.

SPICED MASH
INGREDIENTS:
225g potatoes (peeled and cut into medium chunks)
350g parsnips (peeled and cut into medium chunks)
3 tablespoons cream
50g butter
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
25ml milk
salt

DIRECTIONS:
Boil the potatoes and the parsnips in separate pans until tender, then drain. Mash the potatoes then puree the parsnips with the cream. In another pan, heat the butter until it bubbles. Add the spices and stir for about 20 seconds. Now add the potatoes and the parsnips and stir in well to combine everything. Add the milk and stir again. Remove from the heat, add salt to your taste and put the lid on.

ONIONS
INGREDIENTS:
1 onion (finely sliced)
butter
olive oil
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon harissa paste
lemon juice
1 tablespoon fresh coriander (chopped)

DIRECTIONS:
Heat a knob of butter and a small drizzle of olive oil in a pan over a medium heat until melted. Add the onions and fry for 5 minutes until golden. Turn up the heat to high and let some of the onions crispen. Reduce heat again and add the cinnamon, harissa, a squeeze of lemon juice and coriander and stir in well for about a minute. Remove from heat.

SERVING:
2 pieces of lamb with some mash on the side with the onions sprinkled over the mash.