Tag: middle eastern

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  How Do I Use Za’atar?

  Popular in Middle Eastern and eastern Mediterranean regions this spice blend adds a fragrant  earthy flavour to your dishes. 

  Regional variants abound but most blends contain the herbs oragano, savoury, thyme and majoram mixed with spices and seasame seeds. Common spices are cumin, coriander seeds and fennel seeds.

  

  I mostly use this spice mixture as a dry rub on white fish, chicken, beef and lamb. Try mixing it with sumac and coating some lamb chops, it is a visual and aromatic treat. 

  Za’atar mixed with olive oil makes an awesome dip or spread for turkish bread and the like. 

  Here are some serving suggestions.

  Lamb chops with a sumac crust:

  

  Za’atar dusted chicken breasts:

  

  Beef top-side roast coated in za’atar, salt and pepper:

  

  Enjoy,

  PK

  Here are more herbs, spices and ingredients posts. 

  Written by

  PK

  ·

  August 22, 2021

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  Hyssop

  An annual herb that if you like it you will have to grow it yourself. Most places don’t sell it fresh and you are missing out if you can even get it dried.

  It is very easy to grow and I keep it trimmed down to a 15cm box as it is vigorous vertically. It is at home in European, Middle-eastern and Indian cuisine but you don’t need to use a lot.

  Taste/Aroma:

  Hyssop has a bitter taste with hints of citrus, mint and rosemary. It pairs well with other “Mediterranean herbs” such as rosemary and it compliments tomato dishes well. Indeed I use it as I would those herbs in salads, pasta, soups, curries etc.

  Flower:

  Leaves:

   

  Planting/Care:

  Please see the link at the bottom of the page for when to grow this plant in my Grow It Perth calendar.

  Best in full sun and it requires little water making it perfect for Perth conditions.

  Related Links:

  • go to all meal ingredients here
  • go the Grow It Perth calendar

  Written by

  PK

  ·

  October 6, 2017

• 

  PK’s Shakshuka For One

  After recently being introduced to this amazing dish by ShakShukaMoroccan (these guys are super friendly and they bring skill and passion to their work) at the Palmyra Markets (Western Australia), I have dreamt about it ever since. I present my first attempt in the hope you get addicted too :).

  There is something captivating about this ‘eat any time of the day’ dish because the list of ingredients is so simple but the end result makes your draw drop and your senses swim. I intend to chop and change some of the ingredients depending on what I have in the back of the fridge but the core is lots of tomatoes, onion, capsicum, cumin, leafy greens and poached eggs.

  

  You will be:

  1. Preparing your ingredients.
  2. Stewing the tomato base.
  3. Poaching the eggs.
  4. Serving.

  You will need:

  • Ingredients:
    • a punnet of cherry tomatoes, sliced
    • half a brown onion, thinly sliced
    • half a capsicum (bell pepper), sliced
    • 1 -2 garlic cloves, finely diced
    • 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, ground
    • 1/2 tsp coriander seeds, ground
    • a generous dash of dried paprika, ground
    • a handful of spinach
    • a good slug of olive oil
    • a really good slug of tomato paste
    • black peppercorns to taste, cracked
    • table salt to taste
    • chili powder to taste
    • coriander leaves to garnish (mint leaves are also good)
  •  Equipment:
    • a long sharp knife
    • a chopping board
    • a dry mixer or a mortar and pestle
    • a cast iron skillet (mine was 21cm wide) or heavy pan
    • a wooden spoon

  Preparing your ingredients

  1. Roughly slice the punnet of cherry tomatoes.
  2. Finely slice or chop the half a brown onion.
  3. Slice the half a capsicum (use more if you prefer).
  4. Finely dice the 1 -2 garlic cloves.
  5. Roast and the grind the:
     • 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
     • 1/2 tsp coriander seeds
  6. Wash the handful of spinach.
  7. Wash the coriander leaves and rip them up some.

  Stewing the tomato base

  1. Bring your skillet to medium to low heat and add a good slug of olive oil.
  2. Add the sliced onion, the ground cumin seeds, ground coriander seeds and a generous dash of ground paprika.
  3. Cook until the onions have started to soften and add the sliced half a capsicum.
  4. When the capsicum slices are starting to soften add the punnet of sliced cherry tomatoes and the handful of spinach leaves.

  

  

  

   Poaching the eggs

  1. Once you are happy with the tomato stew turn the heat right down.
  2. Make a couple of indentations in the stew with your wooden spoon.
  3. Crack an egg into each indent and keep cooking until the eggs are how you like them. You can put a plate over the skillet if you like the top of your eggs cooked.

  

  

  Serving

  Garnish with some ripped coriander leaves or mint and serve piping hot and still in the skillet.

  I couldn’t wait and started eating it while it was still on the hob :).

  Enjoy,

  PK

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  Written by

  PK

  ·

  June 15, 2017