Tunisian Menu Recipe 2:Veggies with Harissa & Lemon Garlic Yogurt Sauce

My leftovers for lunch that were the inspiration for this series of posts

Kate, 
So now that you have made the harissa, you are going to want to use it.  I'm just learning how but I love it on eggs and veggies, especially cauliflower and carrots. The inspiration for this recipe is from the July/August edibleSEATTLE magazine and calls for grilling carrots.  I found grilling makes the carrots prettier but if you are in a hurry and or you live someplace where you aren't allowed to grill (like you do), roasting or broiling at a high temperature in your oven works just fine...and I think cauliflower is awesome - or how about a mixture of cauliflower and carrots...just cook them on separate baking sheets so that the cauliflower doesn't get over cooked.


Carrots (and/or Cauliflower)with Harissa & Lemon Garlic Yogurt 
serves 4 about 30 minutes to make

1/2 cup plain whole milk Greek yogurt
zest and juice of  1/2 lemon 
1 medium garlic clove, finely chopped
salt
6 large organic carrots; quartered and cut into about 4 inch lengths
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon harissa

In a small bowl mix together the  yogurt, lemon zest, juice, garlic and salt to taste. Set aside.

In a bowl toss the carrots with the olive oil and season with salt.
Place the carrots on a baking sheet and roast in a 450 degree oven until tender crisp and starting to brown- about 10 minutes, turn the carrots at least once during cooking.

Transfer carrots to a bowl and mix in the harissa until the carrots are coated. Serve warm with the yogurt sauce on the side.  

 

Tunisia Menu Item 1: Harissa

Kate, 

Yesterday I had leftovers for lunch: short ribs, lemon couscous, roasted carrots, and flat bread. I wish I had taken a picture when the table was set and the serving dishes were piled high..but I didn't. Instead, while sitting at work enjoying this meal for the second time in two days I thought to snap this photo. 

LUNCH!

All the food was North African in origin, mostly from Tunisia. I can't describe the flavors: a sweet, savory, spicy, fruity combination that made the house smell amazing!

Since I enjoyed this meal so much I thought I would share the recipes for the entire menu with you over my next few posts. 

The first thing is the Harissa. It's THE condiment of Tunisia. You might be able to buy this but we (actually your father with help from your eldest while she was visiting last month) made this recipe by Deborah Madison.  This recipe is pretty mild but, as I understand it, this stuff can be pretty hot.  I read that Tunisian husbands believe their wives no longer love them when the food (flavored by Harissa) begins tasting bland.  Hum.  Don't think I'll comment on that! 

Use Harissa on scrambled eggs (oh my!) or some feta cheese, or mix it into roasted veggies (more on that in another post).  Your going to love it! Directions for making it in a food processor or by hand follow (I vote for the food processor!)

Our homemade Harissa on the embarrassingly crowded top shelf of our refrigerator

 Harissa

12 dried red new Mexican chiles

3 guajillo chiles 

4 plump garlic cloves coarsely chopped

salt

1 tablespoon caraway seeds

1 1/2 tsp coriander seeds

1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1 Tbl olive oil plus extra for storing

cayenne - optional

Wipe off the chiles with a damp cloth, break off the stems, shake out as many seeds as possible and pull out any large veins. WEAR GLOVES! Discard any gray or yellowed areas of the skin because they might taste moldy. Tear the chiles into pieces, put in bowl and cover with boiling water and let stand for at least 30 minutes. Remove from bowl (save the water) and snip into smaller pieces with scissors. 

In a food processor grind the chilies with the garlic, 1/2 tsp salt, caraway, coriander, cumin, and oil until a smooth paste forms. Add a little of the chile soaking water to loosen the mixture.  If you want more heat add cayenne to taste. 

You can also do this by hand with a mortar and pestle but it will take some work!  Make a paste by pounding the garlic and salt together, add the non chile ingredients and mix until you have a paste. Then add the chile that you snipped into small pieces with scissors and pound until the paste is as smooth as you can get it. 

Pack into a clean jar and cover the surface with more oil and refrigerate.  

Orange Squash Soup - Christmas 2011

I love cooking a traditional standing rib roast dinner for Christmas. Homemade dinner rolls, gravy, lots of veggies. Thinking about this meal makes me happy! But this year I  switched it up. My middle daughter, Pooh, came home from her four months in Africa a confirmed vegetarian.  Truth be told, she was a vegetarian before she left - I just didn’t believe it would stick.  After all, she  loves those darn Yorkshire puddings.  

I decided on three French dishes (one meat and two veggie) so that everyone would have something.   I was able to make 2 of the 3 dishes in advance which made Christmas entertaining more relaxing for me!

If you have the Julia Child’s books “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” volumes 1 & 2 you can look up these recipes.  If you don’t, give me a shout.

What you won’t find in either of Julia’s books is the starter soup we had.  Pooh requested that the meal begin with a squash soup.  So I made Orange Squash Soup from Lorna Sass’s cookbook called “Recipes from an Ecological Kitchen”, which I think is now out of print.  It’s a vegan cookbook that carnivores like me love.

Here’s the recipe for the Orange Squash Soup
Serves 4-6

2 ½ pounds butternut, kabocha, or delicate squash, scrubbed, seeded, and cut into ½ inch chunks
1 small onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 cups water
1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
¼ cup old-fashioned oatmeal (rolled oats)
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1 tablespoon finely minced or grated orange peel
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground coriander seeds
½ teaspoon sea salt (or to taste)
1 to 2 tablespoons maple syrup
Garnish: toasted pumpkin seeds and or diced cilantro

Place all ingredients in large pot (except maple syrup and garnish). Bring to a boil, reduce heat  and simmer, covered, until the squash is very soft, about 25 minutes.  Puree the soup in a blender (for a smoother texture), food mill, or food processor.  Return soup to pot to rewarm.Thin slightly with water or orange juice, if necessary. Garnish with toasted pumpkin seeds and/or cilantro.

The rest of Christmas dinner 2011:
Boeuf Bourguignon (Beef stew in red wine, with bacon, onions, and mushrooms)
Pommes Duchess (Mashed potato with lots of egg yolks....oh my!!!)
Gratin de Brocoli (Chopped Broccoli Gratin with cheese sauce) This is NOT what your mom  made in the 1970’s!
Carrots a La Concierge (Casserole of creamed carrots with onions and garlic).
French Bread and....for my husband
Sauerkraut and wieners - after all, variety is the spice of life!