Most recipes from this part of the Mediterranean involve onions and/or garlic. My grandmother would only cook with one or the other in a dish; she would always say it was not correct to use both in the same dish. The following are very simple but tasty recipes that use onion rather than garlic:
Green Beans and Tomatoes
· 1kg Runner beans or wide French beans
· 2 large onions
· 1 tin chopped tomatoes or 500g fresh tomatoes skinned chopped and deseeded
· 2 – 3 tbsp sunflower oil
· Salt and freshly ground black pepper
· 2 -3 bay leaves
String the beans and cut into 5 cm lengths
Peel and chop onions coarsely
Add oil to medium saucepan
Place beans, onions, tomatoes, salt, pepper and bay leaves into the pan
Bring to the boil and then simmer slowly until very well cooked – approximately 30minutes
Serve as an accompanying vegetable to meat or fish or eat on its own with a slice of good bread; it may also be used as a pasta sauce.
Courgettes and Chickpeas
· 1kg courgettes
· 2 large onions
· 1 tin chickpeas washed and drained
· 2 sachets of powdered saffron or a large pinch of saffron stamens
· Salt and freshly ground black pepper
· 2-3 bay leaves
· 2 – 3 tbsp sunflower oil
Cut courgettes into even sized pieces about 1 ½ cm
Peel and chop onions coarsely
Add oil to medium saucepan
Place courgettes, onion, chickpeas, saffron, salt, pepper and bay leaves into saucepan and simmer gently for 20 – 30 minutes until cooked
This is good hot with couscous or bread, or to accompany meat or chicken.
In North Africa the meal always commences with kemias or hors d’oeuvres, these may be as simple as olives and cornichon, but often consist of more elaborate prepared dishes. I describe here a couple of my favourites that will be useful in using up gluts of tomatoes and peppers. The following are always served as hors d’oeuvres and use garlic alone:
In North Africa the meal always commences with kemias or hors d’oeuvres, these may be as simple as olives and cornichon, but often consist of more elaborate prepared dishes. I describe here a couple of my favourites that will be useful in using up gluts of tomatoes and peppers. The following are always served as hors d’oeuvres and use garlic alone:
Grilled Red Bell Pepper and Tomato Salad
· Two red bell peppers
· 250gm red tomatoes
· 1large clove garlic
· 3 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
· 1 tbsp Red wine vinegar
· Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Grill bell peppers to blacken and remove the skin
Cut in half lengthways and remove the seeds and the pith then cut into approx 1 ½ cm square pieces
Scald tomatoes in boiling water to remove the skin, quarter the tomatoes and deseed and cut quarters into 1 ½ cm pieces
Combine the prepared peppers and tomatoes in a salad bowl
Peel and finely chop garlic. This is important; the garlic should not be crushed
Combine oil vinegar salt pepper and garlic and pour over the prepared peppers and tomatoes
Leave to macerate for 30 minutes at room temperature
Serve as a starter with bread
Choukchoukah
· 1kg red bell peppers (or other colours if red are not available)
· 1 chilli pepper (optional)
· 1kg ripe tomatoes or 2 tins chopped tomatoes
· 3-4 fat cloves garlic
· 3-4 tbsp sunflower oil
· Salt and freshly ground pepper
Grill all peppers to cook and blacken and remove the skin
Deseed and chop the grilled peppers
If using fresh tomatoes, scald in boiling water to remove the skin and deseed
Peel and slice garlic finely
Heat oil in a medium saucepan
Gently fry garlic until rosy but not burnt
Add chopped tomatoes salt and pepper and cook gently until reduced by one third
Add the chopped peppers and continue to cook gently until reduced by half
Stir frequently during the cooking process; take care not to burn the choukchoukah
The mixture should resemble a thick jam
Adjust the seasoning to taste
Allow to cool before serving with slices of thick bread
I hope you enjoy my family recipes.
