HOW TO MAKE ZA'ATAR

Za'atar is a fragrant combination of herbs and spices widely used all across the Middle East.  Traditionally sprinkled over pizza or pita bread, it is also used in many meats and even vegetable dishes.

There is a great amount of recipes of how to make Za’atar on the Internet, however, to my great surprise, none of them are the same.  Each author has his own interpretation of this condiment; hence here is my version of preparing Za'atar:

You need:

1 tbsp of almonds

1 tbsp of pistachio nuts

½ of coriander seeds

1/3 tsp of fennel seeds

1/3 tsp of black peppercorns

½ tsp of smoked paprika

½ tsp of sesame seeds

½ tsp of salt

Method:
Heat almonds and pistachio nuts to release their flavour and then cooled down, crush finely with a mortar and pestle into a fine dust.  Don't worry if you are left with some chunks, they are good for texture and some crunch.  Transfer it to a small airtight container.  If you don't have a mortar and pestle at home or find it is a hard work, just use the blender or an old coffee grinder.

Heat all the seeds together with peppercorns, grind them in the mortar and pestle and add to the jar.  Sprinkle with salt, add paprika and give it a good shake.  

Use this aromatic concoction by sprinkling it over the the salad, on your avo sandwich or as a snack.  Just fill one small dish with olive oil, another - with balsamic vinegar and a spoon of Za'atar in the the third.  Place them in a middle of a table together with a basket of good crusty bread and let your guests help themselves by dipping the bread into oild and vinegar first and then some of Za'atar.

Enjoy!!!

EGGS IN PURGATORY

If you, like me, live in an area over populated by trendy coffee shops with bearded baristas flexing their muscles and exhibiting their tats while fixing your organic coffee latte, and then I bet, you will find one of the most common staples on every menu, Egg Shakshouka.  For those who have never heard about this newest fixation, it is an egg dish served for breakfast all over the Middle East, it is traditionally served in a cast iron pan with pita bread on the side to mop up the eggs and the spicy sauce. 

However, I am calling mine “Eggs in Purgatory”.  Actually, it does not matter what you call it, the principle remains, it is tasty, spicy, satisfactory and an easy to cook at home dish.  And so here is how to cook your Eggs in Purgatory.

To feed 2 people you need:

4 eggs

½ tin of chopped tomatoes

1 small red onion

1 red capsicum (bell pepper) finely chopped

Olive oil

Freshly chopped parsley

¼ tsp of chili flakes

½ tsp of smoked paprika (available in the spice section of your supermarket)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Pita or flat bread

1 tsp of Za’atar (click on "Za'atar" if you want to make your own, it is dead easy)

Method:

Chop the red onion very finely.  Heat the oil in a frying pan on a low heat and sauté the onions until they are soft and translucent.   While the onions are cooking, finely chop the capsicum and add it to the pan, cook until soft.  Pour over the tomatoes, add salt, black pepper, paprika and chili flakes and toss everything together and cook for about 5 minutes until all the flavours are well incorporated; taste it and adjust the seasoning. 

While the eggs are cooking, get the bread ready.  If you don’t have any pita or flat bread at home, just toast a slice of normal bread to add a little bit of crunch to it.  I also like to sprinkle it with Za’atar, a typical Middle Eastern spice (you can make your own, it is dead easy) to make it more flavoursome.   

Make four wells in the mixture and carefully crack four eggs.  Don’t worry if the eggs are not perfect, they will taste delicious anyway.  Cook the eggs to your liking, transfer to warm plates, sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve.  Serve the bread on the side for mopping.

Enjoy!!!

ASIAN SLAW

Despite the presence of Asian ingredients and flavours, I quite often prepare this salad to serve it with grilled steak or roast chicken; the spices are not so strong as to overpower the main dish, rather they add an extra dimension and excitement to the whole meal.  As I explained previously, in my cosmopolitan cooking I don't necessarily adhere to any Asian cuisine in particular but rather enjoy the presence of unusual flavours and ingredients.

Now, that I have cleared that up, let me go back to the preparation of the salad.

To feed 8 people you need:

 ½ head of medium white cabbage

2 red capsicums

A bunch of green onions

1/2 cup of chopped coriander

1 tbsp of sesame seeds (black or white)

Dressing:

4 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp of sesame oil

1 tsp of brown sugar

2 tbsp of lime juice (I use the ready made one)

1 tsp of water

2 tbsp of soy sauce

Method:

Pre-heat a small pan on medium high and roast the sesame seeds until golden brown.  If you using black ones, just warm them up to release the flavours.

Get a big salad bowl and using a potato peeler, start shaving off the cabbage discarding the core.  Remove the seeds from the capsicum and repeat the process.  The reason I am using a peeler is not for presentation purposes only but also as the thinner the vegetables, the more flavour they absorb.

Next, slice the green onions diagonally into 2 cm pieces and add them to the bowl together with chopped coriander.  

Combine all the ingredients for the dressing into a small jar with a lid and give it a good shake.  Taste it and adjust the seasoning if needed, aiming for a perfect balance of saltiness and sweetness with just enough of a hint of the clean taste of the lime juice and a hit from the chilies.

This salad is a good accompaniment to a fish dish with similar flavours.  You can find the recipe in the post called "Asian infused barramundi".

Enjoy!!!

ASIAN INFUSED BARRAMUNDI

I love Asian food, Thai and Vietnamese are my favourites.  However, when I cook an "Asian dish" I will not be able to tell you what cuisine I am following exactly.  As the name of my blog suggests, I am a cosmopolitan cook with a strong Eastern European background, however if you raid my pantry, you will find the usual suspects from the Asian food aisle of my local supermarket:  soy and fish sauces, brown sugar, tamarind paste, lime juice, sesame oil and few others items that define my Asian menu.  My main purpose is not to adhere to one particular cuisine but rather use usual flavours to spice up otherwise same old, same old dishes and add some excitement to everyday's meals.




However, one thing I learned while watching cooking shows is that the key to Asian cooking is the importance of balancing the flavours of sweet and sour, salty and pungent and that is my aim.This may sound quite vague to you, but I have a good reason for it being that I can't always be certain on what cuisine I am cooking simply because I find that is not easy to stick to any one in particular.  What I do know is that once I replaced salt and pepper for soy or fish sauce and chilies, I stepped away from continental cooking and was on the verge of entering into the world of aromatic spices, bunches of fresh exotic herbs and delicious flavours.

The recipe of the dish I am about to share with you requires the use of herbs and spices that are easily found in the Asian aisle of your local supermarket or at the fresh vegetables section.

To feed 8 people you need:

3-4 barramundi fillets, about 15-200 gr per person

1 tbs of coriander seeds

1/2 tsp of tumeric (it gives the fish a beautiful saffron colour)

1 small red chili (fresh or flakes)

2 tbs of soy sauce

1 tsp of grated ginger

1 tbs of tamarind paste

2 tbs of olive oil

1 tsp of sesame oil

2 bunches of bok choy washed and trimmed

3 tbs of fish sauce

2 tsp of brown sugar

1/2 cup of coriander leaves finely chopped

I normally buy three fillets for my family of four based on the fact that each person gets one half of the fillet and if someone wants seconds, there’s the third fillet, otherwise some lucky person will get it for lunch the next day.  In other words, it all depends on whether your family members are big or small eaters.

Method:

Heat a pan on top of the stove and warm up the coriander seeds for a few minutes to release their flavour, then crush them in a mortar and pestle.   In a bowl, combine all the ingredients except the bok choy, and a taste it. Make sure that the sweetness and sourness are balanced and the salt and hit are in good measure.

Place the fish into the bowl and massage the mixture into it. Leave it to marinate for an hour or, if time allows, even overnight, .

When the time comes to cook the fish, you can either do it on a barbecue or in the oven. Both methods are good but I prefer to do it on the barbecue, one- to get that extra smokey flavour and two- avoid the fish smell in your kitchen.

Option1. Pre-heat your barbecue to 180c. Take a roll of cooking aluminium foil and cut as many pieces as you have fish.  Trim and wash bok choy and place a couple of leaves on each piece, then place a piece of fish on top, spoon a bit of sauce, fold into a parcel securing the edges as you go.

Place on the preheated BBQ and grill for about 10 min.  Open up slightly one of the parcels and pry open the flesh to see if it is cooked.  Bear in mind that the fish will continue cooking after you take it off.

Once cooked, remove the fish and bok choy from the parcels onto warm plates.  For a casual family dinner, I like to place the fish onto a big serving plate and place it in the middle of the table next to a big bowl of Asian style coleslaw (link) for everyone to share.  For a more official occasion, I suggest individual plating. 

Option 2. Pre-heat the oven at 180c, cover an oven tray with the sheet of aluminium foil, lay it with the washed and trimmed bok choy and place the fish on top.  Spoon the dressing and place in the oven for about 10-15 min.  After 10 min, take a fork and pry open the thickest part of the fish.  It should be slightly pink and translucent. Remove from the oven.  Serve as above.  

Serve the fish with the Asian slaw.  Enjoy!!!