It’s the last week of April, and it’s been a much quieter month in the kitchen. We’ve experimented a lot less with North African food that I would normally like to, so it may get revisited in some form later in the year. For May though we’re looking at Malaysian and Indonesian food.
We were lucky enough to have beautiful weather on our weekend off. We spent it doing things we enjoy, like sleeping in, going for long drives & trips to the beach with the pups, visiting markets and buying and eating delicious food.
Algerian roast veg couscous
Algerian style roast vegetable couscous
As you may be aware from previous posts, I love roast vegies! They’re just so versatile and delicious. This time I tossed them in an Algerian spice mix before roasting, and then they were mixed in with couscous and fresh herbs. A lovely flavoursome dish, served warm or at room temperature. The leftovers make a great lunch, especially if you throw in some chopped leafy greens. The broccolini (or broccoli) is thrown into the vegie pan at the end, only for last few minutes so it’s only lightly cooked and still has some crunch.
Algerian battered mushrooms & cauliflower
Algerian style battered mushrooms and cauliflower
Using the same blend of spices that I used in the roast vegies, I made a thick batter. Whole button mushrooms and chunks of cauliflower were dipped in the batter, then coated in a mix of almond meal and polenta before being fried. They were utterly delicious, and the polenta coating actually makes them really crispy. I ran out of almond meal, so the last ones were just in polenta. I made quite a few, so it was a relief when they also reheated really well under the grill. I was going to reheat them in the oven, but discovered when I turned it on that the element has blown or something.
Coconut chocolate balls
Coconut chocolate balls & Anzac biscuit balls
This has absolutely nothing to do with North African food. I’ve got a big family birthday gathering this weekend and decided to make some yummy treats to take along. I’m flying, so it needs to be something that would transport. Originally I was going to make Chocolate brownies and Anzac biscuits, but without a working oven that seemed a bit of a reach.
(In case you don’t know what an Anzac biscuit is, it’s a traditional Australian biscuit that was made to send to Australian and New Zealand troops (ANZACS – Australian & New Zealand Army Corps) during World War I. Long lasting and nutritious, they’re still very popular today.)
Anzac biscuit balls
So instead I made Coconut chocolate balls and Anzac biscuit balls. The both cases the ingredients are processed and mixed together then rolled into balls and refrigerated to set. The chocolate ones in particular go quite hard since they contain melted chocolate. Both are delicious, and it’s lucky I leave tomorrow morning or they may not last.
You could call them truffles I suppose, but that sounds a bit fancy. I think these would be great dipped in melted chocolate too.
Moroccan lentil rice
Moroccan lentil rice
To finish the month off, I decided to head back into Moroccan flavours, and make a one pot dish. I do love a meal you can make using just one pot! We were running low on vegies, so it was a matter of using what we had left. Similar in concept to dishes you find in Indian and Middle Eastern cuisine, the main difference was the flavours and extra vegies.
I’ve put up a heap of recipes from my last post, though there are still a few to go, and a couple from this one too. I will get there.
