Winter tabbouleh with roasted vegetables

For ➍

1 cauliflower

½ pumpkin

4 handfuls of rocket

200 g cooked chickpeas

200 g wheat semolina

120 g feta* or 20 falafels

4 tbs olive oil

4 ts ground garlic, paprika, cumin

sauce*:

3 tbs olive oil

1 tbs honey

1 tbs mustard

1 lemon, juiced

1 clove crushed garlic

finishing:

pomegranate

coriander

Preheat the oven to 200°C

In the meantime, cut the cauliflower and pumpkin into pieces of about 2 cm. Drain and rinse the chickpeas.

Divide the cauliflower and pumpkin pieces on a plate and brush them with half of the herbs and olive oil.

Do the same with the chickpeas on a second plate.

[Or spread everything out on a large baking tray].

Bake everything for 40 m.

Cook the wheat semolina with boiling water.

Prepare the sauce. Mix the olive oil, honey, mustard, lemon juice and the crushed garlic clove in a bowl.

Prepare the winter tabouleh by combining the rocket, semolina and roasted vegetables. Drizzle with the sauce, sprinkle with crumbled feta or add the falafels and mix again. If desired, finish with fresh pomegranate and coriander. Serve warm.

The tabouleh salad can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

*Double the quantity of sauce for more taste.

Za'atar chicken pilav with pistachios & pomegranate

For ➍

4 chicken legs

2 cloves garlic

1 tbs lemon juice

3 tbs za'atar

70 g pomegranate seeds

1 bunch flat leaf parsley

1 bunch of dill

4 tbs olive oil

50 g butter

2 large yellow onions

250 g basmati rice

40 cl poultry fond

75 g green pistachios

1 ts pilipili

1 bunch coriander

Peel the garlic and finely chop.

Cut the chicken thighs in half at the joint and place in a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice. Sprinkle with 1 tbs salt and the garlic snippets. Toss together and refrigerate for min. 2 h.

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Bake the chicken ± 7 m with the skin side down golden brown and crispy in a roasting pan.

Arrange in a baking dish, sprinkle the skin side with za'atar and roast for another 10 m.

Deglaze the casserole with poultry stock and heat.

Peel the onions and cut into fine half rings. Coarsely chop the pistachios.

Rinse the rice under running water until the rinse water is clear. Preheat the butter and oil in a shallow wide cast iron pot. Add the onion rings, sprinkle with salt and fry for 15 m until caramelised. Stir in the rice, pistachios, pilipili and warm poultry stock. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange the chicken on top of the rice. Pour the juices from the baking dish over.

Place in the oven for 45 m until the rice is soft. Cover the pan and let rest for 5 m.

Finely chop the parsley leaves, coarsely chop the coriander and dill and sprinkle over the chicken together with the pomegranate seeds. Serve.

Marinated fennel with goat cheese & capers

For ➍ as a side dish, for ➋ as a main 

1 fennel bulb 

1 tbs fennel seed 

½ ts sea salt 

1.5 dl virgin olive oil 

2 tbs capers oil (for frying) 

1 soft fresh soft goat cheese, French 

1-1.5 lemon 

Grind the fennel seed with the sea salt in a mortar (but not necessarily until it is a homogeneous powder) and mix the result with the olive oil.* Scrape the fennel into thin ribbons with a mandolin. Mix them generously with the fennel oil* and let them marinate (that is allowed overnight, but half an hour is also good). 

Rinse the capers and pat them dry. Heat a little oil in a saucepan and fry the capers until they get a meaty texture with crispy edges. Let them drain.** 

Sprinkle the capers over the fennel and serve with the goat cheese. Serve with crusty bread, which you can dip in the soft cheese and marinade. 

*Make a lower calories lemon oil marinade with 2tbs olive oil, juice & grated peel of 1-1.5 lemon. Add the fennel seeds & salt. 

**Don't fry the capers when short in time.

Lebanese fattoush salad

For ➍
2 loaves pita bread
extra virgin olive oil
½ ts sumac, more for later
salt & pepper
1 heart of Romaine lettuce, chopped
1 (seedless)cucumber, chopped
5 Roma tomatoes, chopped
5 green onions (both white and green parts), chopped
5 radishes, stems removed, thinly sliced
2 cups chopped fresh parsley leaves, stems removed
1 cup chopped fresh mint leaves (optional)
lime vinaigrette:
1½ lime, juice of
7 cl extra virgin olive oil
salt & pepper
1 ts ground sumac
¼ ts ground cinnamon
scant ¼ ts ground allspice

Toast the pita bread in your toaster oven until it is crisp but not browned.
Heat 3 tbs of olive oil in a large pan. Break the pita bread into pieces, and place in the heated oil. Fry briefly until browned, tossing frequently. Add salt, pepper and ½ ts of sumac. Remove the pita chips from the heat and place on paper towels to drain.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the chopped lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, green onions with the sliced radish and parsley.
To make the lime vinaigrette, whisk together the lime juice, olive oil and spices in a small bowl.
Dress the salad with the vinaigrette and toss lightly.
Add the pita chips (and another generous pinch of sumac, if you like) and toss one more time.

Couscous with feta, green cabbage & roasted pumpkin

For ➍
1 butternut squash, pumpkin
¼ green cabbage
200 g of feta
250 g couscous
340 g chickpeas
4 tbs olive oil
1 cube vegetable stock
2 tbs ras el hanout
pepper & salt

Peel the butternut squash. Cut in 2 and remove the pips and the wires. Cut into 0.5 cm halves.
Preheat the oven to 180 ° C.
Arrange the pumpkin pieces side by side on a baking sheet with baking paper and sprinkle with the olive oil. Sprinkle with the ras el hanout and place 15 m in the preheated oven.
Meanwhile, rinse the chickpeas under cold water and drain. Crumble the feta with a fork.
Remove the ribs from the green cabbage and cut the leaves into fine strips.
Turn the pumpkin pieces on the baking sheet and sprinkle with the chickpeas. Season with pepper and salt. Place in the oven for another 15 m.
Dissolve the vegetable broth cube in 6 dl hot water and pour over the couscous. Cover covered for 8 m. Stir loose with a fork.
Cook the green cabbage 2 to 3 m uncovered in slightly salted water. Drain and keep warm.
Stir the vegetables under the couscous and sprinkle with the feta.

Fattoush (Lebanese pita salad)

For ➍
1 pepper, julienned
4 tomatoes, in parts
6 mini-cucumbers, in thick slices, or 1 young 'normal', cut in half lengthwise
1 shallot, finely chopped
6 sprigs of mint, leaves only, finely chopped
2 pita bread, open & cut for an extra crispy effect
1 tbs sumac
1 lemon, squeezed
olive oil
1 to 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped*

In a large bowl, mix sumac, lemon juice, oil and any garlic with salt and pepper into a tasty dressing. Add the vegetables and the mint and mix well.
Roast the pita bread golden brown and crispy*.
Break them into pieces and serve them with the salad*.

*Marinate the toasted bread in the dressing, this gives a soft, comforting structure to the salad.

Limonana

For ➋
6 tbs (115 g) sugar
12 cl plus 6 tbs (9 cl) water, divided
12 cl fresh lemon juice
4 stems worth of mint leaves (about 40 leaves, which is about 2 g) with the stems discarded, plus a few extra sprigs for garnish if desired
18-20 ice cubes
1-2 drops orange blossom water (optional)

Add the sugar and 6 tbs of water to a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar is dissolved. Cool to room temperature.
Add the cooled sugar syrup, remaining 12 cl water, lemon juice, mint leaves, ice cubes, and orange blossom water (if using) to a blender. Pulse a few times to break up the ice and then process until slushy.
Pour into 2 tall glasses, garnish with mint leaves if desired, and serve immediately.

Wikipedia on the name: In Israel, the name came from an advertising campaign conducted in the early 1990s. At that time, public-bus advertising was in its infancy in Israel. The Fogel Levin advertising agency undertook a bus-only campaign to prove the effectiveness of this new medium. Fogel Levin advertised a soft drink called Limonana and printed its ads through the Galgalei Zahav (Wheels of Gold) company. The ads, describing the drink as a blend of lemon and mint, reported, "Rabinowitz drinks Limonana" and, "Ohana drinks Limonana", referring to celebrities of the time. The ad campaign created a buzz[4] and consumers flocked to stores and kiosks to try the new flavor. Two weeks into the campaign, with consumers and stores clamoring for the product, the advertising agency admitted that no such drink existed. Spurred by customer demand, first restaurants and then soft drink manufacturers began to produce the flavor combination.

Roasted chicken with clementines & arak

For ➍
6 tbs arak (or ouzo or pernod)
4 tbs olive oil
3 tbs freshly squeezed orange juice
3 tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tbs grainy mustard
3 tbs light brown sugar
1½ ts kosher salt
freshly ground pepper
2 medium fennel bulbs cut lengthwise, then into quarters
8 chicken thighs (about 1.3 kg)*
4 clementines, unpeeled, sliced thin
1 tbs fresh thyme leaves
2 ts fennel seeds, lightly crushed
parsley, to garnish

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together arak, oil, orange and lemon juices, mustard, brown sugar and salt. Season with pepper, to taste. Add fennel, chicken, clementine slices, thyme and crushed fennel seeds. Turn several times to coat. If time allows marinate chicken for several hours or preferably overnight.**
Preheat oven to 220°C. Tranfer all ingredients, including marinade, to a large roasting pan. Chicken should be skin side up. Roast until chicken is browned and cooked through, 35-45 m.*** Remove from the oven.
Lift chicken, fennel and clementines on a serving plate. Cover and keep warm.
Pour cooking liquid into a small saucepan. Place over medium-high heat, bring to a boil, then simmer until sauce is reduced and you are left with about 8 cl (⅓ cup). You can degrease by using a spoon to remove some of the fat from top of the sauce.
Pour heated sauce over chicken. Garnish with parsley and serve. Serve with jasmine rice. Or with Greek lemon roasted potatoes.

*Or 1 large organic or free-range chicken, about 1.3 kg, divided into 8 pieces.
**Omit the marinade. Put the chicken and marinade in oven when it is pre-heating.
***Vegetables and fruit might be a little bit overcooked with this time-schedule. Add vegetables and fruit 10-15 m after chicken and marinade to have them crispier. When fowl meat is cut in smallish pieces (4x4 cm), all the cooking can be finished in some 20 m.
Otherwise, or when the chicken is not cooked through after this time, remove chicken and give it a microwave heat burst (1 m/ 100 g).

Kibbeh & fattoush (Lebanese lamb meatballs & bread salad)

For ➍
500 g lamb minced meat
100 g of rucola
4 meat tomatoes
1 cucumber
1 little-gem lettuce rougette
½ lemon
1 flat flat parsley
4 sprigs of mint (fresh)
1 red onion
1 clove of garlic
120 g bulgur
2 pita bread
3 tbs raisins
3 dl vegetable stock (½ cube or 1 ts powder dissolved in 3 dl hot water)
6 tbs olive oil
1 ts ground cumin
1 ts ground coriander
½ ts cinnamon
1 pinch of cayenne pepper
black pepper & salt

Put the bulgur in a bowl and pour over the stock. Cover and simmer for 10 m. Let it cool down.
Cut the red onion and garlic into julienne.
Deseed the tomatoes and cut into pieces.
Cut the unpeeled cucumber into 2, length wise. deseed with a spoon. Cut in 0.5 cm thick slices.
Chop the parsley leaves roughly. Pull the mint leaves from the stalks.
Roast the pita bread in the toaster or in a preheated oven.
Heat 1 tbs olive oil in a pan and glaze the onion and garlic with the cinnamon, cumin, cayenne pepper and coriander. Mix with the bulgur and the raisins through the lamb meat. Add black pepper and salt. Roll the mixture with your hands into balls. Shape each ball into an oval so that they get the shape of a lemon.
Heat 2 tbs olive oil in a pan and bake the balls golden brown, 4-5 m.
Mix the lettuce leaves with the rucola, the cucumber, the tomatoes, the chopped parsley and the mint leaves.
Squeeze half the lemon (you need 2 tbs of juice). Stir 3 tbs olive oil in and add black pepper and salt. Mix the dressing under the salad.
Trim the pita bread in coarse pieces and mix under the salad.
Serve the baked balls with the salad.

Kibbeh, Arabic for 'balls', can be made from lamb, camel or beef. Sometimes they are covered in mashed potatoes before baking. Serve them while still hot, with a salad, like in this proposition, while or a snack with yogurt (or sour cream) and lime wedges. They can also be served at room temperature and they go great with pita bread, hummus, babaganoush and/or tabbouleh.
Kibbeh look-alikes are calle quibe or kibe in Portuguese. In the Dominican Republic they call it quipe or pipe.
Fattoush is a classic Lebanese bread salad, that can be eaten on its own or with meat.

Lamb Kabouli

For ➍
500 g lamb, cut in small pieces, visible fat removed
300 g white Basmati rice
200 g cooked chickpeas
2 tbs vegetable oil
2 dl stock or water
whole spices:
2 cinnamon sticks
2 whole cardamom pods
3-4 cloves
1 ts peppercorn, lightly crushed
1 large onion, chopped fine
½ ts saffron strands
salt (to taste)
Omani spice mix:
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 ts fresh ginger, crushed
1 heaped ts cumin seeds
1 heaped ts coriander seeds
1 heaped ts cardamom seeds
2 ts cayenne pepper
½ ts ground turmeric
2 tbs distilled vinegar

Combine all spice mix ingredients in an electric food processor and process until a thick paste is formed, use vinegar sparingly as it can make the overall taste too acidic. Store refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
Heat oil in non-stick pan. Sauté onions and half of the whole spices. When onions start to brown, add the prepared Omani spice mix.
Add lamb to the pan and mix with all the spices. Add 20 cl stock or water, cover pan and allow to cook till meat is tender. Depending on the cut of meat, it may take up to 30 m on medium heat.
When meat is done, add chickpeas.
Rinse and drain Basmati rice.
Bring 6 dl of water (add a large pinch of salt and remaining whole spices) to boil in another large pan. Add in rice and cook till rice is fluffy.
When rice is done, add lamb in layers and chickpeas into the pot. Cover and remove from heat.
After about 10 m, open pan and carefully mix together the meat and rice.
Serve.

Chickpea salad with hummus dressing

For ➍
500 g dried chickpeas
2 garlic cloves
some bay leaves
a few sprigs of thyme
salt
cayenne pepper
cumin powder
turmeric
1 red onion
red wine vinegar
1 red pepper
1 cucumber
2 avocados
6 lettuce hearts
olive oil
pepper
400 g feta cheese
½ bunch chervil
½ bunch parsley
½ bunch coriander
200 g black olives
3 ts tahini (sesame paste)
2 egg yolks
2 ts mustard
2 cup peanut oil
3 tbs yogurt
½ lemon
3 tbs

Let the chickpeas overnight soak in water.
Drain the chickpeas. Put them in a saucepan with water. Top with the crushed and peeled garlic, a few bay leaves and thyme sprigs on. Season with salt, cayenne pepper, cumin and turmeric. Bring to boil.
Meanwhile, make the salad. Peel and halve the red onion. Cut into half rings. Make the rings apart and put them in a large bowl.
Sprinkle the onions with red wine vinegar. Let marinate while you cut the rest of the vegetables.
Peel the peppers and remove seeds and seeds. Cut the flesh into strips.
Cut the cucumber into cubes.
Peel the avocados and cut the flesh into cubes.
Add the bell pepper, cucumber and avocado red onion.
Heat a grill pan over high heat.
Clean the lettuce hearts clean and halve them. Brush with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill them in the hot pan. The lettuce hearts must be undercooked. Add them to the rest of the vegetables.
Spoon ¾ of the al dente cooked chickpeas out of the water and rinse immediately under cold running water. Drain in a colander. Let the remaining chickpeas continue cooking until they are cooked through.
Mix the cooled chickpeas with the rest of the vegetables. Crumble in the feta. Pull the leaves of the coriander, chervil and parsley. Put the herbs together with the olives from the rest of the vegetables.
Drain the rest of the chickpeas. Catch the cooking liquid. Fish the thyme and bay between the chickpeas.
Put the chickpeas with the garlic in the blender. Add a few tbs of cooking water and tahini to it. Season with salt, cayenne, turmeric and cumin powder. Mix until hummus and allow full
cooling down.
Put the egg yolks in a cup with mustard and a dash of water. Pour into a fine stream the oil and mix with a hand blender until mayonnaise.
Mix the yogurt, lemon juice and a portion of the home-made by hummus. Flavour* with tahini or extra cumin.
Serve the salad with hummus dressing.

*Optional

Roast chicken with dates, olives & capers

For ➍
8 chicken legs, drumstick & thigh attached, skin on (2 kg net)
5 garlic cloves, crushed
15 g fresh oregano, torn, plus extra for garnish
3 tbs red wine vinegar
3 tbs olive oil
100 g green olives, pitted
60 g capers, plus 2 tbs of their juices
70 g Medjoul dates, pitted & quartered lengthways
2 bay leaves
12 cl dry white wine
1 tbs date syrup or treacle
salt & black pepper

Place the chicken in a large, non-reactive bowl and add all of the ingredients, apart from the wine and date molasses, along with ¾ teaspoon of salt and a good grind of black pepper. Gently mix everything together, cover the bowl and leave in the fridge to marinate for 1 to 2 days, stirring the ingredients a few times during the process.
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Spread out the chicken legs on a large baking tray, along with all the marinade ingredients. Whisk together the wine and molasses and pour over the meat. Place in the oven and cook for 50 m (or up to 70 m, depending on the meat pieces' size), basting 2 or 3 times, until the meat is golden brown on top and cooked through.
Remove from the oven, transfer everything to a large platter, sprinkle over some freshly picked oregano leaves and serve.

This Ottolenghi favourite was inspired by the 1980's recipe for Chicken Marbella, a popular dish on Jewish pass over meals. Created in NYC, it blended influences from North Africa and Spain, as well as the mixing of poultry and fruit from Persia and the Middle East.

Batata harra (Lebanese spiced potatoes)

For ➍
2 tbs canola oil
6 potatoes, peeled & cut into medium cubes)
4 tbs cooking onions, finely chopped
2 ts garlic, minced
2 shakes cayenne pepper (or to taste)
16 tbs (cup) fresh coriander, finely chopped
¼-½ ts ground coriander
fresh ground black pepper, to taste
sea salt, to taste
6 tbs olive oil
1 ts lime juice, freshly squeezed

Heat canola oil and fry medium size cubed potatoes until crisp.
Remove onto a paper towel lined plate.
In another pan, heat olive oil and add finely chopped onion, minced garlic, cayenne, ground coriander and finely chopped coriander, sauté, then add the potatoes, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Mix well and add lime juice.
Serve with garlic sauce. Or as a side dish for marinated chicken.

Omani lamb & date stew

For ➍
1-2 ts crushed red pepper
1 ts ground turmeric
1 ts ground ginger
1 ts ground cinnamon
½ ts salt
1 kg boneless leg of lamb (or beef or camel meat),  cut into 2.5 cm pieces (or double weight with bones)
2 tbs olive oil
2 large onions, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
8 dl beef bouillon
1 tbs cornstarch
2 tbs cold water
225 g pitted dates (soaked in 5 dl water overnight, then mashed by hand or in a food processor*).
cooked white rice
30 g toasted slivered almonds*

In a mixing bowl combine the spices and salt. Coat the meat with the seasoning mixture. In a large, heavy skillet heat oil over medium-high heat. Brown the meat, in the hot oil. Add onions and garlic, and stir to combine. Pour the broth over all.
Bring to a boil. Then, cover and simmer on the lowest heat for a couple of hours or till the meat is tender. Skim fat from the surface of the juices. Stir cornstarch into the cold water. Add to meat in the pan and stir.
Add the dates, and stir to combine. Cover and simmer another 15 m or till mixture is slightly thickened and bubbly.
Serve hot over white rice and garnish with toasted almonds.

*Optional.

Tabbouleh

For ➍
15 g medium bulgur wheat (optional)
30 g fine bulgur wheat (*)
400 g ripe tomatoes
6 spring onions
2 lemons, juice only
½ ts ground black pepper
½ ts ground allspice
½ ts ground cinnamon
½ ts ground coriander
¼ ts ground nutmeg
¼ ts ground cloves
¼ ts ground ginger
175 g flat-leaf parsley
45 g mint
5 tbs olive oil
2 tbs pomegranate arils (optional)

Preheat the oven to 140°C if using the medium bulgur wheat. Rinse the fine bulgur wheat in cold water until the water runs clear, then drain well in a sieve and put in a bowl. Fluff up with a fork.
Rinse the medium bulgur, if using, in boiling water, drain well, spread out on a baking tray and put in the oven for 20 m. Fluff up with a fork when done.
Meanwhile, finely chop the tomatoes and finely slice the spring onions and add both, plus juices, to the wheat. Add the juice of 1½ lemons. Mix the spices together well, and add 1 ts to the bowl.
Douse the herbs in cold water, chop most of the stalks off the parsley, and then take a small bunch, gather together on the board and slice it as finely as you can. Repeat with the rest. Pick the leaves from the mint and do the same, being as gentle as possible.
Add the herbs to the bowl along with the oil, season and toss well. Taste and add more salt, lemon juice or spice mix to taste.
Scatter with the pomegranate and toasted bulgur, if using, just before serving.

*Use couscous instead. Adapt cooking method.

Eggs with lemon & mint

For ➊
Flat bread, such as pita bread
1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, sliced
​​2 eggs
handful of mint leaves, washed & coarsely chopped
lemon juice
salt & pepper

Put a small frying pan over medium heat. Heat the oil and fry the garlic, stirring so that the slices are evenly colored. Meanwhile, beat the eggs and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Heat the bread (preheat the oven when using it). Otherwise, use the toaster. The bread will be hot and soft in 1 m. Let it not get hard.
Pour the eggs into the pan and slide the mixture back and forth with a spatula. Before they are solidified, stir in the lemon juice and mint.

Spoon the eggs directly on a plate and give it bread. Use extra lemon and a sprig of mint if you like.

*Add 3 mounts of yogurt on the bread, cover with thinly sliced onion. Add the eggs, and add ground cumin, dried chilli flakes, crushed garlic to enhance the toast.

Cauliflower couscous

For ➍
½ cauliflower
1 broccoli
1 onion , finely chopped
2 garlic cloves , finely chopped
4 tbs pistachios , finely chopped
2 ts Ras el hanout
salt & pepper
4 tbs raisins
zest of 1 lemon or preserved lemon, in fine strips
1 bunch flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
olive oil

Chop the cauliflower, broccoli, onion and garlic in a food processor. Season with Ras el hanout, salt and pepper. Toast the pistachios in a non-stick pan . Mix the broccoli cauliflower couscous, raisins, pistachios , lemon zest and parsley in a bowl.
Finish with a dash of olive oil.

*Or toast the couscous briefly in a pan with a little olive oil.
Serve as a side-dish with lamb or pork tenderloin.

Imam bayildi (Turkish stuffed eggplant)

For ➍
2 medium or 4 small eggplants, cut in half lengthwise
1 large or 2 medium onions, sliced very thin
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
600 g tomatoes, peeled & chopped
4 tbs fresh parsley, finely chopped
2 tbs dill, finely chopped
2 tbs basil, finely chopped (optional)
salt
4 tbs olive oil
4 tbs water
2½ ts sugar
2 tbs lemon juice (optional)

Preheat the oven to 220°C. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment and brush with olive oil. Slit the eggplants down the middle, being careful not to cut through the skin. Place on the baking sheet and bake for 20 m, until the outer skin begins to shrivel. Remove from the oven and transfer, cut side down, to a colander set in the sink. Allow to drain for 30 m.*
Meanwhile, heat 2 tbs of the olive oil over medium heat in a large, lidded skillet and add the onions. Cook, stirring often, until the onions are very tender, 5 to 8 m. Add the garlic. Cook, stirring, for 30 s to 1 m, until fragrant. Remove from the heat and transfer to a bowl. Add the tomatoes, herbs, salt to taste and 1 ts of the sugar and 1 tbs of olive oil.*
Turn the eggplants over and place in the pan, cut side up. Season with salt. Fill with the onion and tomato mixture. Mix together the remaining olive oil, the remaining sugar, the water and the lemon juice. Drizzle over and around the eggplants. Cover the pan and place over low heat. Cook gently for 1 to 1½ h, checking the pan for liquid and basting from time to time with the liquid in the pan, and adding water to the pan if it becomes too dry. By the end of cooking the eggplants should be practically flat and the liquid in the pan slightly caramelized. Spoon this juice over the eggplant.
Allow to cool in the pan. Serve at room temperature with börek or flat bread.

*You can roast the eggplant and make the filling through several hours before assembling and cooking the imam bayildi. Once cooked, the finished dish can sit for several hours.

This is a lighter version of a classic Turkish dish. Imam bayildi is a variation of karnıyarık, which contains minced beef, and is served warm (and is close to Greek moussaka).
It spread through the Turkish and Arab world, from Iran to the Balkan, the idea resounding in French ratatouille.

Spring pea purée with preserved lemon

For ➍
1 kg shelled peas (or frozen)
1 garlic clove
4 tbs parsley leaves
olive oil
salt
10 cl water
1 tbs of preserved lemon peel, chopped*
lemon juice
crushed red pepper flakes
6-8 slices of sourdough bread

Put the water in a pot. Add the peas, 1 tbs of olive oil, garlic, parsley and salt. Simmer 5 m for fresh peas, 2 m for frozen.
Drain and save the cooking liquid.
Place the peas in a food processor and process until smooth.
Scrape that puree into a bowl.
Add a tbs of chopped preserved lemon peel (you can use some of the flesh as well), a squeeze of lemon juice, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and more olive oil. Mix it.
Add some of the cooking liquid to lighten it up.
Grill thick slices of sourdough bread in a very hot cast iron skillet on high heat. Use no or very little oil. Press the bread down in the skillet. Flip once.
Rub the bread with garlic and brush it with olive oil.
Top with the spring pea puree and sprinkle everything with more pepper flakes.

*You can make the same without preserved lemons and serve it on regular toast.

Turkish kofta kebabs with minted yogurt & kohlrabi & carrot salad

For ➍
900 g minced lamb
2 onions, finely grated
6 garlic cloves, crushed
2 ts dried chilli flakes
1 small bunch of flatleaf parsley, chopped
oil for brushing
2 vine-ripened tomatoes, thinly sliced
salt & freshly ground black pepper
carrot & kohlrabbi salad with minted yogurt

Preheat a charcoal barbecue 40 m ahead of cooking or a gas barbecue 10 m ahead of cooking. If using a cast-iron griddle pan, heat it over a high heat, then lower the heat slightly before cooking.
Cover 8 bamboo skewers with cold water and leave them to soak.
Put the minced lamb into a bowl with the onions, garlic, chilli flakes, parsley, 1 ts of salt and some freshly ground black pepper. Mix together with your hands until bound together.
Divide the mixture into 8 and mould it into long sausage shapes around the drained bamboo skewers.
Brush the kofta generously with oil and lightly oil the bars of the barbecue or griddle. Cook for 5 m, turning occasionally, until browned all over and cooked through.
Spread the minted yogurt over 1 large or 4 individual serving plates. Lay the kofta on top, garnish with the sliced tomatoes and serve with the salad.