Couscous sebha godaar (7 vegetables' couscous)

For ➍

500 g couscous

1 kg lamb (preferably with bones)* 

2 big onions 

1 tomato 

½ ts saffron 

a handful of coriander 

olive oil 

1.5 l vegetable broth 

200 g turnips 

200 g young carrots 

100 g peas 

1 zucchini 

¼ cauliflower 

100 g cooked chickpeas 

a dash of butter 

a few mint leaves

 

Heat the oil and brown the meat. Add the ringed onions. Cover.

Peel the tomato, cut into chunks and, as soon as the onions are glazed, add to the mixture.

Add some of the broth, add the coriander and saffron. Bring to a boil and cook the meat*. (For 500 g, this will take 10-15 m for the meat to heat, and another 10 m to cook).

Meanwhile, chop the vegetables in large chunks and add to the mixture, firm vegetables first.

Steam the couscous on top of the meat and vegetables. When ready, remove the couscous and mix some butter through it.

Serve the couscous on a large plate. Put the meat in the middle, and decorate with some of the vegetables, some sauce and a few leaves of mint of fresh coriander. Serve the vegetables and sauce separately.

*You might prefer to roast the meat separately, with some onions, until done and add it to the vegetables and sauce a few m before serving. While not authentic, it preserves the taste and the structure of the meat very well. Nevertheless, there should be onions to start the vegetables' and sauce preparation.

'Couscous' got its name from the Berber 'k'seksu'. It became the dish we know today in North Africa, with some regional differences in Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. The latter was adopted by French colonialists and introduced in France as staple food. This recipe can claim to be authentically Moroccan, and refers to the magic power of the number 7. It can be made with 7 other vegetables that taste well together. Couscous can be served with other Moroccan food like Moroccan chicken and Moroccan spiced fish, or even with wokked tilapia. Read more couscous recipes. Read a tip on cooking dried chickpeas.

Winter risotto with turnips & wild mushrooms

For ➍ 

2 scallions, chopped 

2 turnips, peeled & cut into 1 cm cubes 

200 g wild mushrooms, larger ones cut in 2  

2 tbs olive oil 

250 g risotto rice 

10 cl white wine 

70 cl vegetable stock 

Parmigiano, grated

Heat 1 tbs olive oil in a cooking pot and stir-fry the scallions and mushrooms for 5 m. Drain on kitchen paper. Heat 1 tbs olive oil in the cooking pot again and fry the turnips for 2-3 m. 

Add 250 g risotto rice to the turnips and stir until the rice becomes translucent. Pour the white wine over and let it evaporate completely, whil sirring. Add the vegetable stock to the rice and stir well. Cook covered for 20 m over a low heat. 

Mix the grated Parmigiano into the risotto. Season with salt and pepper. 

Sprinkle with the mushrooms and spring onions.

Read the tip on making a quick risotto.

Boudins d'Amay (Belgian pudding sausages with sweet potatoes, turnips & parsnips)

For ➍
4 boudins blancs de Liège (white sausages with pork meat, bread and marjoram)
4 boudins noirs (black pudding sausages) with raisins
4 parsnips
4-6 sweet potatoes
3-4 rutabaga/swedes (purple turnips)
1 tbs honey
4 onions
2 ts sirop de Liège
4 garlic cloves
3 ts mustard
4 ts cranberry jam
fleur de sel
Espelette pepper
olive oil
butter

Dip the unpeeled parsnip in salted water and boil for 15 m. Cool in ice-water, rub the skin off.
Cut the parsnips into thick slices and brush them with olive oil. Sprinkle with fleur de sel, and toast the slices on both sides on a grill. Drizzle with (mandarin) oil and give them a whirl with the pepper mill.
Meanwhile put unpeeled sweet potatoes, in an oven @ 200°C. Roast for 45 m.
Put 4 unpeeled onions in the oven and let them yarn. Peel the sweet potatoes, rub the sweet potatoes with olive oil and a little sesame oil, sprinkle with fleur de sel, a little Espelette pepper and honey. Put the sweet potatoes in a baking dish with butter and bake them a little more.
Peel the onions, arrange them with some crushed garlic cloves in a baking dish. Peel the rutabaga turnips, cut into cubes. Fry them briefly in olive oil and add them to the baking dish. Brown a little butter and spread over the turnips. Sprinkle with fleur de sel and pepper. Put the baking dish in the oven for 40 m @ 180-200°C. Toss a few times.
Mix 3 ts mustard with 4 (or more) ts of cranberry jam.
Slice black pudding sausages with raisins and white Liege tripes. Fry in foaming butter.
Arrange the sweet potato, roasted parsnips, turnips on the warmed plates. Dress the turnips with a spoonful of syrup of Liège. Put the sliced sausages next to a generous serving of the mixed mustard. If desired, garnish with parsley and sesame seeds.

*Alternatively, clean and slice the vegetables. Steam for 20 m and grill them lightly.

*Or peel the vegetables, cut  into small parts, preheat an oven to 200°C, put the vegetables on baking paper (each in  small group of its own), spray with olive oil, bake them for about 25 m. Dress the vegetables with honey, mustard & jam, butter, as indicated in the recipe.

Lamsstoofpot met geuze (Flemish lamb stew with gueuze)

For ➍
1.5 kg lamb shoulder (boneless)
butter
salt & pepper
2 onions
1 clove garlic
2 tbs flour
75 cl traditional Belgian gueuze
bouquet garni
4 carrots
4 turnips*
500 g potatoes
6 endives
150 g pickled onion
1 tbs powdered sugar
1 tbs chives, finely chopped

Cut the lamb into strips. Brown in butter. Season with salt and pepper. Cut onions finely, sauté with garlic. Sprinkle with flour, add to the meat. Add beer and bouquet garni. Bring to a boil and simmer for 70 m on low heat.
Dice carrots, turnips, potatoes and endives. Peel the pickled onion. Caramelise all vegetables in butter and sugar. Add to the meat. Cook for another 15 m. Season to taste and remove bouquet from the pan. Sprinkle with chopped chives..
Serve with winter vegetables like celery and potatoes.

*Replace with parsnips.

Dr. Rennard's Nebraska comforting chicken soup

For ➑
1 large roasting chicken or baking hen (3 kg)
1 package chicken wings or drumsticks (10 to 12 pieces)
10 medium carrots, peeled
3 large onions, peeled & quartered
3 parsnips, peeled
1 large sweet potato, peeled
2 turnips, peeled
6 stalks celery
1 bunch parsley
salt & pepper to taste

Wash the whole chicken and chicken parts. Place in a large soup pot, fill ¾ full with water and bring to a boil. Add carrots, onion, parsnips, sweet potato and turnips.
Simmer covered for 1 h. Add celery and parsley and cook for another 45 m. Spoon out the chicken and bones.
Remove the vegetables along with a small amount of the broth; purée, then stir back into the soup. Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with a slice of toasted bread.

At the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, Stephen Rennard found that chicken soup blocks the movement of inflammatory white cells (neutrophils) in lab tests. Neutrophils, in great numbers, can trigger an inflammatory response that exacerbates cold symptoms. The recipe is actually a time-tested family recipe, handed down by his wife's grandmother.

Rapenstoemp met kotelet (Turnip mash with pork chops)

For ➍
1 kg of potatoes
1 bunch turnips
2 dl cream
3 sprigs thyme
nutmeg
4 pork chops, at room temperature
butter
salt & pepper
vinegar

Peel the potatoes and turnips and cut them into 2 cm chunks. Boil the potatoes and turnips together in lightly salted water for 10m*. Drain and keep some of the cooking liquid. Add this to the vegetables, along with cream and thyme. Crush to a coarse mash. Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper. Add a splash of vinegar.
Heat the skillet. Melt the butter. Season the chops with salt and pepper. Fry the chops in butter on a fairly high heat until brown. Lower the heat and cook for 3-5 m per side. Remove from the skillet when they are just tender. Cover with foil and let them rest for 5-10 m.
Serve with mashed potatoes.

*Or prepare the turnips seperately: cut into small dice; melt some butter; add the turnips, salt and peper and sauté on high heat for 5 m; turn down the heat; add the cream and cook on low heat for 10 m; mash and adjust taste; mix with mashed potatoes if wanted.

Glazed turnips @ microwave

For ➍
6 white turnips
6 tbs concentrated (chicken) broth
2 tbs honey
dill
white pepper

Peel and slice the turnips quite thin. Lay them in an ovenproof dish. Add 4 tbs of the chicken broth.

Cover with plastic wrap and microwave for 8 m.

Combine the honey with the rest of the broth. Pour over the turnips and microwave 4 m uncovered.

Let stand 3 m. Sprinkle with dill and white pepper before serving.

Serve as a side-dish with grilled fish or chicken.

*Or peel and slice the turnips. Cook for 8-10 m per 500 g for plain turnips.

Poulet à la crème (Lyon braised chicken in cream sauce)

For ➍
1 chicken, 1.8 kg
2 l heavy cream
2 carrots
2 onions
1 leek
300 g turnips
2 l chicken stock

Peel the carrots, onions, turnips and wash the leek. In a large pot, place the seasoned chicken, vegetables* and chicken stock. Cover with thick cream. Bring to a simmer and cook in oven at 160°C for 90 m.

When done, put the chicken on a warm plate and cover. Keep the vegetables apart.

Pass the sauce through a chinois and emulsify it with a whisk after correcting the seasoning.

Cut chicken in 8 pieces, arrange with vegetables in a large shallow dish and baste with sauce. Serve with gratin dauphinois or potato matefaim.

*To avoid the turnips turning too soft, add them for the last 20 m.
**Try a quicker version with chicken pieces (for instance for 2 persons with chicken thigh filets): cook for 30 m on top of the stove. Keep the pieces warm. Thicken the sauce. Serve.

This is the Lyon version of volaille à la crème.
Try the classic version.
Read tip on cooking meat in the oven.
More recipes from the Lyon region: goat cheese spread, matefaim salé, salade lyonnaise.

tip: steaming vegetables

spinach, arugula: 3 m
peas: 3 m
broccoli & cauliflower florets, green beans: 5 to 7 m
carrots, potatoes, turnips, squash: 8 to 20 m
kale, collard: 10 m