spiced meatballs with feta and pomegranate couscous

 there are some dishes which you eat every last scrap of, scrape the bowl for leftovers while silently wishing that you hadn’t had to share the dish (in this case with 8 friends!) and mentally flick through your diary to work out when you can cook it again. this spiced meatballs with feta and pomegranate couscous was one such dish.

the meatballs were flavoured with toasted cumin and coriander plus coriander stems (i’m really enjoying using the stems in different ways to the leaves and the flavour subtleties which result), lemon, garlic and harissa. they were roasted on top of a gently spiced tomato sauce (similar flavours to the meatballs) and topped with a layer of crumbled feta which was scattered with mint and parsley before serving.

the couscous was scented with lemon, parsley, mint and chilli. i then added the seeds of a pomegranate and everything came together wonderfully – the complex layers of flavours in the meatballs and sauce, melting cheese contrasting with the light, zingy couscous. i served this with a green salad which had a simple lemon, olive oil and garlic dressing.

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ottolenghi couscous and mograbiah with oven-dried tomatoes

i’ve been in a cooking rut. i’ve really been struggling to motivate myself to cook new and interesting things – eating out, cheese on toast and “any ol’ pasta as long as it’s quick” have been my mainstays for the past few weeks.

as a result i’ve been feeling bloated and lethargic (the excess of wheat carbs and a lack of vegetables will do that to a girl) and broke (impoverished, rather than physically in pieces) so it’s time to get things back on track.

the ottolenghi cookbook is a recent purchase and despite an initial flurry of enthusiasm i’ve barely touched it so decided this was the answer to my problems – cook some gorgeous food, using recipes so inspiration is not required, and see what happens…

well, i cooked lots, various bits of which will be posted about over the next week or so, and i’m hoping i’m back on track. which i really need to be as i need to get hold of some inspiration to finish up stuff in my kitchen cupboards before we move house in the next 4-6 weeks, more of which later…

oh, and in case you were wondering what the mystery ingredient was in my pervious post and what i did with it – the answer is mograbiah (a type of large couscous) which was included in this ottolenghi couscous and mograbiah with oven dried tomatoes and labneh.

it was nice. a bit rich for me, i’d probably up the couscous/mograbiah content to balance out the roasted tomatoes and labneh a bit more. it lasts well though – a week in the fridge is fine and it's delicious as a packed lunch or picnic option.

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chicken tagine with green olives and preserved lemon

 

something that i often have in the freezer is packs of chicken thighs and i’m always thinking about different ways to cook them. this week the winning choice involved north african flavours and the development of a dish that i’ll definitely be making again.

the gentle richness of the chicken contrasted with the fresh piquancy of the preserved lemons and it is definitely worth using them.

preserved lemons last for ages so don’t be put off from making or buying them. if you want to buy them i like the belazu brand. and while you’re looking at their lemons, their rose harissa and smoked chilli jelly are great too. the chilli jelly is particularly lovely with strong cheddar and oat biscuits!

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