Lima bean mash with muhammara
Muhammara is a spicy Levantine dip made from red peppers and walnuts. It keeps in the fridge for 3 days, so double the recipe, if you like—it’s as lovely spread on a cheese sandwich or served with grilled meat as it is as a dip. I’ve left the skins on the peppers for ease, but remove them if you don’t want the texture. The mash can be made 3 days in advance; keep in the fridge in a separate container and bring back to room temperature before serving.
Serves six to eight
MUHAMMARA
5 red bell peppers, quartered, seeds and 1 stem discarded (10 cups/850g)
1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to serve
8 garlic cloves, peeled
1 tbsp thyme leaves
¾ tsp sweet smoked paprika
¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
⅔ cup/60g walnut halves, lightly roasted and roughly chopped
salt
MASH
7 tbsp/100ml olive oil
1 garlic clove, skin on and lightly crushed
3 thyme sprigs
2 (15.5 oz/440g) cans lima beans, drained and rinsed (2¾ cups/470g drained weight)
1 tbsp water
salt
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
Mix the peppers and oil and spread out on a large parchment-lined baking sheet. Roast for 15 minutes, and then add the garlic. Continue to roast for 15 minutes, until the skin of the peppers is soft and starting to blacken and the garlic is golden brown.
Place the peppers in a food processor, along with the garlic, thyme, paprika, pepper flakes, vinegar, all but 2 tbsp of the walnuts, and ½ tsp of salt. Blitz to form a rough paste and set aside.
To make the mash, put the oil into a small saucepan and place over medium heat. Once hot, add the garlic and thyme sprigs and fry very gently for 2–3 minutes, until the garlic starts to caramelize. Discard the garlic and set the sprigs of thyme aside, along with 2 tsp of the oil. Pour the remaining oil into a food processor with the lima beans, water, and ½ tsp of salt. Blitz until completely smooth, adding a little more water if you need to. Spread out on a large platter or a few plates, creating a natural rim around the edge, and spoon the muhammara into the center. Top with the crispy thyme springs, their reserved oil, and the remaining 2 tbsp of the walnuts and serve.
Two bean and two lime salad
Making this ahead of time is fine—just hold back on the lime juice until before you serve. It will keep for up to 6 hours in the fridge. If you can’t get hold of fresh or frozen kaffir lime leaves, don’t use freeze-dried—the leaves are too brittle to work when finely chopped. As an alternative, use either a stick of lemongrass (remove the tough outer skin and finely chop the soft inner flesh) or else just stick with the lime zest and juice already listed—the dish will still pack a punch.
Serves four as a starter or side
6 large kaffir lime leaves (fresh or frozen), stems removed
2 large limes: finely zest to get 1½ tsp, then juice to get 2 tbsp
1½ cups/30g cilantro, roughly chopped
½ cup/10g mint leaves
1 garlic clove, crushed
¼ cup/60ml olive oil
2 green chiles, seeded and thinly sliced
salt
1 lb 5oz/600g haricots verts, trimmed
5¼ oz/150g frozen shelled edamame (or peas)
1 tsp black sesame seeds
Roll up all the kaffir leaves into a thick cigar shape. Slice as thinly as possible, then finely chop the strips. Place in the bowl of a food processor with the lime zest, 1 cup/20g of cilantro, the mint, garlic, olive oil, chile, and ½ tsp of salt. Blitz until smooth, then set aside.
Bring a large pan of salted water to a boil and add the green beans. Blanch for 3 minutes, then add the edamame and cook for 1 minute. Drain all together, refresh under cold water, and set aside to dry.
Spoon the lime paste over the beans, add the lime juice, and stir to combine. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds, along with the remaining ½ cup/5g of cilantro, and serve at once.
Mushrooms and chestnuts with za’atar
These are lovely as an autumn or festive side. They are also great for breakfast, served with scrambled eggs. Use any mushrooms—or a mix of mushrooms—depending on what you see. Just keep the net weight the same. If you’ve got large shallots lying around, they are fine to use—just cut them in half or even into quarters.
If you want to get ahead, prepare this up to 4 hours in advance—just place everything on the baking sheet, minus the salt and pepper, ready to be seasoned before roasting.
Serves six as a side
1 lb 6 oz/650g portobello mushrooms (about 6–8), cut into 1¼-inch/3cm wedges
7 oz/200g small shallots, peeled and left whole
5¼ oz/150g ready-cooked and peeled chestnuts, broken in half
¼ cup/5g sage leaves, roughly chopped
¼ cup/60ml olive oil, plus 2 tsp, to serve
2 garlic cloves, crushed
salt and black pepper
¼ cup/5g tarragon leaves, roughly chopped
1 tbsp za’atar
2 tsp lemon juice
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
In a large bowl, mix the mushrooms, shallots, chestnuts, sage, oil, and garlic with ¾ tsp salt and lots of pepper. Spread on a large parchment-lined baking sheet and roast for 25 minutes, until the mushrooms and shallots are caramelized and soft. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool for 5 minutes.
Tip the warm mushrooms and chestnuts into a large bowl and mix in the tarragon, za’atar, lemon juice, and the 2 tsp of oil. Spoon into a large shallow bowl and serve.
Brussels sprouts with browned butter and black garlic
Black garlic has a highly concentrated taste—licorice meets balsamic meets the absolute essence of garlic. It’s a quick way to inject a huge amount of flavor into a dish. Get everything chopped and ready for this dish before you start, but don’t cook it until just before serving—you want the sprouts to be eaten fresh from the pan.
Serves four as a side
1 lb/455g Brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut in half lengthwise (4 cups/400g)
1 tbsp olive oil
salt
¾ tsp caraway seeds
¾ oz/20g black garlic cloves (about 12), roughly chopped
2 tbsp thyme leaves
2 tbsp/30g unsalted butter
3 tbsp/30g pumpkin seeds, toasted
1½ tsp lemon juice
1 tbsp tahini
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
Mix the sprouts with the oil and ¼ tsp of salt, then spread out on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Roast for 10 minutes, until the sprouts are golden brown but still crunchy.
Meanwhile, lightly crush the caraway seeds with a pestle and mortar. Add the black garlic and thyme and crush them to form a rough paste.
Put the butter into a large sauté pan and place over medium-high heat. Cook for 3 minutes, until melted and dark brown. Add the crushed garlic paste, sprouts, pumpkin seeds, and ⅛ tsp salt. Stir for 30 seconds, then remove from the heat. Stir in the lemon juice and transfer to a large bowl or individual plates. Drizzle with the tahini and serve at once.
Roasted baby carrots with harissa and pomegranate
This is a striking salad with bright colors and serious flavor. Serve alongside any chicken, slow-cooked lamb, or with a selection of vegetables and legumes. Long baby carrots look lovely here, as ever, but if you are starting with regular carrots that’s fine—just slice them into long, thin batons.
Roast the carrots up to 6 hours in advance if you want to get ahead, and mix with the remaining ingredients just before you are ready to serve.
Serves four as a
side
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp honey
2 tbsp rose harissa (or 50 percent more or less, depending on variety; see this page)
1½ tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1 tbsp olive oil
salt
1¾ lb/800g long, thin baby carrots (or regular carrots, cut into long batons, 4 x ½ inch/10 x 1½ cm), peeled and stems trimmed (to leave just a little bit)
½ cup/10g cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
½ cup/60g pomegranate seeds (from ½ pomegranate)
2 tsp lemon juice
Preheat the oven to 475°F.
In a large bowl, mix the cumin, honey, harissa, butter, oil, and ¾ tsp salt. Add the carrots, mix well, then spread out on a large parchment-lined baking sheet. You don’t want to overcrowd the carrots, so use two sheets if you need to.
Roast for 12–14 minutes, until the carrots are beginning to brown but still retain a bite, then remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
When ready to serve, mix the carrots with the cilantro, pomegranate seeds, and lemon juice and serve.
Carrot salad with yogurt and cinnamon
I love the look of the long, thin baby carrots here, but don’t worry if you don’t have any. Regular carrots, halved or quartered lengthwise, work just fine. This is a lovely colorful addition to all sorts of feasts: great served alongside the couscous and tomato salad (this page), as just one example, and the slow-cooked lamb (this page). Steam the carrots and make the dressing 6 hours in advance, or even up to 1 day ahead if keeping in the fridge. Bring back to room temperature, adding the yogurt and herbs when ready to serve.
Serves four as a side
2 lb 2 oz/1kg long, thin baby carrots, unpeeled but scrubbed, stalk trimmed to about 1¼ inches/3cm
3 tbsp olive oil
1½ tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp honey
1 garlic clove, crushed
⅛ tsp ground cinnamon
salt and black pepper
½ cup/120g Greek-style yogurt
¼ cup/60g crème fraîche
¼ cup/5g dill, roughly chopped
½ cup/10g cilantro, roughly chopped
Place the carrots in a steamer and steam for 8–12 minutes (depending on thickness), until they are cooked through but still retain a bite.
Meanwhile, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, honey, garlic, cinnamon, ½ tsp salt, and lots of pepper in a large bowl. Once combined, add the carrots as soon as they are cooked. Mix well and set aside to cool.
Mix together the yogurt and crème fraîche in a medium bowl with ¼ tsp of salt. Add this to the carrots, along with the dill and cilantro. Stir through gently—you don’t want to overmix. Transfer carefully to a serving bowl and serve.
Roasted butternut squash with lentils and dolcelatte
I like to serve this with the squash and lentils still a little warm—so that the cheese slightly melts when it’s dotted on top—but it also works at room temperature, if you want to make it in advance. Make up to the point of adding the dolcelatte and set aside for up to 6 hours. Add the final elements just before serving.
If you start with ready-cooked lentils, then skip the stage where they get simmered and just add them straight to the bowl with the lemon, garlic, herbs, and so forth.
Serves six as a side
1 large butternut squash, unpeeled, halved lengthwise, seeded and cut into ½-inch/1cm-thick half-moons or wedges (2 lb 1½ oz/950g)
2 red onions, cut into 1¼-inch/3cm-wide wedges (3½ cups/320g)
3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to serve
½ cup/10g sage leaves
salt and black pepper
½ cup/100g Puy lentils (or 3 cups/235g if starting with ready-cooked)
1 large lemon: finely zest to get 2 tsp, then juice to get 2 tbsp
1 garlic clove, crushed
¼ cup/5g parsley leaves, roughly chopped
¼ cup/5g mint leaves, roughly chopped
½ cup/10g tarragon leaves, roughly chopped
3½ oz/100g dolcelatte or gorgonzola cheese, torn into ¾ inch/2cm pieces (optional)
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
Place the squash and onions in a large bowl with 2 tbsp of oil, the sage leaves, ¾ tsp of salt, and plenty of pepper. Mix well, then spread out on a large parchment-lined baking sheet. Roast for 25–30 minutes, until cooked and golden brown. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
While the squash is in the oven, fill a medium saucepan halfway with water (if starting with dried lentils rather than ready-cooked) and place over high heat. Once boiling, add the lentils, decrease the heat to medium, and simmer for 20 minutes, until cooked. Drain, set aside to cool slightly, then place in a large bowl. Stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, parsley, mint, tarragon, remaining 1 tbsp of oil, and ¼ tsp of salt.
Add the squash and onion to the lentils and stir gently. Transfer to a serving bowl, dot with dolcelatte, drizzle with oil, and serve.
Butternut squash with corn salsa, feta, and pumpkin seeds
You’ll get more of a bite on your charred corn if you start with fresh kernels, as I do here, but you can also use 2⅓ cups/300g of frozen kernels, defrosted, as an alternative, and fry them in a pan. The result is more chewy, but it still works. Make all the various elements up to 1 day in advance, if you like—the squash, the salsa, the feta, and the seeds—and just bring everything back to room temperature and assemble the dish before serving. You don’t need to serve it straightaway, though; it can sit around for a good couple of hours if need be.
Serves six as a side
1 extra-large butternut squash, unpeeled, halved lengthwise, seeded and cut into wedges, about 3¼ inches/8cm long and 1¼ inches/3cm wide (2¾ lb/1.3kg)
5 tbsp/75ml olive oil, plus extra to serve
salt and black pepper
2 ears corn, husks removed and any silk discarded
1 large red chile, seeded and finely diced
3 limes: finely zest 1 to get 2 tsp, then juice to get ¼ cup
½ cup/10g cilantro, roughly chopped
¼ cup/5g mint leaves, roughly shredded
3 tbsp pumpkin seeds, toasted
1¾ oz/50g feta, roughly crumbled into ½–¾-inch/1–2cm pieces
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
Mix the butternut squash with 2 tbsp of oil, ½ tsp of salt, and plenty of pepper. Spread out on a large parchment-lined baking sheet, skin side down and spaced well apart. Roast for 25 minutes, until the squash is cooked through and golden brown. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
Place a grill pan over high heat and ventilate your kitchen well. Add the corn and grill for about 8 minutes, turning over throughout so that they are charred all over. Remove from the heat and, once cool enough to handle, place the corn perpendicular to a chopping board and use a sharp knife to shave the corn kernels off the cob. Place the kernels in a bowl with the chile, lime zest, lime juice, the remaining 3 tbsp of oil, ¼ tsp of salt, and the cilantro and mint. Mix well and set aside.
Arrange the squash on separate plates or on one large platter. Spoon the salsa on top, sprinkle the pumpkin seeds, dot with the feta, and serve, drizzled with a little extra oil.
Roasted beets with yogurt and preserved lemon
This is a match made in heaven served alongside some oily fish—a smoked mackerel or trout fillet, for example—or some steamed salmon. It’s also great served over freshly cooked lentils. You can make the salad in advance—the day before serving, even. If you do so, just hold back on the dill and the tahini yogurt and keep everything in the fridge until ready to serve.
Serves four as a side
2lb 2 oz/1kg beets, unpeeled but scrubbed
2 tb
sp olive oil
1½ tsp cumin seeds
1 small red onion, very thinly sliced (mounded 1 cup/100g)
1 small preserved lemon, skin and flesh finely chopped and seeds discarded (¼ cup/40g)
2 tbsp lemon juice
¾ cup/15g dill, roughly shredded
salt and black pepper
1 tbsp tahini
½ cup/150g Greek-style yogurt
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
Wrap the beets individually in foil, place on a baking sheet and roast for 30–60 minutes, depending on size, until a knife inserted goes through smoothly. When cool enough to handle, peel off the skin and cut each beet into ¼-inch/½ cm slices. Place in a large mixing bowl and set aside to cool.
Put the olive oil into a small frying pan and place over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and cook for about 3 minutes, until they start to pop. Pour the seeds and oil over the beets along with the onion, preserved lemon, lemon juice, ½ cup/10g of the dill, 1 tsp of salt, and a grind of black pepper. Mix everything together well, then transfer the salad to a large serving plate.
Stir the tahini into the yogurt and dot this over the beets in four or five places. Stir minimally—you want the yogurt and beets to mix only slightly—then sprinkle with the remaining ¼ cup/5g of dill.
Ottolenghi Simple Page 8
