Ara'yes

Ara'yes

1/2 large onion, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1/2 small bunch fresh parsley
1 pound minced chicken
1 tomato, diced finely
1/4 tsp garam masala
2 tbsp lime juice
Salt
4 pieces pita bread, cut into quarters
Extra virgin olive oil, for brushing

1. Preheat the oven to 200 C.
2. Finely mince the onions, garlic and parsley. Combine and mix together in a large bowl and add in the chicken, tomato, garam masala and lime juice. Season with salt. Mix until well combined.
3. Arrange the pita quarters on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Fill each quarter with 2 tbsp of the mixture, flattening it out so the filling is even.
4. Brush each quarter on both sides with a little olive oil. Sprinkle salt on top.
5. Bake for 10-15 minutes, turning once halfway through. Pitas should be brown and crispy.

Original recipe by Aarti Sequeira.

Ara'yes served with grilled eggplant and pico de gallo.

Shakshuka

Unlike the intimidation of the foreign name, shakshuka is actually an egg dish poached in tomato sauce. Great for breakfast and you can control the level of spiciness. You can even prepare the sauce and divide into individual portions before cracking the egg in to customize to each person's preference.



Shakshuka

1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 large onion, peeled and sliced
1 red pepper, cored and cubed
1 ripe tomato, roughly chopped
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1 tbsp smoked paprika
Salt and pepper
2 eggs
2 tbsp tomato paste
Water

1. In a saucepan, dry roast the cumin on high heat for 2 minutes.
2. Add oil and sauté the onion for 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste, pepper, tomatoes, cayenne (depending on your preference), smoked paprika, salt and pepper. Cook on low heat for 15 minutes, adding enough water to keep the consistency of a pasta sauce.
3. Crack the eggs into the pan. Cook very gently for 10-12 minutes, until the eggs just set.
4. Serve with chunky white bread.

Original recipe from theguardian.com