Green soup

Really lean and easy to cook, I made up this recipe with what vegeables I had in my fridge and my freezer. My roommate and I found it delicious, so I decided to share it with you!

Ingredients (for 4 people)

– 1 leek

– 1 medium-sized onion

– 2 small potatoes

– 1 medium-sized courgette

– 4 garlic cloves

– 1 handful of aragula

– 1 handful of spinach

– 100g of brocoli

– around 1L of Chicken stock (enough to cover the vegetables)

– herbs

– salt and pepper

– light cream

Instructions:

– Cut everything in 2cm large pieces. Put in a pot with the stock.

– Make it boil.

– Put the fire down, cover the pot and let it cook really gently for 1h30 (until all the vegetables are very tender).

– Mix together until it has a creamy texture.

– Before serving, add 1 full spoon of light cream in each plate (you can vary the quantity to your taste) and spread some fresh herbs.

Enjoy!

Royal Couscous

 

Let’s start with a recipe I learnt from my grandmother, who is born and has lived 20 years in Algeria. The recipe is quite long, so I suggest you read it through before starting.

Ingredients (for 4 persons):

Meat

– 4 merguez (spicy North African lamb sausages)

– 4 pieces of lamb collet (or any other lamb pieces)

– 4 chicken thighs or drumsticks

Vegetables

– 2 big tomatoes

– 200mL of PURE tomato sauce

– 2 medium-sized courgettes

– 1 big turnip (or 2 small ones)

– 3 big carrots

– 1 big red pepper

– 1 onion

– 300g of tinned chickpeas

Couscous

– 500g of medium-sized couscous

– 150g of currants, raisins, sultanas or chopped dates

– 25g of butter

Spices

– 1 clove

– 1/2 tbsp. of cinnamon

– 1 tbsp. of ground cumin

– 1/2 tbsp. of paprika

– 1/2 tbsp of ground turmeric

– salt and pepper

– 1/2 tbsp of harissa paste

 

Instructions

– In a big cooking pot, in a little bit of olive oil, brown the chicken for 5min. Get it out and put it aside.

– In the same pot, brown the lamb for 5min. Put it aside.

– Chop the onion roughly, the tomatoes in small cubes, the turnip and the carrots in 2cm cubes.

– In the same pot than for the meat, cook the onions. When they are translucent, add the turnip, carrots, chickpeas, tomatoes, the tomato sauce and 1L of water.

– When it’s simmering, add the cumin, cinnamon, paprika, turmeric, clove, salt and pepper.

– Mix it well, add the lamb and let it cook gently during 1h.

– Chop the red pepper and the courgettes in 2cm cubes (roughly).

– Add them to the pot, with the chicken and the merguez.

– Let it all cook during 20min.

– Take the merguez out and let the rest cook for 40min more or less, until all the vegetables are tender.

During all this time, you have to prepare the couscous:

– Put the dry couscous in a big salad bowl.

– In a small pot, boil 1 big glass of water with salt and the dry fruits you chose.

– When the water is boiling, take it out of the fire and pour it on the couscous (with the fruits).

– Put some air in the couscous by lifting it with your fingers and rub it between your palms. Be careful, it’s really hot!

– Let it rest for 5min.

– Put 1 other big glass of water to boil.

– Uncover the couscous, hit it and mix it with a wooden spatula.

– Add the water, mix it a little bit and cover the salad with a big plate. Let it rest for 10min.

– Taste the couscous to see if it’s cooked. If not, repeat the 2 previous steps until it is.

– Cut the butter in cubes and mix it to the couscous with your fingers, Rub it well between your palms.

– Prepare the harissa to your taste (mix the paste with a bit of the broth in the pot)

Before serving, heat the merguez (microwave, pan, or in the pot again).

 

Enjoy your meal and feel free to post any comments!