A recipe for Za’atar and some ways of using it

Za'atarI’ve been having fun with my meal plan – turning dreams into reality….well at least, giving form to ideas and trying to make our meals both visually appealing and tasty. I find it really helps to have a plan to work to, even if I adjust my ideas a little as I go along.

For Tuesday lunch, the plan said ‘raw vegetable salad’ for lunch. A lot of possible interpretations of that. So I decided to go for a colour theme, which was Red, White and Green. Red and Green Salad Red Cabbage, with Oak Leaf Lettuce, Rocket and two kinds of Radishes – red and black made up my first salad. The little slivers of black radish, which is pure white inside, could be replaced with celeriac or turnip. This was dressed with my usual vinaigrette based on walnut and balsamic vinegars and olive oil.
Winter Salad The second one is what my mother would have called ‘Winter Salad’ – cooked beetroot, apple and celery. I topped it with the last of the Tsatsiki and sprinkled it with Za’atar. I must make some more of that, it has been useful in so many different dishes!  More on that in a moment.

For Braised Fennel with Chilli and Garlicdinner, I followed an idea from Mimi Spencer’s book “the fast diet recipe book“, rubbing crushed fennel seeds into some pork, which is sealed over a high heat, and then set aside. In the juices (or in a little olive oil if you aren’t using meat), gently sauté some chopped garlic and red chilli. Add 200ml of stock, some grated lemon zest, seasoning and a little lemon juice and pour over quartered fennel bulbs in a baking dish. Top with the pork and bake in a hot oven for 15 to 20 minutes, covering with foil for the latter part of the cooking to keep the meat moist. I can imagine working this in several different ways, with tofu or fish, perhaps using capers and/or fresh herbs.

Filo CupFor dessert, I made filo cups – just one sheet of filo is enough to make two cups. Cut the sheet into quarters, brush lightly with melted butter, and lay two pieces on top of each other at angles and press into a ramekin. I used another smaller ramekin inside to help hold the shape, but I think it could work without.

Bake for about 8 minutes, until they start to turn golden, then remove and allow to cool. Plum and Ginger Filo BasketsI filled them with a spoonful of lemon curd and topped it with (defrosted) rasperries, but this is another idea which can take so many different fillings, such as poached plums with ginger, see left  (as in 5:2 Healthy Eating for Life).
I think especially when you are having a low carb meal, having something that is light and crispy can make a big difference to enjoyment. Only 41 calories and 8g of carbs for the pastry, plus another perhaps 20 calories for the butter. Fill it with thick greek yogurt and fresh berries for a delectable low calorie treat.

Za'atarI have come across a lot of recipes calling for the use of Za’atar, but it was impossible to find locally. What surprised me was that despite it being frequently mentioned in books, none of the ones on my shelf had a recipe for it. Thanks to Google, I discovered that it only has 4 or 5 ingredients, so I resolved to make my own.

I found the Sumac in Cahors at Les Cafes Lebert, where they have a fabulous selection of world foods. The oregano came back with me from Greece and the thyme was a gift gathered by a friend who visited Provence. I do tend to look out for freshly dried herbs, if you know what I mean, rather than those rather dusty looking ones in little jars.

And here is my recipe for Za’atar

  • 1 tbsp roasted sesame seeds
  • ½ tsp Maldon salt 
  • 1 to 2 tbsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp wild thyme
  • 1 tsp sumac

Grind all together and store in an airtight jar.

You will find lots of recipes that use Za’atar, particularly those by Ottolenghi. I love his baked aubergine recipe, which I top with greek yogurt and za’atar and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds.

Aubergine with Yogurt and Pomegranate

I love it sprinkled on flatbread before baking (also works well to dip bread into, along with olive oil and balsamic vinegar), but also over dips and roasted vegetables. It reminds me of gomasio, the Japanese / macrobiotic condiment of crushed sesame seeds and salt; but the herbs, especially the lemony bitterness of the sumac, add another dimension and make it a versatile and more-ish choice for livening up simple vegetables.

Love Crispy Chinese Duck? Try Crispy Chinese Pork!

Since we have been in France, one of the things we occasionally miss is going to the local Chinese restaurant for crispy duck with pancakes. I have been unable to find anywhere to buy the pancakes, though I think that doing crispy duck would be really easy, if you start with duck confit. 

But this isn’t about duck, it is about pork. Over the last year or so I have heard a lot about Pulled Pork, but had never tried it. Then last week, there was a special pork promotion on and I bought a pack of two boned and rolled pork shoulders for a bargain price. 

Chinese Pancakes with Pulled Pork Chinese Pancakes with Pulled Pork

Turning to my frequent source of good ideas and inspiration, the 5:2 Intermittent Fasting Diet Recipes from Around the World group on Facebook, I found a recommended recipe for Pulled Pork. I pretty much followed the recipe to the letter, with a little less sugar, although I was really worried that it was going to be too much smoky paprika flavour (it wasn’t).

I marinaded the pork overnight in spices. The next day I baked both the joints for 5 hours. Then I finished one of them off on the BBQ.

That first night we had it in a baguette (a treat in itself for us these days), with home made cole slaw alongside. It was really lovely. Graham said “this is very much like Crispy Duck, can we have it again but with pancakes, cucumber and spring onions?”.

So the next step was to see if I could find a good straightforward recipe for the pancakes. I had always imagined that they were made from rice flour, but no, just a very simple recipe using plain flour, water and a small amount of vegetable oil. The master stroke was in rolling two at a time, with a coating of sesame oil between them, then dry frying them as one and separating after cooking. It worked really well. A final steam for 10 minutes before serving. Here’s the recipe and method for Chinese Pancakes.

The Hoisin Sauce was based on some Black Bean and Garlic paste that needed using up (if you want to find ingredients like that in South West France, try Paris Store in Toulouse). I started with this recipe (but note I didn’t use that recipe for the pancakes and I used a lot less sugar in the sauce).

So our Saturday night Strictly supper on our laps, was Crispy Pork Pancakes. So good, we did it all again on Sunday….. 🙂

Kefta kebabs – 135 kcals each

Kofte kebabskefta, kofta, kufta, keftedes, albondigas, meatballs…. I put a recipe for Scandinavian meatballs in my book 5:2 Healthy Eating for Life, with a number of variations. This summer I have been making it as kefta kebabs, with Moroccan-inspired spices, which have proved to be hugely popular. Combining beef and pork helps to keep the cost down and they taste delicious. I find that one is enough for me on a fast day.  Really good served with a tomato and cucumber salad topped with toasted cumin seeds, or stuffed into pita bread with chopped lettuce, some luscious sliced tomatoes, sliced onions and tsatsiki.

I love basic recipes like this which can be easily varied to suit different styles of cooking –

  • Italian meatballs – oregano, lemon rind, black pepper;
    serve with a tomato and basil sauce on a pile of spaghetti or courgette ‘noodles’
  • Greek keftedes – garlic, chopped fresh mint, coriander seed;
    serve as part of a meze, or stuffed into pita with tsatsiki and salad
  • Swedish meatballs – cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg;
    serve with a sauce made with butter, flour, cream, pepper and parsley with mash
  • Moroccan kefta – garlic, cumin, paprika, ras al hanout, coriander seed;
    serve with ginger yogurt dip, tomato, cucumber and cumin salad and couscous
  • Spanish albondigas – garlic, nutmeg;
    serve with a chunky onion, green pepper and tomato sauce and saffron rice
  • Indian kofta – curry spices, garlic, ginger;
    serve with raita and chappati or a spicy sauce with basmati rice
  • Lebanese kefta – parsley, allspice, pepper, salt;
    serve with flatbread and herby green salad – or cook and then top with onion, tomato and potato, sprinkle with spices and bake in the oven

The kefta or meatballs can be frozen uncooked.

Makes about 18 kefta (75 grams each) or 40 meatballs  (30 grams each)

  • 600g minced beef 1115 kcals
  • 400g minced pork 572 kcals
  • 2 onions, roughly chopped 88 kcals
  • 2 large eggs 143 kcals
  • 1 cup of flour or fresh breadcrumbs 427 kcals ( I use wholewheat breadcrumbs)
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • spices and herbs to taste

Whizz the onions and eggs in a blender (with garlic if using) and then add the flour/breadcrumbs, seasoning and spices.

Put this mixture with the meat in a large bowl and work it with your hands, adding water if needed to get a firm mixture that holds together.

Let it rest for at least 15 minutes in the fridge.

For the kefta I weigh into 75 gram amounts and form into rolls. Use a walnut sized portion for meatballs. Either can be prepared ahead and refrigerated or frozen (defrost before cooking).

For kefta, put a metal skewer through the middle and BBQ over medium-high heat for about 15 minutes, turning regularly.

For meatballs, fry in a little butter or oil until well browned all over (add 40 calories per tsp of oil)

Per kefta (75 grams): 135 kcal
Per meatball (30 grams): 60 kcal