Notes about Recipes in this book

• Velvet tomatoes

  • joneshayley on November 05, 2018

    Beautiful simple recipe. Worth toasting and grounding cumin seeds rather then using ground cumin as there are so few ingredients it's worthwhile taking the extra time to make it special.

• Watercress pesto

  • joneshayley on November 04, 2018

    Very good pesto, and very flavourful. I’ll make this again and again , and use it in the many ways the book recommends

• Red onions & sumac

  • joneshayley on January 28, 2019

    A classic combination which complements many of the other recipes in the book.

• Yemeni chilli & coriander paste (Schug)

  • joneshayley on January 28, 2019

    Another absolute winner of a recipe from this book! This spicy cool sauce is brilliant and delicious. Eaten with the pulled lamb from this book, but it’d be delicious with many things.

• Homemade labneh with za'atar

  • joneshayley on January 08, 2020

    Loved this with flatbreads.

• A take on piyaz

  • joneshayley on November 07, 2018

    I cheated and used tinned beans- which I don’t think took anything away from the salad. It’s a beautiful salad. Fresh, full of the flavours of summer. It’s easy to assemble and would make a great dinner party starter.

• Spring salad: Fennel and kohlrabi with poppy seeds & feta emulsion

  • VineTomato on September 07, 2021

    It feels wrong to make a spring salad as we head into autumn but I had some kohlrabi an no idea what to do with it, that coupled with a mini heatwave I decided to try this. It was really good, maybe a little watery I will reduce the water in the feta emulsion next time. The watercress pesto is lovely, even though I reduced the oil by more than half.

• Grazia's tomato salad

  • wester on July 28, 2019

    Strong flavors but good.

• Fattoush salad

  • joneshayley on November 02, 2018

    Absolutely delicious, the croutons coated in oil and zaatar are particularly lovely, and the addition of tapenade brings a delicious salty umami

• Fast traditional shakshuka

  • Hansyhobs on February 14, 2022

    Nice but not as flavourful as others I've cooked

• Deconstructed kebab (Shakshukit)

  • slouj on January 27, 2021

    There is no denying that if you make all the different toppings this dish requires a bit of effort. It’s not a quick midweek supper. But it’s absolutely delicious and well worth a bit of extra work for an indulgent Saturday night. The only stage we skip is the watercress pesto, preferring a strew of watercress leaves instead (adds another texture to the dish).

• Chicken two ways with freekeh

  • joneshayley on November 05, 2018

    The freekah is sensational. As is the middle eastern inspired stroganoff, although the fried chicken, whilst nice enough, I’m not sure is bringing much to the meal. I’d omit it next time. I used the chicken poaching stock to cook the freekah, squash and broccoli, which I thought gave extra flavour and brought everything together nicely.

• Pulled lamb shoulder kubaneh burger

  • joneshayley on January 28, 2019

    Absolutely delicious- made with flatbreads and the suggested sumac onions and schug. The combination is lively, full of flavour and with just the right amount of chilli kick. Shortened the cook time a little by adding boiling water straight from the kettle.

• Lamb cutlets with festive freekeh & cauliflower cream

  • wester on July 27, 2019

    I made the basic freekeh subrecipe and did not like it at all. The taste of the vegetable stock overpowered everything else and we weren't happy with the structure either. Maybe it would have been better with the toppings given, but if we do that, we will use a different basic recipe. No repeat.

  • Peterkjsoe on March 22, 2026

    This was delicious. Used dried thyme instead of fresh thyme.

• Beetroot filled with minced lamb

  • joneshayley on November 08, 2018

    This is sensational!- deeply savoury, autumnal flavours. The spicing is perfectly balanced, with the sweet molasses balancing the spicy harissa. I substituted sour cream for the yogurt base, which worked perfectly.

• Pitta bread

  • joneshayley on November 09, 2018

    Foolproof, failsafe recipe! Makes soft and delicious pittas with nice puffed pockets. Brilliant.

• Challah

  • joneshayley on November 05, 2018

    Well worth the effort! A lovely enriched dough, which makes for a delicious challah. I’ll definitely make this again.