Notes about Recipes in this book

• Berbere spiced chicken, carrots, and chickpeas

  • Jane on November 16, 2021

    This was really good even though I used boneless skinless chicken thighs and couldn't add the chickpeas as my son who is visiting reacts badly to them. I was concerned when it came out the oven that the sauce was very liquid but it worked well and there was lots of it (I did have 50ml extra orange juice and no chickpeas soaking up liquid which may have been the reason). I made my own Berbere seasoning from 'In Bibi's Kitchen' - probably using freshly toasted and ground spices enhanced the flavor. The orange/cilantro topping is essential - the contrasts of fresh fruit and herbs with the intense smoky stew is really good.

  • KarinaFrancis on October 12, 2021

    OUTSTANDING! The smell coming from the oven was mouthwatering and gave a hint of the deliciousness that was to come. I didn’t have Berber spice mix, but after a quick google I cobbled together a close approximation. This will become a repeat for sure!

  • VineTomato on October 17, 2021

    When I saw the comment made by KarinaFrancis I knew I had to make this! I used Quorn fillets in place of the chicken thighs and it was delicious! I kept to the same cooking time and was very happy with the results, although next time I might add an extra 100ml or so water at the start, as I would have liked more sauce.

• Pita

  • Astrid5555 on November 08, 2021

    These are very easy to make and turned out beautifully. Will make again.

  • EmilyR on October 28, 2021

    Made the pitas baking at 550°F on a baking steel. They are a nice bread to add to my repertoire.

• Gnocchi with sumac onions and brown butter pine nuts

  • Astrid5555 on November 08, 2021

    Delicious, but do follow the instructions for making the gnocchi, which I did not. Instead of using a piping bag, I actually made them like you would normally and then also cooked all of them at once. I ended up having a giant potato mash ball, which I rescued by scooping out little dough balls with my cookie scoop and then I pan fried those, which worked as well, but was a little labor intensive. The onions are a perfect accompaniement and even got teenage boy approval, so a definite keeper.

  • DFarnham on November 03, 2021

    Made this using store-bought gnocchi. Four teaspoons of sumac seemed like a lot to me so I stopped at 3. After everything came together, 4 teaspoons is about right. I served this as a side dish to crispy chicken schnitzel, and an arugula salad both from Sababa. Definite repeat.

• Rice koofteh in spiced tomato sauce

  • KarinaFrancis on November 03, 2021

    Yum! The spicing on the meatballs is delicious and is echoed by the sauce. Admittedly it’s a bit of work for a weeknight, unless you have a bit of time up your sleeve. The results are worth the time.

• One-pan crispy spaghetti and chicken

  • KarinaFrancis on October 27, 2021

    I was hesitant about cooking the pasta using this method, but the flavours it absorbed were delicious and the crispy crumb topping really made the dish. On the down side the pasta was too soft and was clumsy to eat. Easily fixed by adding a little less water and using a shorter pasta shape.

  • PiaOC on October 14, 2021

    Cooking dried spaghetti in the oven? For an Italian, this recipe was a leap of faith - not unexpectedly, one which was generously rewarded. As suggested in its intro, it is a child pleaser and the adults enjoyed it with a sprinkling of chilli flakes and green salad on the side. Used gluten free pasta and breadcrumbs and it was delicious. Will make again.

• Charred tomatoes, onions, and peppers with feta and harissa pine nuts

  • KarinaFrancis on November 11, 2021

    So good! The veggies sweeten and intensify in the oven but it’s the feta and pinenut harissa topping that make it special. I skipped the peeling of the tomatoes and don’t think it suffered for it. The coriander seeds are a surprising addition but really make a difference.

• Peas, tahini, and za’atar

  • KarinaFrancis on October 30, 2021

    So easy and so good! The flavours all work beautifully and it’s very pretty. Going on the Christmas menu! Small tip, don’t add all the salt, start with half and add to taste

  • Running_with_Wools on November 07, 2021

    This was very easy and surprisingly good. Even my boys likes it. Next time I plan to serve with warm pita bread.

• Roasted pepper salad with cucumber and herbs

  • KarinaFrancis on October 19, 2021

    I was not expecting this to be as good as it was. Chop the vegetables and the oven does the hard work. I halved the quantity but still used a full chilli, no regrets. We had it as a salad/side with some pork chops but it would be fantastic as part of a mezze with some bread to soak it up.

  • PiaOC on October 04, 2021

    Delicious, Easy and delicious.

• Roasted potatoes with aïoli and buttered pine nuts

  • KarinaFrancis on October 23, 2021

    Another fantastic recipe from this book! I added a few shakes of hot sauce to the butter topping and would do that again. We had it with roast chicken but it would go with any roast or grilled meats

• Burnt aubergine, tomato, and tahini

  • KarinaFrancis on October 16, 2021

    Really yummy and approved by the eggplant adverse Silver Fox. I added a touch of smoked paprika because even though I cooked the eggplant on the bbq it wasn’t quite smoky enough. Will be repeating this over the summer

• Lime and poppy seed slaw with curry leaf oil

  • KarinaFrancis on October 10, 2021

    A nice, tangy slaw which I generally prefer to the mayonnaise version. The curry leaf oil doesn’t bring much to the party, but the cashews are fantastic. I’m so glad that when I halved the recipe I made the full quantity of nuts!

  • PiaOC on October 14, 2021

    Agree with KarinaFrancis re the curry leaf oil not adding much by way of flavour but the leaves themselves added a different crunch and texture. We loved this slaw accompanied by chicken schnitzel but could easily eat as a main meal or with some potatoes. The tumeric cashews were amazing (my yellowed fingertips are witness).

  • DFarnham on November 15, 2021

    We really liked this recipe. I generally like mayo-based slaws, but this one had lots of flavor. I confess to cheating and grabbing a couple bags of prepared slaw mix as I was short on time. I had fresh curry leaves and a fairly large fresno so my curry leaf oil was crazy-spicy and added a great kick. The nuts are a must. Made this a side for the spicy vindaloo pork (a must!). Definite repeat.

• Za’atar salmon and tahini

  • KarinaFrancis on November 07, 2021

    Yum! This was so good, so easy and very easily achievable on a weeknight. Next time I’d add a little more water to the tahini before baking because I like a lot of sauce

  • Pimlicocook on November 20, 2021

    Very quick and easy, all in one pan - and with a double helping of spinach, a meal in itself. I’ve seen tahini and fish in a few books now - Claudia Roden has one, too - but this is the first time I’ve tried it. It’s a lovely combination

• Black lime beef skewers with sumac onions

  • KarinaFrancis on October 18, 2021

    My first time using black limes and I’m officially a fan! We used pork fillet but as Noor says, the marinade would work for different meats

• Smooshed carrots with coriander pistachio pesto and pickled onions

  • KarinaFrancis on November 04, 2021

    A simple bag of sad carrots turned into an awesome side dish. Loved every bit of this, sweet roasted carrots contrast with the tangy toppings. A repeat for sure

• Confit tandoori chickpeas

  • EmilyR on October 26, 2021

    I went easy on the Kashmiri chili powder as it can be rather spicy. Nice Indian flavors.

  • dc151 on November 09, 2021

    This was actually mostly a cupboard recipe! Great flavor, though it barely was enough for four. I used pimenton instead of Kashmiri chili powder, but otherwise stayed faithful to the original recipe. The sauce was wonderful too.

  • Pimlicocook on November 21, 2021

    Couldn’t be easier to make: basically a delicious chickpea curry once the yogurt has melded in. I made half the recipe and it was a little too much for one (no sides, but rice would be good). I might tone down the chilli (I threw in quite a large one!) just a little bit next time, as it slightly overwhelmed the flavours.

• Chaat masala chickpea and polenta fries

  • EmilyR on October 22, 2021

    The sum of the parts makes this one. Lots of great flavors and an interesting way to create "fries".

• (One jar of) butter beans with preserved lemon, chilli, and herb oil

  • EmilyR on October 22, 2021

    I went the long route with these soaking my own dry beans... just don't. I am doubting the efforts are substantial enough to notice. These are fantastic and another recipe to highlight the beauty of preserved lemons.

  • joneshayley on October 19, 2021

    Made with cannellini beans (one tin= half recipe) - absolutely outstanding. The flavours are huge but well balanced. Lovely server as a main, a starter or on crostini. Served with grilled manouri - the lactic creamy cheese really complements the beans.

• Hawaij onion and chickpea soup with cheesy toast

  • EmilyR on November 02, 2021

    I never would have thought of making a French onion soup with Yemeni spices, but it works! The toast feels pretty essential, so don't skip it!

• Creamy dreamy hummus

  • EmilyR on October 22, 2021

    I went with the soak your own beans method and this hummus does indeed produce something creamy and dreamy. I had to add a touch more salt, but excellent all around.

• Magical chicken and Parmesan soup with pappardelle

  • EmilyR on October 26, 2021

    Everyone loved this - children included.

  • joneshayley on October 18, 2021

    Delicious. Rich and comforting. I’d fully blend next time. The pasta and chicken in the broth are amazing.

• Smoky, creamy pasta with burnt aubergine and tahini

  • EmilyR on November 02, 2021

    This is a bit spicy, so just beware. The creamy tahini helps with that. Otherwise a filling dish with ample amounts to share.

• Curried cauliflower cheese filo pie

  • joneshayley on October 02, 2021

    A delicious pie! Rick and sumptuous , an absolute treat. The salad alongside is essential.

  • Lsblackburn1 on November 26, 2021

    Also agree that this was delicious. But there was so much béchamel to cauliflower! Definitely will serve more than 4.

  • dc151 on November 24, 2021

    Ok, so this was fabulous! Great flavor. Super rich and it was very filling. I would only say it needed more cauliflower- my one normal-sized head was not enough given the amount of béchamel. Also, it takes quite some time, you could cut it down to about 25 minutes if you get rid of baking it in the filo- just make a "mac and cheese"- with cauliflower instead of macaroni, for a very easy weeknight meal!

  • Running_with_Wools on November 07, 2021

    This was good and very rich.

• Celebration rice with lamb, chicken, and garlic yogurt

  • joneshayley on September 30, 2021

    Very nice, but needs a handful of fresh herbs or chilli to liven it up. Aromatic and exotic flavours. And the resulting stock is reason enough to make the meal

• Cheesy polenta and tomato sauce

  • Lepa on November 10, 2021

    This is an exceptionally delicious polenta and the sauce is luscious, too. A great version of a classic dish. I didn't bother with frying the oregano sprigs- too much faff! I also added a little more water to the polenta because it didn't seem like enough and was so thick. I will certainly be revisiting this recipe!

• Brussels sprout and Parmesan salad with lemon dressing

  • saarwouters on October 17, 2021

    A great salad and easy to make. A nice variation on Joshua McFadden's shaved Brussel Sprouts salad, which we love. The kale and basil make it extra special! And I loved that you shave part of the sprouts, and roast the rest of them in the oven. Lots of great flavours and textures!

  • Frogcake on November 07, 2021

    I agree with the first reviewer. This is very easy to make and it’s a unique prep for Brussel sprouts! We loved the tastes and such diverse textures! I used pecans as I didn’t have hazelnuts. Definitely a repeat!

• Sweet spiced mushroom and rice pilaf

  • saarwouters on October 17, 2021

    This was absolutely delicious! The cinnamon, mushrooms and apricots were such a great combination! The ratio of rice to stock, and the cooking time worked perfectly in our oven. The only thing I would change the next time, is to cut the mushrooms into smaller pieces. I could eat this every day!

  • dc151 on November 11, 2021

    This was very good, but this was definitely a project meal. It took closer to 2.5 hours. Not sure the spices really came through too much taste-wise, but it smelled wonderful while cooking!

• Fish koftas in ancho chilli and tomato sauce

  • saarwouters on October 17, 2021

    What a wonderful way to eat fish! The sauce was very flavourful, warm and a bit spicy. The koftas were light and fluffy. I used cod fillet. I tried to cut the fish into really small cubes. But in the end I thought my cubes were still a bit too big to hold the koftas together. So I gave the whole fish mixture a short whizz in the food processor. And I also chilled the koftas in the fridge for 30 minutes before frying them. I didn't have ancho chillies, so I used a chipotle pepper in adobo sauce. Will make again!

• Verena’s road trip cookies

  • saarwouters on October 12, 2021

    Delicious! Light and crunchy on the outside. Soft and chewy on the inside. I used the method of chilling the 'dough' overnight in the fridge. This morning, the dough was quite 'stiff and dense'. But after leaving it outside of the fridge for an hour (as the recipe suggests), it got a bit softer. It took some muscle to scoop out pieces of dough from the bowl, but after that, it turned out to be very easy to roll those pieces into balls. And the baking went perfect!

• M.E. mac ’n’ cheese with za’atar pesto

  • Frogcake on November 07, 2021

    This is an easy and very delicious recipe for a Friday night when you do want to spend too much time preparing a dinner. Definitely a repeat! I confess that I dumped all of the pesto into the sauce with no regrets.

  • Shaxon on November 06, 2021

    reduce salt if cheese is extra salty, ready in about 30 minutes and few dishes!

• Chickpeas cacio e pepe

  • Boffcat on October 02, 2021

    Pleasant, but a bit bland - the spinach and pickled chilli don't really complement it. Mine still had a lot of liquid at the end of the cooking time, so next time I'd make a virtue of that by adding some pasta to soak it up, then top the whole thing with some crispy fried sage leaves.

• Sweet potato shakshuka with Sriracha butter and pickled onions

  • Dcampos on November 14, 2021

    Yum! I need to use a non stick and larger skillet next time. I had to put it under a broiler to finish cooking the eggs since the bottom was sticking and starting to burn.

• Cheesy fruity stromboli

  • ksa on November 04, 2021

    This was delicious even though I made it with tinned peaches and frozen blueberries. I didn't see the point of the roasting the fruit so next time I will skip this step to compare.

• Greens and chermoula potato pie

  • ksa on October 29, 2021

    The flavours were spectacular and overall the whole thing wasn't too hard to put together.

• Cream of tomato soup with buttery onions and orecchiette

  • ksa on October 02, 2021

    I used tinned tomatoes and was delicious!

• Butternut squash with orange oil and caramelised honey

  • dc151 on November 11, 2021

    Fabulous, always interesting pairings in Ottolenghi recipes. I never would've put oranges and squash together like this. Pepitas gave it a nice texture change.

• Spicy pulled pork vindaloo

  • DFarnham on November 15, 2021

    This recipe is awesome! So easy to prepare, but cooks a long time. The flavors are exceptional and would definitely recommend serving with lime and poppy seed slaw on the side. We were not wild about the yogurt/chutney condiment--I will use mayo in place of the yogurt next time. This recipe will go into our rotation.

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