Moroccan roast lamb with pomegranate couscous

Mechoui lamb is usually roasted whole on the spit, but this is my version using lamb shoulder. By shocking the meat in the oven at the highest temperature to start it develops a wonderful crispy skin, but the slow roasting means that it falls apart when you eat it.

What you'll need:
Half shoulder of lamb
50g softened butter
1 large clove of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika


Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees. Place the lamb in a roasting tin and cook for 30 minutes. Mix the garlic, salt, pepper, coriander, cumin and paprika then stir in the butter until you create a paste. Remove the lamb from the oven and smear on the flavoured butter. Cover in aluminium foil and return to the oven. Turn the heat down to 180 degrees and cook for a further 2.5 hours. Allow to stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Pomegranate Couscous

To cut through the heaviness of the lamb I like to serve the lamb with a light couscous salad flavoured with pomegranate, lemon and fresh coriander. Simply follow the instructions on the couscous packaging and once the water is absorbed add the juice of one lemon, a drizzle of olive oil, the seeds from one pomegranate and a handful of freshly chopped coriander.

Quesadillas with Chorizo and Chicken

Traditional Mexican food is simple, cheap and tasty. That’s why this basic quesadilla with a choice of fillings is one of my favourite backpacking recipes – you’ll find the ingredients in most parts of the world, and you’ll certainly make friends when you offer to share your guacamole and salsa with other travellers!

The basic concept behind quesadillas is creating a filling that is combined with grated cheese and fried between tortillas. You can either use two tortillas for each quesadilla and layer the filling like you would a sandwich, or you can use one quesadilla and fold it in half similar to an omelette.

You can use a range of fillings to accompany the cheese such as refried beans, ham, potatoes, mushrooms and even scrambled eggs. Here I’ve included two different fillings – one with chicken and one with chorizo.

Quesadilla with Chicken
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 chicken breasts, cut into strips
1 tomato, chopped
2 tablespoons black olives, pitted
Handful of cheese, grated

Heat the oil in a frying pan and cook the chicken until golden brown. Remove and set aside.

Turn the frying pan down to a medium heat and place in a tortilla. Sprinkle half the cheese across one half of the tortilla and then add half the diced tomatoes and olives.

Layer half the chicken over the top of the cheese, tomatoes and olives.

Using a spatula, fold the tortilla so that you have a half moon shape. Flip the tortilla over and cook the other side until the cheese is melted.

Quesadilla with Chorizo
1 tablespoon olive oil
200g chorizo cooking sausage, chopped
½ onion, finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, chopped
Handful of cheese, grated

Heat the oil in a frying pan and add the chorizo, onion and garlic. Cook over a medium heat until the chorizo darkens in colour and becomes fragrant. Remove and set aside.

Follow the same process as above, by placing the tortilla in a clean frying pan and sprinkling the cheese across one half before adding the chorizo mix.

Fold the tortilla and flip so that both sides are cooked and the cheese is melted.

Quesadillas are usually served with some kind of accompanying sauce, such as soured cream or salsa. Below are a couple of recipes for sauces that can be enjoyed on their own with some tortilla chips, or served alongside the quesadillas.

Guacamole

To make your guacamole, scoop the flesh out of one avocado and mash with a fork. Add a finely chopped red onion, ½ large green chilli finely chopped and a tablespoon of lemon or lime juice. Mix well, and add salt and pepper to taste. Finally stir through some freshly torn leaves of coriander – this isn’t necessary, but adds a bit of extra flavour.

Pico de Gallo

This fresh, spicy salsa is a great accompaniment to any Mexican meal and certainly packs a punch. All you need to do it mix together two diced tomatoes, one finely chopped onion, one finely chopped jalapeno pepper and the juice of two limes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Pasticcio di Radicchio e Pancetta (Radicchio and Pancetta Pie)

On a recent trip to Verona we went to the incredible Cappa Café where we ate on their beautiful outdoor terrace (with the white umbrellas) overlooking the Teatro Romano di Verona.

For the first time, I tried Pasticcio di Radicchio and knew I had to try to replicate it as soon as I got home. It was a simpler version of a lasagne, with a creamy béchamel sauce layered with fresh pasta sheets and braised radicchio. I couldn’t get radicchio so substituted red chicory, and added pancetta to my version for a bit of extra flavour. If you can't get either of these at your local supermarket, you can use leeks and bacon instead.

What you need:

Fresh lasagne sheets

300 grams of red radicchio (or chicory), washed and cut into strips

150 grams pancetta, cubed

1 tablespoon olive oil 1 clove garlic

30 ml of dry white wine

100 grams of grated parmesan cheese

40 grams butter

6 tablespoons flour

1 litre of milk
Nutmeg

Salt

Pepper

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan then add the garlic, pancetta and radicchio. Fry over a medium heat for a few minutes then add the white wine, salt and pepper. Stir through before covering the pan with a lid and cooking on a low heat for 10 minutes.

Drain the liquid from the radicchio and pancetta and set aside.

Make the béchamel sauce by melting the butter in a saucepan and then adding the flour. Stir vigorously until you have a smooth paste, then start pouring in the milk a bit at a time. A good tip is to heat the milk first so that it doesn't cool down the sauce. Add a pinch of salt and some nutmeg for flavour. Continue to stir the mixture until it thickens.

Place a layer of lasagne across the bottom of a buttered oven dish. Next place a layer of the braised radicchio, cover with a layer of the white sauce and finally sprinkle with a layer of grated cheese. Repeat this layering process three times.

Place the baking dish in a pre-heated oven and cook for 35 minutes at 200 degrees or until the top is golden and crispy.

Now I just need to learn how to make the incredible Torta Della Nonna that we had for dessert!

The cheaper side of Venice

When planning our week's visit to Venice, there were certain dishes that would be mandatories when eating out - Calves Liver Alla Veneziana for mum, Spaghetti Vongole for me, and Tirimisu for both of us.

We realised quite quickly that although you'll be charged €8 for a coffee on St Mark's Square or €15 for a Bellini at Harry's Bar, there's reasonably priced and wonderfully tasty food to be had throughout Venice.

Bellini

Before enjoying a few dinners out on the town, we decided that the best way to start our trip would be with a homemade (and significantly cheaper) version of the Bellini.

We started by purchasing a bottle of Prosecco from the local supermarket for a bargain price of €4 as well as a couple of white peaches.

When back in our kitchen, we peeled the peaches and mashed the flesh into a thick pulp. This pulp was then pushed through a sieve and into a jug before the Prosecco was poured over the lot. We drank this from our balcony overlooking an amazing view of the Grand Canal.


Tagliatelle Aglio E Olio

Our second homemade effort was Tagliatelle Aglio E Olio (Garlic and Oil) served with a classic Insalata Caprese. This may sound complicated, but there were only about 7 or 8 ingredients in both dishes combined and barely any cooking required!



We used fresh egg pasta which only took a few minutes to cook, which allowed us just enough time to make the "sauce". You could easily use dried pasta but will need to change the timings slightly to allow for a longer cooking time.

A good glug of olive oil was heated in a large frying pan while the pasta cooked, and 4 cloves of garlic along with a good teaspoon of chilli flakes. Once the oil is heated through and the garlic is fragrant, take the frying pan off the heat.

Drain the pasta when ready or "al dente" and put back into the saucepan. Pour the flavoured oil over the pasta so that it coats everything, and then at the last minute stir through some rocket if you have it.


Insalata Caprese


For the salad, we sliced up fresh tomatoes, mozzarella and then layered them on a plate along with the basil. A drizzle of olive oil, some salt and pepper and we were ready to go.

Such a quick and easy meal to make, and it probably cost about €15 to feed 4 of us.