Atlas Mountain Meatballs

For the meatballs you will need:
1 lb minced lamb
1 very finely chopped onion
4 cloves Garlic
Ground ginger, cinnamon, cumin, coriander to taste
Salt & pepper
Harissa to taste (Harissa Dressing)
Handful of pine nuts
One egg
1 ball mozerella, buffalo if possible, cubed

For the sauce you will need:
Olive oil
1 minced onion
Garlic to taste
1 can chopped tomatoes (without herbs or seasoning)
Sloosh of red wine to rinse out whatever the tomatoes came in
1 large red pepper
1 bunch coriander.
Salt & pepper

Mix up all the meatball ingredients and season to taste. You need to enclose a chunk of mozzarella inside each meatball. I find the best way is to flatten a lump of meat on your palm, put the cheese chunk on top then fold the meat around it, adding a bit more if necessary.

You probably won't use all the cheese and so will have to eat the rest. Oh dear what a shame.

Stick the meatballs in the fridge to firm up a bit.

OK, Sauce time.

Stick everything into a pan and soften it up. Oh, chop the pepper first. Then whizz it up into a rough sauce. When the meatballs are firm, braise them in the sauce.

Serve with couscous and a nice crisp white wine.

Laura

Roasted Vegetables (or Chicken) with Harissa Dressing

The Vegetables
Cherry tomatoes, halved
Eggplant
Squash (one type or a variety)
Red pepper
Yellow pepper
Onion
1 or 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
3 tbsp olive oil
Handful of fresh basil leaves
Salt & pepper

5 oz couscous
9 oz boiling vegetable stock or bouillon
2 oz firm goat cheese (Feta)

Chicken
Optional - 4 half chicken breasts, cut into bit-sized pieces.

Black onion seeds (optional)
Choose enough vegetables for 4 people. Cut the eggplant, squash, peppers, and onion into 1 inch cubes. Toss the vegetables and chicken together with the oil, basil leaves, and salt & pepper. Then spread them out on a roasting tin (jelly roll pan) and put in a 425F oven for 30-40 minutes.

Towards the end of the vegetable cooking, prepare the couscous. Put the couscous in a large heat proof bowl and pour in the stock, season with salt and pepper, then stir with a fork. After 5 minutes, it should have absorbed all the stock, and have softened.

Harissa Dressing
1/2 cup olive oil
1 rounded tsp cayenne pepper
2 tbsp ground cumin
2 heaping tbsp tomato puree
4 tbsp lime juice (about 2 limes)

Whisk all the dressing ingredients together.

You can serve hot by stirring together the couscous, vegetables, and cheese, adding the harissa dressing to taste.

As a salad, let the couscous and vegetables cool. Fork together the couscous and cheese in a large bowl, then layer the vegetables over the couscous. Put salad leaves on top, then dribble the dressing on and sprinkle with the black onion seeds. Serves 4.

Laura