[Recipes]

Moroccan tagine

Ingredients:
For the Chermoula paste
2 red onions , chopped
3 garlic cloves
small knob fresh ginger,
peeled
100ml lemon juice
(about 3 lemons)
100ml olive oil
1 tbsp each honey,
cumin,
pepper, turmeric
1 tsp chilli powder
salt
handful coriander,
chopped

For the Tagine
1 tbsp olive oil
3 carrots,
cut into chunks
3 large radish, cut into
chunks
3 red onions, cut into
chunks
2 large potatoes ,
cut into
chunks
4 leek,
ends trimmed and
cut into chunks
12 dried dates
2 sprigs mint,
leaves only,
finely chopped

Method:

To make the chermoula, whizz paste ingredients in a blender. Heat oven to 220C. Tip the oil and vegetables into a heatproof casserole and cook on the hob until lightly browned, about seven minutes.

You may have to do this in two batches. Add the chermoula paste to the casserole, along with the dates. Pour in 400ml water, cover with a lid and cook in the oven for 45 minutes.

Reduce heat to 180C and cook for another 45 minutes. Add salt to taste. Sprinkle the mint.

Serve on its own or with couscous or crusty bread.

Fruity teacake

Ingredients:
300g mixture of dried
raisins and dates
225ml hot tea
juice of an orange
(about 75ml) plus zest
50g butter
100g sugar
1 egg
225g flour
4 tbsp demerara
(granulated) sugar

Method:

Place the dried fruits in a bowl and pour over the hot tea, orange juice and zest. Cover with cling film, then leave for at least four hours or better still overnight. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Grease and line the base of a 2lb loaf tin. Beat together the butter and sugar until creamy, then beat in the egg followed by the flour. Carefully stir through the fruit mixture.

Spoon the mixture into the tin, then smooth over the surface with the back of a spoon. Sprinkle all over with a thick layer of granulated sugar. Bake for one hour or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin, then turn out, cut into slices and serve.