Friday, 12 September 2025

recipe: couscous chermoula

classic Moroccan fair this couscous recipe is a GREAT partner to any dish with chermoula flavouring such as guinea fowl tagine / veggie tagine - cracking combo
couscous chermoula
classic Moroccan fair this couscous recipe is a GREAT partner to any dish with chermoula flavouring such as guinea fowl tagine / veggie tagine - cracking combo
IngredientsMakes: 400g (2)
280gready to eat couscous(recipe below)
5gveg stock cube
26gflaked almonds
6gbutter
14gdried cranberries
34gdried apricots
20golives
10gcocktail onions
2gmint
1gsalt flakes
2gchive flowers
Method
Put the couscous on to cook / redydrate first.
Toast the flaked almond in butter.
Then chop the mint and dice the rest of the ingredients and mix everything together

plain ready to eat couscous
ready to eat couscous
plain ready to eat couscous
IngredientsMakes: 280g
100gcouscous
180gboiling water
2gsalt
Method
Couscous is pre-cooked so all you really have to do it rehyrate it properly.
Good rule of thumb is 1.8 times as much boiling water as couscous by weight.
7g of salt per kilo of rehydrated couscous.
Pour the couscous into a pan, and sprinkle with salt then pour the boiling water evenly over the couscous making sure it's completely covered.
Put the lid on the pan to seal the moisture in, leave for at least 20mins on the counter top.
When removing the lid there should be no sign of water.
Drag a fork across the top of the couscous repeatedly to release it into a light grain.
Keep going until there are no lumps. Use as required.

If you are in Hereford check out Growing Local on facebook/meta they currently have all sorts of seasonal veg available grown right here in Hereford using organic practices!
Sign up for veg box here / or for wholesale here
.

recipe: toasted flaked almonds

flaked almonds lightly toasted w/ butter & salt
toasted flaked almonds
flaked almonds lightly toasted w/ butter & salt
IngredientsMakes: 43g
10gbutter
40gflaked almonds
1gsalt
Method
Turn pan up high, rub a stick of butter until it completely coats the surface w/ a thin layer of butter.
Wait until the bubbling subsides, IE water from the butter has evaporated.
Add the almonds, enough to cover the bottom of the pan but not more than a couple of flakes thick.
Toss the almonds every 15 seconds to coat them in butter, and keep them moving for 2 mins.
Then turn the heat off. Let the heat from the pan finish them off, toss them to get an even distribution of heat.
Turn out onto some kitchen towel to remove the excess butter.

If you are in Hereford check out Growing Local on facebook/meta they currently have all sorts of seasonal veg available grown right here in Hereford using organic practices!
Sign up for veg box here / or for wholesale here
.

Friday, 5 September 2025

recipe: guinea fowl w/ salted lemon & prunes

roast guinea fowl w/ red onions, salted lemon & prunes
guinea fowl w/ salted lemon & prunes
roast guinea fowl w/ red onions, salted lemon & prunes
IngredientsMakes: 1770g (4)
360g(3)red onions
20ggarlic
20golive oil
1050gguinea fowl raw
150gsweet potato
10g(1)chicken stock cube
250gboiling water
20g(1/4)salted lemons(recipe below)
10glemon oil (from salted lemons)
43gprunes
120g(1)apple
50golive oil
1gsalt flakes
Method
Heads up uW = micro Wave . . .
Peel garlic & crush it leaving it in whole pieces.
Peel onions & cut into six wedges each.
Place them in a uW friendly jug w/ the garlic & olive oil - uW 800W / 5mins turning them over half way through.
Brown the skin of the bird all round until golden while the onions soften.
Put the bird to one side once browned, and using the same pan add the softened onions garlic & oil.
Cook them until they've started to brown. Tossing occasionally.
Cook the sweet potato in the background: Dice it & put it in the uW jug w/ the stock cube & boiling water - uW 800W / 6mins.
Chop the salted lemon & cut the prunes into sixths.
Once the onions have started to 'brown add lemon, prunes & the softened sweet potato & stock.
Cook for a couplle of minutes and stir to mix into a sauce type afair then pour it all into a small high sided baking tray just big enough for the bird.
Core the apple & cut into 10 segments - I left the peel on so they hold together.
Add them to the baking tray.
Pop the bird on top drizzle w/ olive oil & season w/ salt flakes.
Cover w/ tin foil & bake 150C / 90m.
Take the tin foil off for the last 20mins.

preserved lemons make a great (very strong) citrus seasoning
salted lemons
preserved lemons make a great (very strong) citrus seasoning
IngredientsMakes: 1200g (10)
860g(10)lemons
350gsea salt
250mlolive oil

If you are in Hereford check out Growing Local on facebook/meta they currently have all sorts of seasonal veg available grown right here in Hereford using organic practices!
Sign up for veg box here / or for wholesale here
.

Thursday, 4 September 2025

recipe: salted lemons / preserved lemons

preserved lemons make a great (very strong) citrus seasoning
salted lemons
preserved lemons make a great (very strong) citrus seasoning
IngredientsMakes: 1960g (12)
1040g(12)lemons
260grock salt
660golive oil
Method
Makes 2x 950ml kilners jars.
When you want to give your north African & south Asian recipes an authentic flavour profile this ingredient is critical for a variety of recipes and super simple to make. . .
Sterilize your storage containers.
Cut a lemon in almost in half leaving one end joining the two halves.
Repeat to get 4 quarters all attached to each other at one end.
Open a gap and fill it w/ rock salt, then turn the lemon through 90 degrees and open up the cross gap and fill it w/ salt too.
Place the salt packed lemon carefully in your container.
Repeat until the container is jammed full of salt packed lemons.
Leave enough space at the top for an inch of oil.
Fill w/ olive oil, and place a gauze over the top of the lemons to keep them submerged.
Leave for at least 4 weeks before using.

If you are in Hereford check out Growing Local on facebook/meta they currently have all sorts of seasonal veg available grown right here in Hereford using organic practices!
Sign up for veg box here / or for wholesale here
.

visual recipe: salted lemons / preserved lemons

lemons salt & olive oil

remove the pedicel

cut in half almost through the blossom end

then in quarters

again not all the way through

open one way and fill with salt

the turn 90 degrees and fill again

give is a jiggle to remove excessive salt

place in kilner jar

repeat pack them in

until its full with an inch spare at the top

fill with olive oil & place a gauze in the top

leave a bit of space between gauze and top of oil

this is a 950ml kilner took 6 lemons

salted lemons - leave for at least 4 weeks



Friday, 29 August 2025

recipe: yellow pepper mushroom & egg broth - tasty low calorie

poached egg topped w/ sweated peppers & mushrooms in a bean shell broth w/ kimchi & petit pois
yellow pepper mushroom & egg broth
poached egg topped w/ sweated peppers & mushrooms in a bean shell broth w/ kimchi & petit pois
IngredientsMakes: 548g (1)
70gsweated peppers(recipe below)
2golive oil
30gsweated mushrooms(recipe below)
2golive oil
1gharissa powder
8glovage stock cube(recipe below)
220gboiling water
150gbean shell & tomato soup w goats cheese(recipe below)
12gpetit pois
55g(1)eggs
10gkimchi no7(recipe below)
1gcoriander
1gcelery leaf
Method
This recipe does rely on having some 'bean shell & tomato soup w goats cheese' recipe below [https://www.ferdiesfoodlab.co.uk/2025/08/recipe-bean-shell-tomato-soup-w-goats.html] in the fridge!
You can susbstute the lovage stock for chicken of veg stock.
I was after a filling low calorie broth packed w/ flavour & nutrition but not too heavy on the calories!
This came in at 63kcals / 100g so around 345kcal for a 550g bowl of tasty goodness!
--- nutrition info for yellow pepper mushroom & egg broth (per 100g)
energy 63
fat 4.01
saturates 1.32
mono-unsaturates 1.76
poly-unsaturates 0.55
omega_3_oil 0.01
carbohydrates 4.16
sugars 1.8
fibre 1.24
starch 0.38
protein 2.79
salt 0.88
alcohol 0.0
Total (100g)
Sweat of the mushrooms and red peppers separately, then combine & add the harissa powder keep cooking until aromatic, then place in a warm serving bowl
Make a light broth from ~230g of lovage stock & bean shell & tomato soup, nuke it until it's boiling, add the peas to this. Mine were small and just picked so didn't need any cooking.
Poach an egg and place it on top of the peppers & mushrooms.
Pour the broth & pea mix over the top and dress w/ kimchi, coriander, celery leaf & a few more petit pois.
This made a fabulous broth . . it really hit the spot.
If you need a bit more protein, adding some prawns, chicken r pork all work well.

just cooked peppers
sweated peppers
just cooked peppers
IngredientsMakes: 144g
165gred peppers
2golive oil
0.5gsalt
Method
Deseed red pepper & cut into strips as wide as they are thick.
Place into a hot oil glazed pan & toss to coat.
Put a lid on the pan and turn it to medium.
Cook for around 8min tossing frequently

soft cooked mushrooms - think, breakfast, side, wraps, bugers, pasta, pizza . . .
sweated mushrooms
soft cooked mushrooms - think, breakfast, side, wraps, bugers, pasta, pizza . . .
IngredientsMakes: 113g
150gmushrooms
10gbutter
1gsalt
Method
Thick slice the mushrooms.
Heat a pan to medium high heat, & rub it with a stick of butter to coat the surface.
Add the mushrooms, sprinkle w/ salt & toss to coat. Turn the heat to medium.
Toss them a few times as they become soft & cooked though. Use as necessary.

spiced onion & bean shell soup w/ goats cheese

If you are in Hereford check out Growing Local on facebook/meta they currently have all sorts of seasonal veg available grown right here in Hereford using organic practices!
Sign up for veg box here / or for wholesale here
.

recipe: bean shell & tomato soup w goats cheese

spiced onion & bean shell soup w/ goats cheese
bean shell & tomato soup w goats cheese
spiced onion & bean shell soup w/ goats cheese
IngredientsMakes: 1530g (4)
20golive oil
20grapeseed oil
3gcumin seeds
3gturmeric
3gthyme
5ggarlic granules
5gsweet smoked paprika
40ggarlic
250gonions
400gchopped tomatoes
35genglish mustard
5gsalt
600gboiling water
300gbroad bean shells
170gpea shells
55ggoats cheese
2gblack pepper
30glemon juice
Method
Great way to use up shells from peas & broad beans from the garden.
When shelling the beans / peas remove the string by running a peeler along the length of the seam of the pod.
Repeat for the seam on the other side.
Then cut the shells into 1-2cm pieces - avoid your stick blender getting all tangled up!
Cook on a medium heat so the spices don't over cook while the onion is browning.
In a large sauce pan at least 2L. 3L better.
Oil, then spices medium heat, then add onions and put the lid on, stir occasionally until soft & starting to brown.
Add the rest of the ingredients except the goats cheese & lemon juice, bring to the boil, then set to simmer for 20 mins.
Blitz w/ a stick blender and pass through a sieve.
Remove the goats cheese rind w/ a peeler, cut it into pieces the blend it into the sauce / soup.
Add the lemon to adjust the acidity and bring it to life.
Maybe a little tabasco?
This make a great base sauce very versatile - goats cheese optional.

If you are in Hereford check out Growing Local on facebook/meta they currently have all sorts of seasonal veg available grown right here in Hereford using organic practices!
Sign up for veg box here / or for wholesale here
.

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More Techniques, Basics and Corker Recipes

More Techniques, Basics and Corker Recipes
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