middle-eastern noms

I am not very good at making hommus or felafal. I am yet to successfully do so - usually I just get Gen (at FoE) to make it for me. But it turns out what I really should be doing is getting Jo to make it for me!



Even though it has been really cold, we somehow decided on one particularly chilly evening that we'd have what is effectively summer food. Jo made some hommus and some felafal and a mushroom and capsicum salad, and Danni spent an age chopping parsley for a taboulli. Which, in interesting news, I should note that I don't usually like taboulli, it usually makes me feel sick, but this one I had no problems with! So that was exciting (and delicious).



It's funny how rarely we engage in Middle-Eastern noms, given where we live (...an area very heavily populated by Middle-Eastern restaurants and grocers...50m from my front door I can buy hummous in a can. HOMMUS IN A CAN). Eating this meal, and Danni's recent visit to Tiba's, reminded me how delicious and easy this food can be. And also I bet it is really great picnic food.



Mmmm hommus. Maybe this post will get updated with a recipe. Or maybe not. Maybe you will all just have to ask Jo over to make this hommus for you.

capsicum soup

Whilst Zanchey and Sheebaface were in town, aside from taking a week off work I tried not to let it completely mess up my schedule. So I still did my FOE shift, and one night I went to class as usual. Sheeba went to Camy's for dinner with an old school friend, and I left D and Zanchey with instructions to provide dinner.



Zanchey volunteered, and produced this delicious, full-bodied capsicum soup. The flavour of the capsicum was not over-powering, it was underpinned by the zucchini and very tasty.

Capsicum Soup, taken from 200 One Pot Meals, cooked by Zanchey

ingredients
2 onions (finely chopped)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
3 red capsicums, deseeded and roughly chopped
2 zucchinis, finely chopped
900mL of vegetable stock or water
salt and pepper
garnish: chopped chives

method
Brown the onions in the oil; add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the capsicum and half the zucchini and fry for 5-8 minutes (or until soft and brown).

Add the stock to the pan with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

When the vegetables are tender, blend the mixture in batches to a smooth soup, and then return to the pan.

Season to taste, reheat and serve topped with the remaining zucchini and garnish with chopped chives. Don't prepare the garnishes too early! Otherwise the zucchini dries out :o(

Good hot or cold. Serves 4.