Chili con carne, met of zonder maisbrood

Eindelijk mijn recept voor chili con carne. Deze maakte ik voor een hele troep meisjes, die enthousiast kwamen kleding ruilen. Eens in de zoveel tijd wisselen wij onze jurkjes, hemdjes en rokjes. Er wordt gepast en gemeten, en ook gestemd. Nee, die jurk staat jouw veeeel beter. O gelukkig. Er belandt ook een hele hoop op de stapel voor het goede doel. Het idee is om na afloop weer een fijn opgeruimde en enigszins lege kledingkast te hebben, maar ik eindig altijd met meer in plaats van minder kleren. Nou ja, ook niet erg.

De chili: die werd erg gewaardeerd, en ik vond 'm zelf ook niet onappetijtelijk. Ik serveerde het met maisbrood, wat als een deksel over de chili heen ging (geen foto van, helaas). Zonder maisbrood kan ook, met bijvoorbeeld zachte tortillawraps of rijst, en wat tomaten en ijsbergsla. Lekker met crème fraiche, geraspte kaas, tabasco en misschien zelfs guacomole. Er gaat overigens een flinke eetlepel cacao in de chili, dat is een tip van Nigella. Dit klinkt gek, maar is echt heel lekker.



Chili con carne (8-10 personen)

zonnebloemolie
3 uien, grofgehakt
2 tenen knoflook, fijngehakt
1,5 tl korianderzaad
1,5 tl komijnzaad
0,5 tl gemalen kardamom
2 rode pepers, zonder zaad, fijngehakt
2 stengels bleekselderij, in kleine stukken
2 middelgrote wortels, in kleine stukken
2 rode paprika's, in kleine stukken
1 kg rundergehakt
2 blikken tomaten (blokjes of gepelde)
6 eetl tomatenpuree
1 tl zout
1,5 eetl cacao
800 g kidneybonen (2 blikken), afgespoeld in een vergiet
340 g mais (1 middelgroot blik)
zout

* fruit ui en knoflook in de olie voor een paar minuten, totdat de ui glazig ziet
* rooster ondertussen in een aparte koekenpan (zonder olie) het komijn- en korianderzaad
* wrijf deze daarna fijn in een vijzel
* voeg komijn, koriander en kardamom toe aan de ui
* voeg na 2 minuten ook de rode pepers, bleekselderij, wortel en paprika toe
* bak weer een paar minuten en voeg dan het gehakt toe
* braad het gehakt op middelhoog vuur totdat deze volledig bruin ziet
* voeg dan de blikken tomaten toe, evenals de tomatenpuree, een theelepel zout en 1,5 eetlepel cacao
* breng aan de kook en laat het anderhalf uur op laag vuur stoven
* voeg aan het eind de kidneybonen en de mais toe en warm het geheel door

Maisbrood (optioneel)

stap 1:

240 g bloem
240 g maismeel (biologische of Turkse winkel)
4 eetl suiker
6 tl bakpoeder
2 tl chilivlokken
2 tl zout

* verwarm de oven voor op 200 C
* meng bovenstaande ingredienten in een kom

stap 2:

460 ml melk
220 g gesmolten boter
1 ei

* meng deze ingredienten in een andere kom en roer het dan door de droge ingredienten

stap 3:

1 rode paprika, fijngesneden
geraspte kaas

* voeg de paprika toe en laat het deeg 5 minuten staan
* doe de chili in een grote schaal en verdeel het deeg erover
* bestrooi met kaas en zet ongeveer 25 minuten in de oven

tips:

* als je geen vijzel hebt, kun je ook gemalen koriander en komijn gebruiken
* zoals bij alle stoofschotels, is deze chili de volgende NOG lekkerder
* je kan de chili ook goed invriezen

Quiche met spinazie, geitenkaas en aardappel

Je hebt quiche en je hebt quiche. Een zompige quiche is stom. Maar een quiche met een brosse bodem en een smakelijke vulling: dat is heerlijk. Dat doe je door het deeg voor de bodem zelf te maken, dus geen klef gedoe met bladerdeeg uit de diepvries. Het deeg wordt eerst een half uur te ruste gelegd in de koelkast en daarna blind gebakken. Alles om de bodem bros, brosser, brost te krijgen. Het is dan wel even wat werk, maar de noeste arbeid wordt beloond! Laten we zeggen dat het een fijn zondagmiddag recept is.

Het recept voor deze quiche komt oorspronkelijk van Rachel Allen, en ik vind het de lekkerste quiche die ik ooit heb gegeten. Echt waar! Ik wilde 'm al een tijdje maken, en nu opeens voegde ik de daad bij het woord. Terwijl ik niet eens eters had. Maakt niet uit, in mijn eentje met een glas koude witte wijn heb ik enorm genoten van mijn eigen kookkunsten.




Quiche met spinazie, geitenkaas en aardappel

stap 1: de bodem

keukenmachine (of zie tips onderaan)
200 g bloem
100 g koude boter
1 ei uit de koelkast, losgeklopt (dan bedoel ik gewoon net totdat eigeel en eiwit gemengd zijn)
1/2 tl zout

* doe de bloem in de keukenmachine
* snijd de boter in stukken en voeg toe aan de bloem
* zet de machine aan tot de bloem en boter samen kruimels zijn geworden
* voeg het ei toe en mix totdat het een bal begint te worden en haal het uit de keukenmachine
* kneed het met je hand heel kort door, totdat je echt een bal hebt en druk dit plat tot een schijf van ong 2 cm dik
* wikkel in met plasticfolie en plaats een halfuur in de koelkast
* zet de oven aan op 180 C
( evt kun je nu ook vast beginnen aan de vulling - zie onder)
* bekleed een springvorm van 24 of 26 cm met bakpapier
* haal de schijf deeg uit de koelkast een sla er een paar keer flink op met een deegroller, en rol het daarna uit tot een dunne lap
* doe de lap in de vorm en druk met je vingers totdat er geen scheuren meer in zitten en je een opstaande rand hebt van ongeveer twee vingers hoog
* leg daar weer een stuk bakpapier op en vul deze met gedroogde bonen of kikkererwten, zodat de bodem helemaal bedekt is (blind bakken)
* bak de bodem 15 minuten

stap 2: de vulling

3-4 aardappelen (middelgroot), vastkokend en geschild
300 g verse spinazie
4 eieren
250 ml slagroom
25 g parmezaanse kaas, vers geraspt
snuf zout
1 tl nootmuskaat, bij voorkeur vers geraspt
1/2 tl cayennepeper, of anders gewone peper
150 g zachte geitenkaas

* zet de aardappels op en kook ze net gaar in 15-20 minuten
* giet de aardappels af na het koken en snijd ze in plakken van een halve cm
* zet ondertussen de spinazie op met een klein kopje water in een grote pan en kook 4-5 minuten totdat deze geslonken is
* plaats de spinazie in een vergiet, en druk er zoveel mogelijk vocht uit. probeer daarna met je handen er nog meer vocht uit te knijpen
* hak de spinazie grof
* klop in een kom de 4 eieren los en klop daar slagroom, parmezaanse kaas, zout, nootmuskaat en cayennepeper doorheen. roer er ook de spinazie door.

stap 3: en dan..

* haal de quiche uit de oven en beleg de bodem met de plakjes aardappel
* verdeel hier de geitenkaas over
* schenk het ei/spinaziemengsel erover
* bak ongeveer 35-45 minuten in de oven

tips tips tips:

* let op bij het maken van het deeg: alles moet steeds koud blijven, dus raak zo min mogelijk aan met je warme handen
* heb je geen keukenmachine, snijd dan de boter door de bloem met 2 messen in een kom. kneed daarna het ei erdoor met koele handen
* als je het bakpapier een samenkreukelt tot een bal, blijft deze daarna makkelijker in vorm
* bewaar de bonen voor het blindbakken in een blik of pot, dan kan je het steeds opnieuw gebruiken
* deze quichebodem kun je voor allerlei quiches gebruiken

Indiase dahl met spinazie en zoete aardappel

Na een weekend met dikke plakken gemarineerd lamsvlees en rabarbertaart, nu maar weer vegetarisch en laag in de calorieën. Gezond, snel en vegetarisch. Ja dat is fijn! O, en makkelijk ook nog. Deze linzenschotel is kruidig en licht pittig en houdt het midden tussen een soep en een groentestoof.



Indiase dahl met spinazie en zoete aardappel (voor 2 personen)

2 eetl olie
1 ui, fijngehakt
1 teen knoflook, fijngehakt
1 rode peper zonder zaadjes, fijngehakt
1,5 tl garam massala (kruidenmengsel)
0,5 tl kurkuma
400 ml water
1 blokje groentebouillonblokje
100 g rode linzen
1 grote zoete aardappel, geschild en in blokjes
75 g jonge spinazie (drie handen vol)
koriander
naanbrood

* fruit de ui in de olie op laag vuur
* voeg na 2 minuten de knoflook en rode peper toe
* voeg na 2 minuten garam massala en kurkuma toe en bak nog 1 minuut
* voeg water, bouillonblokje en linzen toe en breng op hoog vuur aan de kook
* kook 10 minuten op laag vuur (zodat het zachtjes pruttelt)
* voeg de zoete aardappel toe en kook nog zachtjes 10-12 minuten, tot je de punt van een mes makkelijk in de aardappel kan steken
* roer er de spinazie door en warm nog even door
* bestrooi met verse koriander en serveer met warm naanbrood

I recently moved to a new neighbourhood and already I have discovered two small shops where I plan to go every Saturday from now on.
One shop is a bakery. I saw a small crowd inside, which made me curious. It smelled lovely in there and it was very warm from the ovens burning. On the counter there were different cakes and breads, it was difficult to choose. Best of all: the ingredients are all ecological.
And the other day I was pleasantly surprised to find a Moroccan supermarket, with all types of vegetables including rare ones, like Jerusalem artichokes (NL: aardperen). It also had a butcher's counter, where I bought some lamb. And I made this:



Middle Eastern lamb stew (serves 4)

1 kg lamb (lamb shoulder, or leg of lamb without the bone), cut in large chunks
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons ras-el-hanout (Moroccan spice mix)

* put the lamb meat in a bowl and add oil and spices
* stir so all the meat is covered, and place in the fridge overnight

next day:
1.
equipment: a casserole (NL: stoofpan) with a lid

* preheat the oven to 150 C
* heat some olive oil in the pan, and fry the meat. it's very important to only fry a few chunks (depending on your size of pan, around 6-8 chunks) at a time so they get nice and brown
* put the chunks you have fried in a bowl, and continue to fry all chunks of meat

2.
olive oil
2 large white onions, thinly sliced
2 cloves of garlic
water
2 bay leaves (NL: laurierblaadjes)

* put the onion in the pan you used to fry the meat. fry on a low heat for 5 minutes
* add garlic and continue to fry for 1 minute, then add the meat. cover with water and put in 2 bay leaves.
* bring to a boil and place in the oven and leave it there for 2 hours

3.
100 g dried plums, cut into pieces
2 tablespoons of honey

* place the pan on the stove again, and stir in the plums and honey
* continue to cook for half an hour, without the lid
* serve with for example couscous and grilled vegetables

This stew was really even better than I expected, and I would really recommend it.

Sea bass on a bed of fennel and tomato

Time for some fish. Almost every Saturday I make my way to the market, and I love it so much. There is a great market closeby (Ten Kate market), with a nice mix of fruits, vegetables, weird stuff and fishfishfish. The fish is fresh and surprisingly cheap. Really uncomparable to the stuff you can get in the average supermarket here - where it's prepackaged and overpriced.
Last Saturday the fish stand had sea bass on offer. I bought a nice two person-sized one and continued my round past different stalls, buying different vegetables and fruits. At home I searched the internet a bit, and decided to make the following: (and it was FABULOUS!)



Sea bass on a bed of fennel and tomato (serves 2)

500 g potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 cm slices
olive oil
1-2 fennel bulbs (top and bottom cut off), sliced (NL= venkel)
2-3 tomatoes, cut into wedges (NL=partjes)
4 anchovy fillets (in oil, from a jar of can)
4 cloves of garlic, cut into large chunks
300 ml water + bouillon cube
bunch of fresh dille
1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano
1 sea bass (about 300 g), cleaned but with head (NL=zeebaars)
2 lemon wedges

* preheat the oven to 200 C
* boil the potatoes for 7 minutes and drain
* rub some oil in an oven dish and spread out the potatoes, making 1 layer
* put the fennel, tomatoes, anchovies, garlic pieces, some dille (not all of it) and the oregano on top of the potatoes
* boil the water and dissolve the cube in it with a fork
* pour the bouillon over the vegetables and place in the oven for 25 minutes
* rinse the fish under the running tap (NL=kraan) and pat dry with some kitchen towel
* make 5-6 undeep incisions into the skin on both sides of the fish, rub some olive oil onto it and sprinkle salt and pepper outside and inside of the fish
* put 2 lemon wedges and some dille in it's stomach opening
* place the fish on top of the oven dish and bake for 20 minutes more

Ratatouille - French zucchini and tomato stew

Excuses, excuses. Plenty of those. I do apologise for my absence the last month. I will not bore you with the reasons, but instead treat you to a new recipe. A very summery dish this is, and while eating you will think you are somewhere in France. I do anyway.
You can eat ratatouille, of course, the day you make it. I usually eat it with some wild rice.
But make sure to make some extra ratatouille and eat that the next day. Preferably lukewarm on a piece of French bread (baguette). Let it stand for 10 minutes and enjoy. I read this tip on another blog somewhere and I can really recommend it.
By the way: buy your zucchini on the small side. They usually have more flavour than the larger ones.
The recipe for this ratatouille is without aubergine. My man doesn't like it, and I'm not too fond of it either, so I skip it even though it's quite a traditional ingredient for a ratatouille. If you do like to put in some, well, then be my guest.



Ratatouille (serves 4, or two times two)

olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3-4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped or finely sliced
3-4 zucchini (NL: courgette), halved and cut in 1-cm slices
10 tomatoes, coarsely chopped or 2 cans of tomatoes
1 teaspoon of sugar
1/2 glass of white wine
2 bay leaves (NL: laurier, S: lagerblad)
1 teaspoon of dried French herbs
salt and pepper

* heat the oil and add the onion, garlic, celery and carrots
* let this soften up for 10 minutes - it should not get brown, just soft
* add the zucchini and fry for 2 minutes
* add the tomatoes and sugar and turn the heat up
* break the tomatoes by cooking them on a high heat while stirring often
* after 5 minutes you can lower the heat and add the wine, bay leaves and herbs
* leave to simmer for 30 minutes or longer, with the lid of the pan halfway

Another serving alternative: add some fried sausages, cut in slices and boiled potatoes to turn it into a more meaty and hearty stew (S: Fransk korvgryta).

Ćevapčići - bbq skewers

This weekend I tasted summer. The weather was great and we had our first barbecue of the year. M. had invited his fellow graduates to celebrate. In Sweden it is custom with barbecues that every one brings their own food and you share a little. The host provides the basics, such as a salad, some bread and maybe some sauces.
Since I had to work on the day of the barbecue I couldn't make and prepare as much as I wanted, but I made a few things anyway. The evening before I prepared some ćevapčići. When I came home on the day of the barbecue H. proposed to help me and together we prepared a huge salad, roast potatoes (recipe on my blog here) and tsatsiki, while talking about all kinds of things. It's such a nice thing to cook together! She brought some fantastic cookies by the way, for which she promised me the recipe. I'll make them and post about them later!



Ćevapčići (makes around 10 skewers)

sunflower oil
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon Vegeta or salt
500 g minced lamb
500 g minced beef
1 egg white
1 tablespoon paprika (NL: paprikapoeder)

* heat the oil in a small frying pan and add the onion and garlic and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of Vegeta or salt
* fry on medium low heat for 5 minutes, until the onion and garlic are soft and getting some colour (adjust the heat so they don't get brown)
* put the egg white in a large bowl and whisk it a little with a fork
* add the minced lamb and beef, the paprika and the onion and garlic mixture
* mix all this together with your hand (I always use one hand to do this, so the other hand can hold the bowl and stays clean for sudden phone calls or a sudden itch)
* slightly wet a tray or plate (I needed two plates), as this prevents the meat from sticking
* for the same reason prepare a small bowl of water to dip your hands in before rolling each little roll
* make rolls of around 2 cm thick and 5 cm long and put them on your prepared tray or plate (yes, now you need two hands, so let that phone ring and ignore those itches)
* cover with plastic foil and place in the fridge for an hour, or overnight, so they don't fall apart
* soak wooden barbecue pens in water for at least 30 minutes, so they don't burn
* make kebabs by sticking the 4 rolls onto a stick, not through the length, but through the sides of the rolls (see picture)
* roast on the barbecue until they are done, 5-10 minutes (they should not be red or pink in the middle)

I really liked these and so did everyone else (or so they said) - I can really recommend them!

Prijatno (eat well)!

Omelet with mushrooms and cheese

This omelet is really easy to make and done in less than five minutes. And it tastes great!

A tip to make a good omelet, that I have gotten from my 'aunt-in-law', is to melt a little butter and mix this with the eggs before frying. Another one is to make sure some air gets under the eggs when they are in the pan: lift the eggs up carefully with a spatula and let the runny part off the eggs get under the part that has already began to form an omelet. Here's my recipe:



Omelet with mushrooms and cheese (serves 1)

2 eggs
1 tablespoon of water or milk
pinch of salt
1 1/2 tablespoons of butter
5-6 mushrooms, in slices
handful of grated cheese
3-4 sprigs of chives (NL: bieslook), finely chopped or cut with scissors

* mix the eggs in a bowl with 1 tablespoon of water and a pinch of salt
* melt 1/2 tablespoon of the butter in a small frying pan
* stir the melted butter into the egg mixture
* melt 1 tablespoon of butter in the frying pan and fry the mushrooms on medium high heat
* when they have become brown and soft you can add the egg mixture
* leave the heat on medium high
* use a spatula to carefully lift up the sides of the omelet, so the runny part of the eggs can get under the thickened part
* when most of the omelet has formed, but there is some moist left on the top, sprinkle the cheese on and fold the omelet
* fry for another 30-60 seconds and slide the omelet onto a plate
* sprinkle some fresh chives over the top

This omelet is great for lunch. But with some salad and bread it makes a nice and quick evening meal as well!

Asian style vegetables with noodles or rice

Last weekend I made, with the help and assistance of some friends, a delicious risotto with green asparagus, mint and lemon. With all the wine we were drinking during the cooking, I completely forgot to take a picture. So, I will have to make the risotto again (which I totally don't mind, it was that good) and post the recipe wíth pictures some other time. The recipe was Jamie Oliver's, so if you want to make it before I post it, check his website!

The days have gone by and finally I am posting a new recipe. This is because I only have one week left before I have to hand in the first draft of my thesis...Aaargh! Luckily the stress, as it usually does, has a positive effect on my creativity, so the writing goes quite well, thank you.

Today I will tell you about a delicious Asian dish. It's little bit sweet and smooth, and very tasty. I wonder how my Chinese friends would like it. Maybe they say it's not Asian at all!
The ingredient list seems quite long, but once you have the stuff for the sauce at home, you can cook a million things with it (or just make this recipe over and over again). I have made a suggestion for which vegetables to use, but you can of course vary as much as you like. You can also add some fried tofu or egg to add some protein.



Asian style vegetables with noodles or rice (serves 4)

sauce:
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon sunflower oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
60 ml Japanese soy sauce
80 ml sweet chili sauce
2 teaspoons cornflour (NL: maizena)
125 ml water
2 teaspoons grated ginger
1 tablespoon of ketjap manis (sweet Indonesian sauce)

vegetables:
1 medium broccoli, cut in small florets
2 handfuls of snap peas (NL: peultjes) or sugar snaps
1 red bell pepper (NL: paprika), in cubes or slices
150 gr cremini mushrooms (NL: kastanje champignons), sliced
1/4 savoy cabbage, shredded

plus: noodles or rice

* blanch the broccoli and snap peas for 2 minutes in boiling water and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process
* make the sauce by putting the sesame oil and sunflower oil in a large frying pan or wok
* fry the onion and garlic until they are soft, but not brown
* add soy sauce, sweet chili sauce, cornflour, water, ginger and ketjap manis and let it simmer for a few minutes to thicken
* add paprika, mushrooms and cabbage, cover the pan and simmer for around 3-5 minutes until they are cooked but still crunchy
* add broccoli and snap peas and warm through
* serve with noodles or rice

Tips:
* don't throw away the stalk of the broccoli - peel it and cut into thin slices. Use with the rest of the broccoli.
* you can keep ginger in the freezer and grate what you need straight into the pan. You can do the same with chili peppers by the way!

Mexican tortilla envelopes with salsa

Andalusia was, in one word, amazing. No, I need more words. It was amazing, beautiful, fantastic. Warm, colorful and festive. The food was so good, and so were the wines. The best of all was the company: my mother and sister. We made long walks amongst black pigs and thousands of wild flowers; climbed the steps of ancient castles; stared at thousands of women in traditional flamenco dresses at the Sevilla fiesta and finally got a bit burned in our bikini's on the beach.

We ate tapas almost every day. A lot of meat and fish, so I thought to make something vegetarian tonight. Not with a Spanish, but with a Mexican twist.



Mexican tortilla envelopes (serves 4)

sunflower oil
1 onion, cut in thin slices
6 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 red chili pepper, seeds removed and finely chopped (or keep the seeds if you like it more spicy)
1 red bell pepper (NL:paprika), chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 400 g can kidney beans
1 340 g can corn (NL: mais)
handful of fresh coriander, finely chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
8 tortilla's, the smaller ones, around 20-22 cm in diameter
100 g grated cheese, eg. Gouda or Cheddar
a little bit of oil for greasing

* fry the onion, garlic and chili pepper in a large frying pan or wok on a low heat until soft
* add the red bell pepper and 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon chili powder and 1 teaspoon oregano and fry for two minutes
* rinse the kidney beans in a colander (NL: vergiet) and drain the corn
* add the beans and corn to the pan and fry for a few minutes more
* preheat the oven to 200 C
* take the pan off the heat and let it stand for 5 minutes
* stir in the chopped coriander, tomatoes and 1 teaspoon salt
* line a baking tray with baking paper and grease with a little bit of oil
* place the tortilla's on your work surface and put a few spoons of the mixture in the middle of each of them
* sprinkle a handful of cheese on top
* fold the tortilla's by folding in the sides, then fold in the bottom. take the tortilla in your hand, tuck the mixture down with your fingers, fold in the top and place seam down on the baking tray. be careful not the brake the tortilla's.
* brush the envelopes with some oil
* place in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until they are a bit brown around the edges
* serve as they are, or with salsa, sour cream or guacamole




Salsa (makes one bowl)

2 tomatoes, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
1 handful of coriander, finely chopped
2 tablespoons of sunflower oil
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
1 or 2 teaspoons of tabasco to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled between your fingers
sea salt
black pepper

* stir all the ingredients together and adjust seasoning (NL: zout/peper) to taste
* serve with Mexican dishes like tortillas and burritos, or with grilled meat

Tip: the seeds and inner membrane (NL: zaadlijst) are the hottest part of the chili pepper. To de-seed a chili pepper, cut off the top part and roll the pepper between your fingers until the seeds come loose. Tap the pepper with the opening down on your work surface until all the seeds come out. This way you don't touch the seeds. Still; wash your hands afterwards and try not to touch your eyes or other sensitive areas - it can really burn!

Oven-steamed couscous

You should have smelt my kitchen just now. Roasted cumin seeds, fresh lemon, sesame paste, honey... This Swedish little house had some Morocco in it tonight!
I made myself a plateful of delicacies. Some steamed couscous with prunes and raisins, a fresh salad of tomato, cucumber and roasted cumin, a dollop of feta cream and homemade hummus and oh so spicy harissa.



I will give you all the recipes, but I will spread it out a bit over the days. That way you might come back again!

Let's start with the steamed couscous.

Oven-steamed couscous (4 portions)

5 dl water
1 cube of vegetable or chicken bouillon
1 teaspoon ground cumin (for this dish I use ready grounded cumin / NL: gemalen komijn)
1 teaspoon harissa (substitute: 1/2 teaspoon sambal oelek)
1 big teaspoon honey
2 big teaspoons butter
4 dl couscous
handful of dried prunes (8-10 pieces), chopped
handful of raisins
1/2 lemon in thin slices

* preheat the oven to 200 C
* bring 5 dl water to the boil with 1 cube of vegetable or chicken bouillon
* stir in 1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin, 1 teaspoon of harissa, 1 big teaspoon of honey and 2 teaspoons of butter and let that melt
* in the meantime: put 4 dl of couscous in an ovenproof dish (something you would make lasagna in)
* chop up a handful of prunes and add to the couscous, together with a handful of raisins
* pour the bouillon mixture over the couscous and place the lemon on top
* cover with alumiumfoil and place in the oven for 15 minutes

Variations: use apricots and/or dates; add some almonds or a chopped shallot et cetera. This couscous is also very nice with some grilled fish or lamb. You can also use bulgur instead of couscous, but check if it's fine or course. The course bulgur might need a bit more time and some more bouillon.