If I’m going to cook for myself it has to be quick, easy on the cleaning up and use up most of what I buy- because to me there’s nothing sadder to me than looking in the fridge three days after I’ve halved a recipe and still seeing half a drooped cucumber hanging around. Seriously. It sucks the sunshine right out of my day.
So here’s something that’s saved me a few times.
Moroccan mince with carrots (and yogurt and other things)
You can bulk it out with chickpeas. It goes well with some toasted flat breads that have been licked by a garlic clove. You can add more vegetables if you’re feeling spry; onions, red pepper, eggplant would all be delightful. You can add some nuts or some dried fruit like currants for colour and movement. Or you can just eat it as is and know you’ve got dinner on the table (or the couch) in under five minutes flat.
The recipe is below. As is a funny little video of me in my kitchen making it. NB we were going to do two takes, but The Hungry One got hungry. So there’s only one. C’est la vie.
Moroccan mince with flatbreads
Serves 1
(Nb, you could always double or triple it if you have guests. If you feel like cooking in bulk the mince will also freeze well. I’d hold off on adding the yogurt until after you’ve defrosted and reheated).
Equipment
1 vegetable peeler. 1 fry pan. Something to grate or smush garlic with. 1 spatula. 1 knife.
Shopping/ foraging
200 grams of lean beef mince (or lamb mince, or turkey, or diced hard tofu or chickpeas if you’re that way inclined)
1 bunch of coriander
2 tablespoons of natural yogurt
2 garlic cloves, grated (or 1 heaped teaspoon of garlic in a jar)
1 teaspoon of chopped red chilli (or 1 teaspoon of chilli paste from a jar)
1 tablespoon of ground cumin
1 carrot
Salt, to taste (don’t be shy, it needs a bit to make it sing)
Optional
1 pita bread, toasted and rubbed with a clove of garlic. 1 cup of chickpeas, rinsed.
Here’s how we roll
1. Toast the cumin in a hot dry pan until it smells nutty.
2. Add the mince and work it into the spices and begin to brown it.
3. Chop the stems of the coriander into thin slivers. Add them to the mince.
4. Peel the carrot. Then keep peeling it and add the ribbons of carrot to the mince. Stir it through (Nb, if you’re adding other vegetables or chickpeas, now is the time to add it)
5. Add the garlic and the chilli to the mince.
6. Mix the coriander and the yogurt through the cooked mince. Taste it and add more chilli or salt to your taste.
7. Serve with toasted pita breads.
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