Sumac and cumin spiced lamb

This is the kind of simple, meat and potatoes dish that I tend to revisit whenever I need a fuss free yet fulfilling supper. It can easily be altered according to what vegetables you may have hanging around in your fridge and needs little attention in terms of cooking.
Aside from the sumac, which can be purchased from most supermarkets or middle Eastern stores, the recipe uses standard spices. The fresh coriander can be substituted with parsley if coriander isn't to your taste.

Ingredients to feed 2:
300g lamb or mutton mince
350g new potatoes, large pieces cut into quarters
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 large clove of garlic, finely chopped
a large handful of leafy greens such as spinach, swiss chard or kale
1 carrot, shaved with a peeler or very finely chopped
A small bunch of fresh coriander, leaves picked and stalks finely chopped
1 teaspoon of cumin
1 teaspoon of sumac plus extra for sprinkling
1/2 teaspoon of turmeric
1/4 teaspoon chilli flakes
sea salt & black pepper
Creme fraiche to serve
 

Method:
Cover the potatoes with enough water to top them by an inch. Bring it to boil and cook for 20 mins until tender. Drain and set aside.
Chop the vegetables whilst the potatoes are cooking.
Put a frying pan on a medium heat and brown the lamb mince with the onions (5 mins approximately). There is no need for oil as the lamb has plenty of fat in it.
To remove some of the fat, take the frying pan off the heat once the meat is cooked, tilt the pan and push the meat to the top of it. The fat will drain to the bottom and you can spoon it off. This part is optional, although I do tend to remove around 1-2 tablespoons of the fat.
Put the frying pan back on the medium heat, add the garlic, cumin, coriander stalks, sumac, chilli, turmeric and season well with salt and pepper. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
Add your vegetables and cook for another couple of minutes.
Add the potatoes, stir well and cook for another minute or two. Check the seasoning and season to your taste.
Divide the lamb & potatoes between two plates, sprinkle some sumac and fresh coriander leaves and put a dollop of creme fraiche on top.

Middle Eastern turkey meatballs

Turkey is a lean and thrifty protein source. For this recipe, I combined minced turkey breast with the warming Middle Eastern spices of ground coriander and cumin. 
The end result is these flavoursome and succulent turkey meatballs, served with couscous and lemon black kale.
A satisfying supper that is high in nutrients.

Ingredients  - Serves 4

For the turkey meatballs:
500g turkey breast mince
1 onion (180g), very finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
large handful of parsley leaves (5g), finely chopped
1 large tomato (150g), finely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons of ground coriander
1 teaspoon of cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon of oil for cooking (rapeseed is ideal)

For the couscous:
160g couscous
4x spring onions, sliced
large handful of parsley, finely chopped
sea salt and pepper to taste
water
olive oil for drizzling

For the lemon kale
1 pack of black kale (calvo nero), 200g
juice of 1 lemon
sea salt & pepper to taste

Method:
To make the meatballs, combine all of the ingredients (apart from the oil) in a large bowl. Mix it well by kneading it with your hands until well combined.
Shape into meatballs.
Heat the oil in a frying pan on a medium heat. 
Fry the meatballs for 5 minutes on one side, turn over then press them down and fry for another 5 minutes. This makes the shape akin to a mini burger but it does ensure that the meat is throughly cooked.
Keep them warm until you make the couscous and kale (I did this by putting the meatballs in a bowl and popping them in the oven on a low heat).
Put the couscous with a pinch of salt and pepper in a large bowl, pour over enough boiling water to cover the couscous by an inch. Cover and let it stand for 5 minutes.
Fluff it up with a fork, add the spring onions and parsley, drizzle with olive oil and stir well to combine.
For the kale, tear the leaves into small chunks, discarding the main stem. Put the kale in a large bowl, season well with salt and pepper and squeeze over the lemon juice. Massage the lemon juice into the kale for 5 minutes or so until the leaves have broken down. You should end up with roughly half the volume that you started with.
Divide the couscous, kale and meatballs between four plates and serve.

Lemon & herb flattened chicken

Chicken breasts may be a great source of lean protein but prepared the wrong way they can become completely flavourless and dry.
If you are after something that tickles your tastebuds, try this herb & lemon variation.
Flattening the chicken breasts tenderises the meat and ensures that they cook in just a few minutes.
Serve it with a salad for a tasty lunch or atop a risotto or a few new potatoes for dinner.
 

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts
1 sprig of rosemary, leaves picked and finely chopped
2 sprigs of thyme, leaves picked
1 clove of garlic, crushed
grated zest of 1/3 of a lemon
1 tbsp lemon juice
salt & pepper to taste
salad to serve
tbsp of oil for cooking

Method:
To flatten the chicken, roll out a sheet of cling film, place a chicken breast on it, fold it over (so both sides of the chicken are covered) and bash it with a rolling pin until it is flattened and thin. You may need to turn the chicken breast over a few times. The thiner you can get it, the quicker it will cook. Repeat with the second chicken breast.
For the flavouring, combine the finely chopped rosemary, thymes leaves, garlic, lemon zest and juice and season well with salt and pepper.
Rub the flavouring over the flattened chicken breasts.
Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat. 
Fry the chicken breasts for 3 minutes on each side. The cooking times will vary according to how much flattening you did. Check that the chicken breasts are thoroughly cooked before consuming.
Serve with a green salad & sliced red onion, drizzled with some olive oil.