Perfect for devouring on its own:Lamb chops with yoghurt and fenugreek.Kris Kirkham Photography LtdIranian-born London chef and cookbook author Sabrina Ghayour is known for her vibrant Persian and Middle Eastern-inspired recipes,making her name with her best-selling debutPersiana.
Her latest collection,Persiana Everyday, has all the colour and flavour of her first book,with the added practicality of no-cook,quick-prep and one-pot dishes to suit busy day-to-day family life.
Recipes cover all the essentials (small plates,salads,meat,poultry,vegies,carbs and sweets) and embrace pantry items such as garlic granules and curry powder to add depth and complexity to the food.
Sabrina Ghayour's new cookbook.Kris Kirkham "My life has changed since my previous book – I have become a wife and step-mum to two boys – and this has been the greatest driving force behind this collection of recipes,as well as my ongoing desire to create flavourful,colourful feasts for my loved ones,"she writes in the book.
Here are four versatile recipes to try any day of the week.
Lamb chops with yoghurt and fenugreek
Lamb is my favourite meat,and chops my favourite cut (I can happily consume a platter of these by myself!) With the choice of every kind of seasoning,from the exotic to basic salt and pepper,this particular marinade is one I turn to regularly at home for both indoor grilling and barbecues. If you don't have time to make any accompaniments,this is a perfect dish for devouring on its own.
INGREDIENTS
Makes 8
Photo:Kris Kirkham Photography LtdHarissa and lemon roasted chicken thighs
This is such a simple recipe that I confess I have been making it for years and never thought to put it in one of my books. It's so handy and versatile,as it can be sliced and stuffed into pita bread or wraps and sandwiches for lunchboxes,shredded and added to salads,or used in stir-fries or rice noodle dishes. But it also pairs perfectly with steamed rice or naan in the same way tandoori chicken does. You can also marinate the chicken up to 48 hours in advance,or freeze the marinated raw chicken for use at a later date or for batch cooking.
INGREDIENTS
Serves4-6
Photo:Kris Kirkham Photography LtdBroccolini with tahini garlic sauce and preserved lemon
Quick,delicious,easy to make and eaten in minutes. That's what you hope all vegetable dishes turn out to be,and I usually find that when something is so easy to put together,I end up making it more often. This is particularly good because it can be eaten on its own,but you can also add pasta or grains to it for a more substantial dish.
INGREDIENTS
Tahini cinnamon swirls
I love cinnamon in pastry and desserts. There is no sweet treat that doesn't work with a little cinnamon in it,and these swirls have always been a favourite of mine. The tahini really enriches them,giving them a lovely nutty flavour that is something quite different and pleasing. They are great with coffee or served with vanilla ice-cream. You can also freeze a whole roll of prepared pastry for later use,then cut and bake from frozen for an extra couple of minutes.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 x 320g ready-rolled puff pastry sheet
- 4-5 tbsp tahini (make sure it's not too thin,and avoid using excess oil)
- 3 tbsp raw sugar
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
METHOD
- Preheat the oven to 180C fan-forced (200C conventional). Line a large baking tray with baking paper.
- Lay the pastry sheet on your work surface.
- Mix the tahini with the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Spread the mixture evenly all over the pastry sheet,leaving a 2cm clear border along one long edge. Starting from the opposite long edge,roll up the pastry tightly.
- Cut the roll into 4,then cut each section into 3 equal slices. Lay the slices with the swirl facing up on the lined tray,spaced slightly apart,and flatten each one gently.
- Bake for 20-22 minutes until nicely browned on top. Remove from the oven and leave to cool on the tray before serving.
Makes 12
This is an edited extract fromPersiana Everyday by Sabrina Ghayour,published by Aster,an imprint of Octopus Publishing Group Ltd. Photography by Kris Kirkham. RRP $39.99.Buy now