Spicy Egg, Meatball and Tomato Tagine with Flatbread

Last weekend I was in Cyprus where temperatures hit 40˚C! A nice Cypriot commented in a sort of awe stricken way that in the winter the mountains had snow and ‘it got as cold as 15˚C!’ Well it is summer here and it is officially 14˚C. Take me back please. The freaky summer means that I am craving something warming but with a Mediterranean feel to remind me it is summer in most of Europe. So Rick Stein’s Moroccan tagine (or Kefta Mkaouara) hit the spot with the unctuous combination of meatballs with a thick spiced tomato sauce and homemade flatbreads to mop up the juices.

Spicy Egg, Meatball and Tomato Tagine from Rick Stein’s Mediterranean Escapes

Serves 4

• Preheat the oven to 200˚C.
• Mix 450g minced beef, 2 tbsp finely chopped Parsley, 1 tsp ground Cumin, ½ tsp Paprika. Shape into 28 2.5cm balls.
• Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large frying pan and fry the meatballs until brown all over. Drain on kitchen paper.
• Add 1 chopped Onion to the pan and cook until golden. Add 800g can of chopped Tomatoes, 1tsp Cumin, ½ tsp hot Paprika, 1 tsp freshly ground Pepper and 2 Garlic cloves, crushed.
• Leave to simmer for 15mins. Season well to taste. Add the meatballs and mix. Transfer to a shallow baking dish or tagine. Make 4 dips in the mixture and break 4 Eggs into each.
• Bake in the oven for 15mins or until the eggs are set. Scatter with chopped Coriander.

Flatbread

• Sift 350g Plain Flour, 1 tsp Salt, 2 tsp easy-blend Yeast into a bowl. Make a well and add 250ml Warm Water and 2 Tbsp extra virgin Olive Oil and mix to make a soft dough.
• Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead for 5mins.
• Put back into the bowl and leave to rise in a warm place for 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 240˚C. Punch back the dough and knead until smooth. Divide into 8 pieces and roll into balls. Leave to rise for 10mins.
• Roll each ball until it is about 22cm across and lay on an oiled baking tray (you may need to cook in batches). Spray with water and cook for 2mins until golden. Keep warm in a tea towel. 

American Vanilla Cupcakes

This recipe comes the Red Chocolate Velvet Heartache cookbook by Harry Eastwood. Having been seduced by the gorgeously pictured cakes and props inside I had taken a long time to actually make a recipe as they all include vegetables to make a supposedly ‘healthy’ cake. 

Behind the shoot pics taken from the book's inside cover

Not that I don’t eat vegetables, it just seems that when I feel like cake, I want it NOW – and that is why it is so brilliant that they can be whipped up using cupboard ingredients. Also, when I see a swede or aubergine in the supermarket I don’t automatically think CAKE! However, with a little forward planning I did remember to buy some courgettes for this recipe. With veg taking place of butter the actual cake is slightly chewier than normal but still got the stamp of approval from my greenery dodging brother – but this may have to do with the delicious marshmallow-like topping.

American Vanilla Cupcakes

• Preheat the oven to 180˚C and arrange 12 cupcake cases in a muffin tray.
• Whisk 2 Eggs with 160g Sugar in a large bowl until light and pale. Briefly whisk in 300g topped, tailed, peeled and finely grated Courgette.
• Add half 180g White Rice Flour (I used plain), 2 tsp Baking Powder, ¼ tsp Salt and whisk for 20 seconds. Add the remaining flour and 1 tsp Vanilla Extract and whisk.
• Spoon the mixture into the cases, filling almost to the top and cook for 30 minutes.
• Cool and then ice with the Vanilla Snow Meringue Icing, see below.

Snow Meringue Icing

• In a bain marie place 170g icing sugar, 2 tbsp Water, ¼ tsp Cream of Tartar, 1 Egg White, the seeds of 1 Vanilla Pod and a pinch of salt. Stir for 2 minutes for the sugar to dissolve.
• When warm, remove from the heat and beat with an electric mixer for about 5-10 minutes until cook and it stands up in peaks.