Sweet potato Falafel with couscous salad and tzatiki

Sweet potato falafel

This sweet potato falafel recipe is based on one from the Leon cookbook but I have speeded up the process by boiling the sweet potato instead of roasting it. The sweet potato falafel tastes great in a pitta with tzatziki and a couscous salad.

Serves: 4 

2tsp cumin

2tsp ground coriander

1tsp cayenne pepper

handful coriander, chopped

150g gram flour

3 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into chunks

Boil the sweet potatoes for 15 minutes or until soft. Drain, mash and leave to cool. Stir in the spices, fresh coriander and gram flour. Place covered in the fridge for 30minutes until mixture is easier more sticky than wet.

Heat the oven to 180C.

Roll mixture into balls and place on an oiled tray. Cook in the oven for 30 minutes.

Serve with wholemeal pitta pockets, couscous salad and tzatiki. 

Couscous with feta and walnuts

Serves: 4

 

The Ume plum seasoning used as a dressing adds a refreshing zesty flavour.

Handful walnuts

Handful coriander, chopped

Handful mint, chopped

Handful mung bean sprouts

Handful, feta, chopped

¼ zest of lemon

Olive oil

Sea salt and Black pepper

Pinch of saffron

200g Couscous

Ume plum seasoning

Put the couscous in a bowl and sprinkle over sea salt, black pepper, saffron, a glug of olive oil and just cover with boiling water. Stir once and cover with clingfilm for 10 minutes. Leave to cool.

Use a fork to fluff up the couscous and stir in the lemon zest, feta, mint, coriander, walnuts and mung beans. Dress with a glug of olive oil and a few dashes of ume plum seasoning.

Tzatziki

Serves: 4 

Tub of greek yoghurt

Handful mint, chopped

¼ cucumber, finely chopped

Sea salt

1 garlic clove

Olive oil

Add a good glug of olive oil to a mixing bowl. Crush the garlic with a large pinch of sea salt and finely chop, keep crushing and chopping until you have a salty garlic paste. Add the garlic paste to the olive oil and stir in a little of the yoghurt at a time, making sure the garlic and olive oil are evening distributed.  Add the mint and cucumber, stir and season to taste.

Halloumi/Chicken couscous warm salad

A char-grilled red pepper adds a light smokey flavour to this dish, which works well with the garlic in the spinach and the tangy lemon wedges.

4 tomatoes, cut into eighths
2 handfuls of spinach
1 red pepper
1 small clove garlic, crushed and finely chopped
200g couscous
Olive oil
Few leaves of basil, torn
Juice of 1/4 lemon
Sea salt and black pepper

Vegetarian:1/2 pack halloumi, sliced
Meat-eater: 1 chicken breast

Place the red pepper directly onto a flame for 20mins, turning every 5mins until the red pepper is almost completely black. (alternatively grill it until a similar effect takes place). Put the char-grilled pepper in an air-tight plastic bag leaving the skin to steam. Remove after 10mins and delicately scrape off the char-grilled skin, leaving you with a soft flesh. Slice the pepper, drizzle with olive oil, and season before setting aside.

Meanwhile marinate the tomatoes in a bowl with olive oil, basil and plenty of salt and pepper.

V: Fry the halloumi in a non-stick frying pan for a few minutes on each side until it browns.
M: Place a square of clingfilm over the top of the chicken and bash a few times until it's about 1inch thick. Remove the clingfilm, season the chicken, heat a little olive oil in a frying pan and fry for about 3 minutes on each side. Cut into slices before serving.

To cook the spinach, place the garlic in a glug of olive oil while it's still cold (I find this stops it from burning). Fry the garlic lightly over a medium heat, stir in the spinach and cook for a few minutes.

When you are ready to assemble the salad, first place the couscous in a large bowl, gently pour over boiling water until it just covers the couscous, drizzle with olive oil and season. Give the bowl a gentle shake to ensure the water is evenly distributed and cover with a lid for 5mins. Use a fork to fluff the couscous before serving.

To serve the salad, distribute the couscous between two bowls, layer the tomatoes, peppers, spinach and your V or M option along with a wedge of lemon.