Middle Eastern Roast Pork with Roasted Roots and Yoghurt Dip

At the weekend, following a few weekends of eating a traditional Sunday roast dinner I fancied cooking something different - a twist on the classic and came up with this Middle Eastern-inspired pork shoulder joint that I marinated for five hours and it went down a treat, we'll definitely be having it again.

I served with some roasted 'roots' or carrots and parsnips drizzled with olive oil and scattered with cumin seeds and some garlic-roasted sweet potato plus a little wilted spinach and a quick yoghurt dip - delicious.

The below was enough for Glen, Bridget (age 2) and myself with a little sliced meat leftover for sandwiches the next day.

Middle Eastern Roast Pork and Roasted Roots

Here's how:

• 1 small pork shoulder (approx 1.5kg)
• The pork marinade:
• 1.5 tsp cumin seeds
• 1.5 tsp dried ginger
• 1 tsp ras el hanout
• 1 tsp white pepper
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp rosemary
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp sea salt

The roots:

• 1 pack baby parsnips
• 2 large carrots
• 2 sweet potatoes
• 4 cloves garlic
• Pinch sea salt
• Pinch black pepper
• Olive oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Everything else:

• Half pack spinach
• 2 tbsp natural yoghurt
• Handful parsley
• Handful coriander

Firstly combine the cumin, ginger, ras el hanout, pepper, salt, thyme, rosemary, cinnamon and paprika in a small bowl and mix to combine the spice mix. Get your pork joint into a large bowl and rub all over with the spice mix, into the creases of the meat to ensure it is fully coated.

Now wash your hands, and then cover the pork with either cling film or tin foil and place into the fridge to marinade for several hours. If you haven't got five hours, a couple will do.

Once the pork is sufficiently marinated, remove from the fridge for twenty minutes and pre-heat the oven to 180. Then place the pork into a roasting tin, fat side up, drizzle with a little olive oil and place onto the middle shelf. This will need 30 minutes per 500g plus an additional 20 minutes - or cook according to the packaging.

Whilst the pork is cooking, peel the sweet potatoes and chop into flat rounds and place into a small oven proof dish that you can mash into after roasting, place in four unpeeled garlic cloves and set aside.

If using the baby parsnips you can just cut the ends off but I like to peel too as Bridget won't eat them with the peel on. Place them into another roasting dish. Peel the carrots and cut into long wedges, similarly sized to the baby parsnips and add to the roasting tin. Drizzle with a generous glug of olive oil (1.5 tbsp) and then scatter over the cumin seeds and a pinch of sea salt and black pepper then toss to coat fully. Cover and set aside.

Cumin Roots

When you have about half an hour of pork cooking time left, place all of the roots into the oven to begin cooking - they will take about 45 minutes, which allows the meat some resting time.

For the yoghurt dip simply chop the parsley and coriander and add to a bowl with the yoghurt. Then once the sweet potato is out of the oven, take out one of the roasted garlic cloves and add to the dip and stir well. Leave in the fridge until serving.

When the meat is out of the oven, leave to stand and rest for 15-20 minutes before carving into thick slices.

Middle Eastern Pork

Place a drizzle of olive oil into a pan and wilt the spinach with a little salt for 1 minute whilst getting everything else out of the oven.

The sweet potatoes need to be gently crushed or mashed in their cooking vessel, add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a teaspoon of cinnamon and stir through.

Roasted garlic sweet potatoes, pre mashing

Cumin roasted roots

Now use a platter or a wooden board and dish everything up accordingly, so the family can dig in and get as much or as little of what they want. Once the meat is on, drizzle over some of the yoghurt dip which complements the flavours really well. Enjoy!

Baby Bites Salmon and Orzo

Creamed horseradish goes really well with salmon and whilst it can be fairly strong in flavour, the fact that the salmon has a natural sweetness means this is a great toddler meal.

Salmon is such a good source of brain food (rich in potassium, Omega-3-fatty acids, selenium and vitamin B12 to name a few), and coupling it with one carbohydrate and a couple of vegetables makes for a well balanced dish.

I serve here with orzo, carrots and peas - for ease and these can all be cooked in the same pot together. Also if you're not already familiar with orzo, it's a fantastic little grain which is somewhere between a thick grain of rice and small pasta - it's very versatile and baby Bridget loves it. 

Baby Bites Salmon and Orzo

Here's how:

• 1 small salmon fillet or half of a larger one
• 1 teaspoon creamed horseradish
• 1/2 cream cracker or slice of bread
• 50g orzo
• 1 carrot
• 2 tbsp peas
• Drizzle olive oil
• Few fresh dill leaves
• Pinch black pepper

Firstly place a large pan of water on to boil and the oven onto 180 degrees.

In the meantime peel the carrot and chop into small batons that baby will be able to manage and once the water has boiled place the carrots and orzo into the pan and return to the heat to cook for 10-15 minutes.

Now place the salmon into an oven-proof dish and spoon over the horseradish. Now crumble over the cracker for a bit of crunchy texture. Place into the oven for fifteen minutes or until golden brown on top. Once the salmon is almost cooked, place the peas into the pot with the orzo and carrots to cook for a few further minutes.

Take the salmon out of the oven to cool a little and in the meantime, check if the orzo is cooked to 'al dente' firm to the bite or in other words, soft but still with a bit of bite - as you'd enjoy pasta or rice. If so drain with the vegetables into a colander.

Return the vegetables to the pan and drizzle over a good teaspoon of olive oil and stir with a wooden spoon to loosen up a bit. Add a pinch of black pepper and some fresh dill leaves and dish up then placing the cooked salmon on top.

Creamy Mustard Chicken and Mushrooms, Roasted Sweet Potato, Roasted Carrots and Asparagus in Garlic Butter

This is a lovely dish for the colder nights - it's warming and hearty and could be served with rice, pasta or just salad, or as I have with some roasted sweet potatoes and a selection of vegetables.

Surprisingly given the warm wholegrain mustard addition, this is also a weaning winner too - especially with the roasted sweet potatoes which are always a hit with Bridget. The vegetables and sweet potatoes make for great finger foods whilst the chicken and mushroom encourages the development of spoon feeding.

The below recipe makes enough for two adult portions and two weaning portions.

Here's how:
Chicken & Mushrooms:

• 300g chicken breast
• 150g mushrooms - I used Chestnut but any work well
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 yellow pepper
• 4 spring onions
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 heaped tbsp creme fraiche 
• 100ml hot chicken stock
• 1-2 tbsp plain flour
• 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
• 2 tsp dried tarragon
• Pinch black pepper

The accompaniments:

• 1 large sweet potato
• 1 pack asparagus tips
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 carrots
• 1 tbsp butter
• 5 cloves garlic
• Pinch paprika
• Pinch dried thyme

Firstly place the oven on to 180 and the kettle on to boil.

Peel the sweet potato and slice into rounds of about 1/2 cm thickness.

Peel the carrots and cut into chunky wedges and place into a saucepan with the sweet potato and pour over the boiling water till everything is covered and place on a medium heat and cook for five minutes.

While the pot is boiling, finely slice the spring onion and 1 clove garlic and add to a non-stick pack with the olive oil and place onto a low heat.

Slice the pepper and mushrooms and set aside for a moment.

Chop the chicken into evenly sized chunks and once the spring onion has started to soften add to the pan. Turn the chicken to cook and whiten on each side.

By now the potato and carrot will be nicely blanched. Remove and drain away all water and give a vigorous shake.

Place into a baking tray or dish. I try to pop the sweet potato one end, and the carrots the other if possible. Now sprinkle over the thyme over the carrots and the paprika over the sweet potato. Add four of the garlic cloves to the pan and then drizzle over about a tablespoon of olive oil. Place into the oven to cook for 30 minutes.

Once the chicken has turned white on all sides add the pepper and mushrooms to the pan and allow them to soak up the cooking juices and slightly soften.

Now add the creme fraiche and stir till it reduces down to a less solid and more liquidy format then add the chicken stock, tarragon, mustard and black pepper and give a good stir. Allow to cook, stirring every few minutes for about five minutes. Then add the flour and stir until all is absorbed by the sauce. Now this needs to cook away until the sweet potatoes are nicely charred – stir every few minutes and this should thicken up beautifully.

A few minutes before removing the sweet potato and carrots from the oven and the chicken off of the heat, in a separate pan, melt the butter with a clove of garlic – I just cut in half and this is enough to flavour the butter. Now add the asparagus and shake every minute or so. Leave these to cook whilst you plate up everything else and that will be plenty of cooking time. Enjoy!

Baby Bites: Carrot and Lamb Meatballs with Tomato Dipping Sauce

This makes for a wonderful finger food for little ones, and you can experiment with herbs and spices and different mince to make all sorts of variations too but this one is a classic take and lamb makes for great meatballs as it has a good fat level so they remain nice and juicy.

This recipe makes enough for 16 small balls, which is plenty for four to five portions. I freeze them raw in a sealed bag, and then pop out to defrost on the morning I need them and cook fresh each time.

The tomato sauce is a basic one and makes enough for 6-8 portions which can also be used with other foods too such a chicken or fish goujons or even as a pasta sauce. This again freezes well in sealable pots or bags. 

For the meatballs:
250g lean lamb mince
2 carrots
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp black pepper

For the sauce:
2 leeks
1 tin of tomatoes
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp paprika
1 tbsp olive oil

Firstly combine the lamb mince with the pepper, oregano and paprika in a large mixing bowl.

Peel the carrots and coarsely grate them straight into the mince. Use your hands to thoroughly mix together and then slowly form the balls.

Place any you are freezing into sealable bags and pop straight into the freezer.

Leave the ones you are cooking to one side for the minute.

To make the sauce firstly chop the leeks and saute in the olive oil to soften.

Add the tomatoes, the balsamic vinegar, sugar and paprika and cook on a low heat for 15 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes and using a wooden spoon to break down the tomatoes a bit.

While the sauce is cooking away, place a sheet of tin foil on the grill and pop the meatballs on top. Then turn on the grill to a medium heat and cook until the meatballs are browned all over - this should take about 5-8 minutes.

Once the meatballs are cooked through, remove from the grill and place on a plate with a couple of sheets of kitchen towel and roll around - this is to absorb any excess oil or fat.

Allow the meatballs to cool a little and in the meantime, pour the tomato sauce into a blender and blitz to a smooth consistency.

Dish up and serve to little one once the sauce has cooled enough for him or her to handle.

Be warned, these meatballs are moreish so make extra as the parent feeding them may get tempted too!

Green Fingered Pursuits

I recently read a survey that claimed us Brits are getting into gardening by the age of 31, a whole 10 years earlier than generations before. I'm a good four years away from this age yet I must admit, of late I've developed a new found fondness for growing things.

With a nod to my greedy self, everything I've planted is edible.

I'm a complete novice in this area so would welcome tips from any green-fingered readers who have successfully grown fruit or vegetables before.

I'm not going to turn this into a gardening blog, so won't be constantly updating on the progress, however I'm sure you'll find a recipe or two using the produce from the garden here, if and when it happens.

I've planted carrots, courgettes and marrows in one bed and have another with spring onions, Mohawk sweet peppers and Scotch Bonnet chillies.

Separately I have a patch for spinach and lettuce, a tomato plant, a rhubarb plant and a flourishing blueberry and redcurrant plant.

I've been lovingly tending to some parsnip seeds I've planted too and am keeping my fingers crossed these are going to see it through to December and make an appearance on our Christmas lunch.

Finally I have an array of different herbs which are already making regular appearances in dishes and particularly salads - my first success.


So far the most exciting occurrence has been the Mohawk plant which has sprouted a little green pepper this week, with several buds which I'm hoping will follow suit shortly. The blueberry bush is already full of fruit too, it's just not quite ripe enough yet.

As I mentioned words of wisdom on growing fruit and vegetable are more than welcome - otherwise wish me luck!