Spiced lamb and tomato soup with couscous

I spent most part of today working on figures for my upcoming business venture and the remainder reading "a short history of everybody for the last 13,000 years" - a book by Jared Diamond. My cerebral hemispheres feel a little more worked out than usual and I am relishing this sensation, knowing I have exercised and fired a few dormant neural pathways today.

So tonight's dinner is a healthy no-brainer - soup.

I used to make this soup quite often in the past, using chicken instead of lamb. Of course, if you prefer a meatless version, you can substitute the meat with eggplant, zucchini, pumpkin or some firm tofu. If you are planning on making soup for now and some later, my advice is to cook the couscous separately as it tends to absorb all the liquid it sits in and turn into a slippery, starchy mess.

This soup is all about bold flavours so it is not so suitable for the convalescing - but extremely good for nursing a hangover. We are talking about some fierce heat from fresh red chillis and cayenne, sweet spiciness from Spanish paprika, earthy tones from fresh ginger, turmeric and cumin, finished off with fresh coriander and parsley. This soup is like a watered-down version of a Moroccan lamb tajine, less laborious to prepare but still delivers the same amount of eating pleasure. Although I had ideas of taking this soup in various directions, I think this is one of those soups where less is more.

spiced lamb and tomato soup with couscous

400g lamb mince

100g baby spinach

400g tin of chopped tomatoes

500ml stock (chicken, beef or veg)

1 medium onion, finely sliced

4 fat garlic cloves, chopped

1 knob of ginger the size of a thumb, finely chopped

1 red chilli, chopped

1tsp Spanish paprika

1/2tsp cayenne pepper

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp turmeric

chopped parsley, coriander or spring onions

1 cup instant couscous

1 tsp butter

1 1/4 cup boiling water

salt and pepper to taste

place couscous in a bowl with butter and add boiling water, salt and pepper

cover with clingwrap and allow couscous to steam and absorb all the liquid - set aside

saute ginger, garlic, chilli and onion in a medium sized pot with some veg oil until soft but not coloured

add lamb mince and cook until brown

add spices and cook for a minute

add chopped tomatoes and stock and bring to the boil

simmer for 15 minutes

season to taste

fluff couscous and add chopped fresh herbs through

to serve place a handful of baby spinach leaves in a bowl and pour hot soup over

garnish with couscous

Spring into Lunch!

Spring has sprung, as they say and I celebrated the first weekend of the season with a plump and juicy leg of roasted lamb. I purchased the perfect joint with the truest intention of roasting it and inviting some friends over for dinner that evening but true to form (and to the tradition of getting distracted), I ended up going out to town with a girlfriend and the leg of lamb was left to get acquainted with the rest of my fridge’s occupants for a few hours.

The leg was butterflied with the shank still attached so it looked like an intact leg when rolled and bound. You can save a buck by buying a leg of lamb and butterfly-ing it yourself but why bother when someone else can do it for you. By removing the bone, the leg cooks quicker, more evenly and with the added bonus of the increased surface area of flesh, you can marinate the meat effectively and in less time! I wish I had paid a little more attention to the weight of the joint I bought but my guess is, it was around 1.5 kilograms (excluding the bone) which was more than adequate for a party of 6 with leftovers for a lamb sandwich or two with homemade tzatziki the next day.

To prepare the meat for cooking, I made little incisions on the inside of the leg and inserted slivers of dark olives into these slits. Anchovies would have been nice too if I had some as the unctuous and salty nature of these little fish go so well with meats like lamb and veal. Anyway, I gave the meat a good rub with a heavy slosh of extra virgin olive oil and a lavish seasoning of cracked black pepper, smoky paprika, garlic, oregano and lemon zest before rolling and firmly tying it with kitchen twine. At this point, you could seal the meat in a very hot pan to brown the fat a little and finish off the cooking in a very hot oven (around 200 C) for 35-40 minutes. Alternatively, you could let it sit for a few hours in the fridge allowing the flavours of the herbs and spices to mingle and develop before proceeding with the cooking while you attend to your social life - as I did.

Preparing a meal of roast meat and vegetables for your family and/or friends need not be a production. With mindful planning, the entire feast can be prepared in less than an hour. Trust me, I know because I timed myself and I didn't break a sweat while cooking. Whilst the meat was in the oven, I prepared my side dishes: sauteed kipler potatoes with duck fat, flaky sea salt and chives, stringless green beans with a herby, buttery rye crumb topping, and lemon-garlic yellow zucchini, all of which were cooked simply and more importantly, quickly to capture their bright colours which reflect the splendour of spring!