Moroccan-style harissa chicken traybake

Tasty, nutritious, and dead easy - what more do you want from a recipe?! This chicken dish takes around 15-20 minutes to prepare and is totally hands-off as it just goes straight into the oven. Our family loves it, and I often cook this for friends as it’s a real crowd-pleaser.

Now, the nutrient lowdown:

Chicken provides plenty of healthy lean protein, essential for building and repairing muscles and a healthy immune system. It also provides several B vitamins, including B3 (niacin), B6, and B12, which are important for energy metabolism, brain function, and red blood cell formation. Plus, essential minerals like phosphorus and selenium support bone health, DNA synthesis, and immune function.

I also made a mix of brassica vegetables (cauliflower and broccoli) as they can help with the body’s natural detoxification processes, allowing hormones, metabolic waste products, medications, and environmental toxins to be excreted.

The liver detoxifies harmful substances in two main phases. Phase I involves oxidation, reduction, and hydrolysis reactions, while Phase II involves conjugation reactions that make toxins more water-soluble for excretion. Broccoli and cauliflower enhance both phases:

• Phase I: These vegetables induce cytochrome P450 enzymes, crucial for the initial modification of toxins.

• Phase II: They promote the activity of enzymes that attach to the modified toxins and help eliminate them from the body.

  Broccoli is also high in sulforaphane, a compound that may boost detoxification enzymes and protect cells from damage. Sulforaphane can increase antioxidant proteins and detoxifying enzymes to reduce oxidative stress. Oxidative stress may damage cells and tissues and is linked to chronic illness and premature aging.

  Ingredients

• Serves 4

• 1 tsp ground cumin

• 1 tsp ground coriander

• ¼ - ½ tsp cinnamon (depending on how much you like it!)

• 3 tsp Belazu rose harissa or 3tsp ground harissa mixed with 1 tbsp olive oil

• 400ml chicken stock, heated

• 2 onions, sliced in half moons

• 4 large potatoes, halved and 3mm slices

• 8 chicken thighs, on the bone with skin

• Good pinch of sea salt

• ½ tbsp olive oil

• ½ tbsp pomegranate molasses, or honey and squeeze over lemon juice to finish

• I small cauliflower

• 300g broccoli florets

Method

• Heat the oven to 180°c

• Mix the ground spices and rose harissa into a paste. Heat the chicken stock and then stir in the spice mix.

• Get a large baking tray with sides, mix the onions and potatoes, and spread out evenly.

• Place the chicken thighs on top, rub them with olive oil, and sprinkle them with sea salt.

• Drizzle the pomegranate molasses on each piece of chicken (not the veggies).

• Then, slowly pour the stock mix over the potatoes and onions, saving the last bit (which will have more spices in it) to carefully pour over each chicken thigh. Place in the oven for 30 minutes.

• Spread the cauliflower and broccoli on a large tray, drizzle with 1-2 tbsp olive oil and season.

• Baste the chicken with the stock mix and put it back in for 30 minutes. After 10 minutes, put the cauliflower and broccoli in the oven so they are ready when the chicken is done. You may need to turn the veggies halfway.

• Serve with a squeeze of lemon juice.

rose harissa hake with roasted cauliflower

This recipe is a delicious mix of lovely warm spices from the rose harissa and slight sweetness from the hake and coconut milk. It’s a great way to get a bit more fish in your diet - and cooking it in a sauce was always a good way to get my kids to eat it!

Depending on how spicy you want to go, you can double the rose harissa for extra heat or dial it back if you want a milder creamier flavour.

Roasted cauliflower is one of my favourite veggies and works really well with this dish. I’ve made it super tasty with a mix of coconut oil, cumin, coriander, and smoked paprika. Cauliflower adds extra fiber to your plate and is also high in a compound called sulforaphane, which may enhance detoxification activity in the liver and protect against free radical cell damage in the body.

Hake is a good source of lean protein, with around 20g per 100g fillet. It’s a ‘complete’ protein containing all 9 ‘essential’ amino acids; these aminos are essential as they must be consumed in the diet as the body cannot synthesise them. It’s important to eat sufficient amounts of protein (I try to eat 1.5-2g per kg of body weight per day) for muscle repair and growth, immune function, heart health, and even brain function.

Hake is a good source of tryptophan, one of the nine essential amino acids. Tryptophan is understood to improve sleep quality as it helps to produce the hormone melatonin. Tryptophan is also a precursor to serotonin, which is important for sleep, mood, and appetite regulation.

Hake contains healthy polyunsaturated fatty acids, including omega 3s (but in smaller amounts than oily fish such as salmon and mackerel); these fats may have anti-inflammatory properties that can reduce the risk of heart and neurodegenerative diseases.

Hake is also high in several minerals that are essential for keeping our bodies functioning properly. The main ones include:

Phosphorus - this mineral is found in high-protein food as phosphates. It is associated with energy metabolism and can help with weight control. It also helps to maintain a normal PH, and is a major component of cell membranes, bones, and teeth. 85% of phosphorus in the body is found in bones.

Potassium - is a mineral and electrolyte that balances sodium levels in the body and, therefore, may help to regulate blood pressure. It is needed for normal muscular and nerve function and plays a role in maintaining bone density by neutralizing acids that can leach calcium from bones. A diet rich in potassium may help to reduce the risk of osteoporosis.

Magnesium is essential for over 300 enzymatic processes in the body, including energy production, DNA synthesis, muscle contraction and relaxation, blood sugar regulation, nerve function, and bone health.

These minerals are key to maintaining a healthy metabolism and bone strength and density and may be important in mid-life. Metabolism and lean muscle can decrease, and women, in particular, are more susceptible to a decrease in bone density and osteoporosis with declining levels of oestrogen as they reach perimenopause.

• If you can’t get hold of hake, sub for any other white fish or salmon. You could also make this recipe vegan by using firm tofu chopped into cubes instead of fish.

Ingredients

Serves 4 

• ½ tbsp coconut oil 

• 1 lg onion, half moon slices

• 1 red pepper, sliced 

• 1 lg garlic clove, grated finely 

• 1 x 400g tinned tomatoes

• 1 x 400g tin coconut milk 

• 1 tbsp rose harissa

• 4 hake fillets

• Handful chopped coriander

• 2 limes cut in quarters 

• 1 cauliflower, chopped in med florets

• ½ tsp ground cumin 

• ½ tsp ground coriander 

• ½ tsp ground smoked paprika

• Pinch of sea salt

Method 

• Heat the oven to 180. 

• Warm a large sauté pan and melt the coconut oil. 

• Gently fry the onions for 10 mins, then add the red pepper for another 10 min. 

• Prep the cauliflower by spreading it in a large baking tray, add 4-5 knobs of coconut oil and the ground spices. Set aside. 

• Next, add the garlic to the onions and peppers for a minute before mixing in the ground spices. Allow to warm for 20 seconds, and then pour in the tomatoes and coconut milk. Add the harissa and simmer for 15 minutes. 

• Add the fish to the sauce for 10-12 minutes until the fish is cooked. 

• Place the cauliflower in the oven for 12 minutes. 

• Finish the fish by adding a good pinch of sea salt and chopped coriander, and serve with a couple of lime wedges.  

  Tip

• Switch tinned for 6 large vine tomatoes. 

• You can use any white fish in this dish, so cod, sea bass, pollack

•  The sauce won’t be particularly thick but don’t worry, the rice and cauliflower soak it all up. You could add a tbsp of cornflower mixed in a little water to thicken if you want to though. Just make sure you whisk it into the sauce quickly, or it’ll end up in a lump! 

Red pepper chickpeas with rose harissa

I like to make a big pan of these chickpeas as I love to eat the leftovers for lunch with feta and sourdough or a green salad. They’re a great way to up your plant-based protein if you’re cutting back on meat and I even managed to get my pescatarian legume-hating daughter to eat them on a baked potato with lots of cheddar on top. So I’m classifying them a child-friendly too!

Ingredients

Serves 4-6

• 1 large onion, chopped

• 2 cloves of garlic, grated

• 1 red pepper, sliced

• 1 tsp of ground cumin

• 2 x 400g tins chickpeas

• 1 tin of cherry tomatoes

• 1 tbsp rose harissa

• 1 tsp sea salt

Method

• Heat 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil in a large saucepan then add the onion and fry gently for five minutes.

• Next add the red pepper and cook gently for a further 10 minutes

• Add the garlic, cooking for one minute, then the cumin, stirring well for 30 seconds. 

• Pour in the chickpeas, tomatoes and rose harissa simmering gently for 20 minutes.

• Finish by adding 1 teaspoon of salt and serve with crumbled feta, crusty sourdough and a green salad. 

Tip

• If you want to use up the rose harissa, just type it in as a search term on my site and more recipes will come up!

• Serve with any of the following: chicken, white fish, baked potato, brown rice, cheddar cheese, coconut or Greek yoghurt.

Sweet potato, avocado & mozzarella salad

It feels like summer has finally arrived and salads are fully on the menu. This is a lovely one to have for dinner with a green salad and fresh bread or as part of a bigger salad spread for friends. The harissa dressing is a lovely contrast to the creamy mozzarella and avocado while the potato adds a little sweetness to the dish.

To make it more filling and to add fibre I have layered in some buckwheat, but you could use brown rice, bulgur, pearled spelt or even quinoa if you prefer. Any wholegrain will work well here.

Ingredients

Serves 4-6

• ½ small red onion, thin half moon slices

• 3-4 tbps red wine vinegar

• 1 large sweet potato, chopped in small wedges

• 150g buckwheat

• 1 large avocado

• 150g mozzarella

• A small handful each of mint, parsley, coriander

  Dressing

• 150ml Greek yoghurt

• 1 tbsp rose harissa

• 2 tbsp water

• ½ tsp sea salt

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180ºc.

• Put the onion in a small bowl and pour over the vinegar.

• Spread the sweet potato on a baking tray and drizzle with approx 1 tbsp olive oil. Roast for 15 minutes, turn and repeat.

• While the sweet potato is in the oven, cook the buckwheat or whichever grain you’re using, as per the packet instructions. Drain and set aside to cool.

• Slice the avocado and rip the mozzarella into large pieces.

• Layer the salad by first putting the grain on the plate with a few chunks of sweet potato, avocado, mozzarella, some herbs, pickled onions, a spoon or two of dressing and a pinch of salt. Repeat, finishing with the herbs, pickled onions and dressing.

  tip

• Layering the salad means that all the ingredients are spread equally, so everyone gets a bit of everything!

Aubergine, cauliflower, tomato & bulgur salad

The sun is out and it actually feels warm today, which is lovely, so I thought I would share this salad to celebrate! I’ve roasted all the veggies to get the best flavour out of them and made a vegan rose harissa yoghurt dressing to add a little creaminess and spice. The bulgur makes the salad more substantial, but you could leave it out if you’re planning to eat the salad as a side with a different type of carbohydrate.

Once a week (ideally on a Sunday) I try to make a large salad or warm dish that I can keep in the fridge, so I have an instant healthy option to eat when I’m in a rush or don’t feel like cooking. It also means that I’ve got a few quick, tasty lunches to grab and sit in the sunshine for a few minutes longer.

Ingredients

Serves 4-6

• 1 aubergine, 2cm cubes

• 1 cauliflower, small florets

• 200g cherry tomatoes

• ½ tsp smoked paprika

• ½ tsp ground cumin

• 200g bulgur wheat

• 1 x 400g tin chickpeas, drained well

• 120g coconut yoghurt (Coconut Collab)

• 4 tsp rose harissa (Belazu)

• 1 tbsp tahini (Belazu)

• ½ lemon

• sea salt (quantities in recipe)

• A handful of coriander leaves (optional)

Method

• Preheat the oven to 200ºc. Put the cauliflower onto a large tray, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle over the ground spices and a pinch of salt. Put the aubergine and tomatoes onto another tray, separate them into two halves as the juices will stop the aubergine from browning.

• Place both trays in the oven, aubergine tray at the top, cauliflower in the middle. Roast for 10 minutes then turn and put back in for another 10.

• Remove the aubergine and move the cauliflower to the top shelf and roast for a further 5 minutes then set aside.

• While the veggies are in the oven, cook the bulgur according to the packet instructions. I usually rinse with cold water, then simmer for 10 minutes.

• Drain the bulgur and rinse with cold water to prevent it from cooking anymore. Allow to drain thoroughly and then put back in the pan and drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil, plus juice of ¼ lemon and a pinch of salt. Mix well.

• When you’ve finished cooking the veggies, roast the chickpeas. Tip them onto a baking tray, drizzle with little olive oil (approx 2 tsp) and sprinkle with a pinch of smoked paprika, cumin and salt. Mix well and put in the oven for 15 minutes. Turn and then put back in for a further 10-15 minutes. You want them to be really crunchy (slightly browned) or when they cool they’ll go chewy, not crisp.

• Make the dressing while the chickpeas are crisping up. Put the yoghurt, rose harissa, tahini, juice of ¼ lemon and ¼ tsp sea salt into a bowl and mix well. Add 1 tbsp of water to loosen the dressing.

• To serve, layer the salad with a spoon of bulgur, a mix of the vegetables, coriander leaves and a few spoons of dressing, repeat.

• Finish with a few spoons of dressing, coriander and crispy chickpeas.

tip

• Switch the coconut yoghurt for plain / Greek

• Leave out the coriander if you hate it!

• You don’t have to use the brands I have recommended in the ingredients, but they are the products I think are particularly good quality.

Moroccan lentil & chickpea stew with tahini yoghurt

Is it a soup, or is it a stew?! I’m going with stew today as it ended up so nice and chunky, but you can call it a soup if you prefer! I like to have a big tub of something tasty in the fridge, so there’s an instant lunch or dinner ready for me when either I can’t be bothered to cook, or I’m starving and need to eat immediately! In the winter it’s a stew or soup and in the summer a salad with roasted veggies and grains. So this is what’s in my fridge at the moment and I’ve been loving it. It’s really warming and quick to make, apart from chopping a few veggies, you just basically chuck everything in the pan and leave it for half an hour.

To make this recipe vegan, all you need to do is switch the plain yoghurt for a plant based variety or just whip up the tahini with water, it’ll still make a nice creamy dressing.

Ingredients

Serves 6-8

• 2 red onions, chopped

• 2 sticks celery

• 2 large garlic cloves, grated

• 2 tsp ground cumin

• 2 tsp ground coriander

• 4 carrots, cubed

• 1 tbsp rose harissa

• 300g small green or puy lentils

• 2 x 400g chopped tinned tomatoes

• 1 x 400g tin chickpeas, or 125g dried

• 150g cavolo nero, stalks removed, chopped roughly

• 1 ½ tsp sea salt

• A handful of fresh coriander leaves

  Tahini yoghurt

• 240ml (12 tbsp) plain yoghurt

• 6 tbsp tahini

• 6 tbsp water

• 1 ½ tsp sea salt

Method

• If you’re using dried chickpeas, soak them overnight and then cook in boiling water for about

  45-60 minutes.

• Heat ½ tbsp olive oil in a large pan and fry the onions and celery for 10 minutes.

• Next add the garlic and ground spices, let them warm through for about a minute.

• Add the carrots, rose harissa, lentils and tinned tomatoes, plus 3 tins of water.

• Simmer with the lid half on for 30 minutes.

• Mix the tahini, yoghurt, water and 1 ½ tsp sea salt in a medium sized tub or bowl.

• Serve with a drizzle of tahini yoghurt, coriander and a chunk of sourdough or brown rice.

Tip

• You could use red lentils instead of green, but they absorb more water so you would need to keep an eye on the stew getting too thick.

• If you’re looking for another recipe to use up some rose harissa, then try this Butternut squash & spelt salad, it’s really good and another one you can store in the fridge for tasty lunches, dinners or as a side.

• If you don’t have tahini, you can just use plain or coconut yoghurt instead.

Red pepper, tomato & lentil soup

This was lunch today; it was so quick and easy that I thought I’d share straightaway to help you with Lockdown lunches. My daughter initially refused to have anything to do with the soup, but after I suggested she just try a bit by dipping her toastie in, she decided she really liked the flavour. She ended up dipping before every bite! So she liked the taste but wasn’t prepared to eat red peppers - I’m saying that’s a partial win. It’s good to introduce kids to new flavours and diverse food groups as early as possible, even if they’re not quite ready for some of the textures though. Hopefully that will come…. after all she’s only 10, I’m going to let her off for another 6 months ;-)

Ingredients

• 1 large onion, chopped finely

• 2 red peppers, chopped in small pieces

• 1 large garlic glove, grated

• 2 tsp sweet smoked paprika

• 2 tbsp rose harissa

• 2 x 400g tins plum tomatoes

• 200g red lentils, rinsed well

• 1L water

• 1 ½ tsp sea salt

• A handful of fresh coriander, chopped

Method

• Heat ½ tbsp olive oil in a large pan, add the onions and fry on low for 8 minutes.

• Next add the peppers, turn the heat up a little to get them sizzling, then reduce the heat and cook for a further 10 minutes.

• Add the garlic, stir well and cook for 1 minute, then the paprika, mix and allow to warm for 30 seconds.

• Then add the rose harissa, tomatoes, lentils and 1L of water. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer with the lid on for 20 minutes. Take the lid off and allow to bubble for 5 minutes.

• Chop the coriander leaves roughly and the stalks finely, then add to the soup just before serving.

Tip

• Rose harissa might not be an ingredient you use much, but I made a lovely Roasted butternut squash & spelt salad and used it in the dressing last week, so you might want to give it a try. In any case the harissa will last at least 4 weeks in the fridge, if not longer. Plenty of time to try it in other dishes! I’ll keep linking them all on my website too.