Recipes

How simple is this! You can get banana leaves (often frozen) from Asian supermarkets or Polynesian shops.

This classic Thai dish is called waterfall for the sounds the juices make as the beef lands on the grill. A great mix of textures and flavours.

A wonderfully aromatic and rich dish, which is also very versatile.

A great way to use end of season tomatoes and bay tree trimmings

Every Greek grandmother has their own version of this classic soup and chicken dish. Ground's recipe is based on a traditional recipe (always the best) and uses our Moroccan Preserved Lemon.

The black cardamom adds smokiness, the cumin earthiness, and the lime lifts the rice.

This Tuscan pork ribs recipe is so much nicer than American ribs recipes that drown this beautiful meat with a sweet sticky sauce. This tasty, moist, smoky, crunchy, spicy ribs dish is the way they are meant to be eaten.

In this recipe, the courgettes/zucchini are cooked until they are completely soft. They make a nice spread on slices of Turkish bread, or serve it with grilled fish, or warm or cold as a side dish.

Other ideas for using lettuce.

This is a more traditional way to use Chermoula. We have used a deep frying-pan to make this dish, but of course if you have the 'real deal' you should use a pottery tagine to make this in.

This Moroccan dish is a little more complicated because of the addition of the traditional smen, which you will have to make yourself (you will find the recipe on our web site). The advantage is that once made, smen can be kept and added to other dishes to make them interesting. If you really can't be bothered making smen then use equal parts of olive oil and butter (or Asian ghee), though the result won't be quite as authentic.

Here is something a little different if you are getting tired of salads but still have loads of lettuce left in your fridge. It's easy to do and it's not too unusual! The cloves just help bring out the basil flavour.

With this soup served in little teacups it makes an elegant appetiser. Or you could just serve heaps of it in soup bowls for the family dinner.

Kingfish, tuna or baby octopus are just as good as squid with the roast vegetable 'salad'. It seems like a lot of garlic, but when cooked this way the cloves lose their sharp pungency and have a mellow smooth flavour.

This is a traditional Ethiopian chicken stew made with Berbere, where both the chicken and the egg are used. No need to worry which came first.

This versatile tangy sauce can be served over the top of poached chicken, veal cutlets, eggs or firm fish.

A warm twist to a traditional roast chicken.

Smen, an aged butter similar to Asian ghee, is a prized flavouring ingredient in Moroccan dishes. Smen is made from clarified butter, dried herbs, and salt. It is aged in small earthenware pots in a cool, dry place until it acquires an aroma and consistency similar to Roquefort cheese. Berber farmers in southern Morocco bury a tightly sealed pot of smen on the day of a daughter's birth, unearthing it years later to flavour the couscous served on her wedding day.
Berber tradition notwithstanding, I suggest you use the smen within six months. You will need to make the smen well in advance as it requires a couple of weeks to develop its flavour. A teaspoon or two is usually all that is required to impart the characteristic taste to a dish of couscous or to the sauce of a tagine. You can substitute equal parts butter and olive oil in place of smen in a recipe, if you prefer.

This recipe is simple to make, but still has a nice Moroccan flavour.

Other ideas on using basil.

Served warm or cold, this dish was a big seller at the Ground Culinary Centre.

A more western soup but with a little spice to tantalise the tastebuds.

A fun and colourful party dip to serve with corn chips.

There is nothing nicer than char-grilled baby octopus on the barbeque in summer. This recipe adds piquancy to the octopus.

A lovely deeply-flavoured vegetable stew. This is one of those dishes that is all the better for a day in the fridge, during which time the flavours seem to mellow.

A very simple and quick dish with a bite. Reminiscent of Etouffee or Jambalaya.

Pacific Islanders, Mexicans and South-East Asians all have a recipe for raw fish 'cooked' in the acids from citrus fruits. A simple and divine way to eat fish. Use any good white fish, but make sure it is really fresh. The addition of the Ras al Hanout gives this dish a new depth of flavour.

This salad is actually a platter with layers of fish, salad and potatoes that serves as a one-dish dinner for 4. It is fresh and filling with a great combination of flavours. You can add other bits and pieces to taste.

Easy and exotic.

Iraqi Jewish version of latkes made with mashed potato and herbs. Delicious.

Tonnato sauce is usually served over sliced veal or chicken. But this fresh and tasty version on good ripe tomatoes is light and delicious.

Although called a salad, this dish is unusual in that it can be eaten like a part of a mezze table, or tapas spread, as the spicy carrot mixture is spreadable.

Toum goes best with grilled chicken. This recipe does have a light spicy lift to it with the Berbere paste. 'Garlicy' but great.

This wonderful salad requires a bit of chopping, but then you just throw everything together for a salad with a refreshing zing.

Nem Rán are often served alongside Bun Cha (grilled pork and noodles) at street stalls, or on their own wrapped in lettuce leaves with fresh herbs and nuoc cham

One of Ground Culinary Centre's most popular salads. Crunchy, delicious and good for you..

Toum goes well with the "meaty" texture and flavour of eggplant in this salad. Once the eggplant and fennel is cooked it is so simple to put this impressive salad together.

Baharat is great with any roast nuts, or a mix of nuts and seeds

So easy to put together but tastes so great. This recipe is for a large group, so cut it back to suit..

A Kiwi adaptation of an Italian raw fish dish with an Asian twist!