Tunisian Roasted Salad Recipes

TUNISIAN-STYLE ROASTED BEET SALAD WITH HARISSA

Steps:

• NOTE*: If using yams or potatoes, scrub well, remove skin and cut in half or thirds depending on size.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• In small non-reactive bowl combine the salad dressing ingredients and whisk well. Set aside.
• In a large shallow pan, toss the cut up beets lightly with the olive oil to coat. Transfer the beets to a large baking sheet and cover the baking sheet tightly with aluminum foil.
• Bake the beets for about 30 minutes or until the beets are very tender when pierced with a fork.
• Remove from oven, set aside to cool for 5 minutes.
• Then cut beets into 1/2" cubes.
• Place the prepared beets into a large salad bowl and toss lightly but thoroughly with the salad dressing to combine.

TUNISIAN CARROT SALAD

Steps:

• Cook carrots in medium saucepan of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 8 minutes. Drain well.
• Stir oil, cumin and cayenne in heavy large skillet over medium heat until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Add carrots, then 1/2 cup water and vinegar. Simmer over medium heat until liquid is absorbed, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat. Cool. Mix in cilantro. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before serving.)

TUNISIAN GRILLED SALAD (SELATA MISHWIYA)

Steps:

• Combine olive oil, garlic, harissa, ras el hanout, ground chile pepper, salt, and pepper in a mortar; mash into a paste with a pestle.
• Set oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven's broiler. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
• Place tomatoes, green bell peppers, onion, and green chile peppers on the baking sheet.
• Cook under the preheated broiler, turning occasionally, until skins have blackened and insides are soft, about 10 minutes. Cool until easily handled, about 5 minutes. Peel, seed, and chop into small pieces.
• Place tomato mixture in a large bowl. Stir in garlic paste mixture slowly with a wooden spoon. Spoon onto a serving platter. Garnish with tuna, eggs, and olives. Squeeze 1 lemon wedge over platter. Arrange remaining wedges on the sides.

TUNISIAN GRILLED SALAD

Steps:

• This dish can be made on the BBQ or on the Gas Hob, or using a kitchen blow torch. The method I will refer to uses the gas hob.
• Wash all the vegetables well leaving the skin on. Place inside the BBQ wire grilling cage or if you're feeling adventurous directly onto a wire cake rack set over the largest burner of your gas hob set at a medium flame.
• You may have to do this in batches but basically you want to blacken and blister the skin on the vegetables, charring them. Once they are evenly charred/blackened all over remove them from the heat and place them inside a ziplock bag. Leave them in there until all the vegetables have been charred. This makes the skins of the tomatoes and chillies slip off easily.
• Take the vegetables out and slip of the skins of the tomato and place them into a bowl, do the same for the green chillies. Remove the papery skin from the garlic and onion and then roughly chop the vegetables before either blitzing them together in a food processor, being careful not to do this too finely or using a hand mouli push them through to get a nice even consistancy. Alternatively you can do this using a large chopping board and good sharp knife, running your knife through them and mixing as you go on the board until it all comes together evenly
• Next add the turmeric, salt and ground black pepper to taste and a squeeze of lemon and a couple of tablespoons of really good olive oil. Mix well and taste. Adjust seasoning if required. Maybe more oil, maybe more lemon - the oil has to be good and this is an oil salad. If its too think you can add a little cold water but I never need to as I always leave the tomato seeds in giving more flavour and more juice.
• To serve add optional tuna or boiled egg and lots of crusty bread which you dip and scoop the yummy salad with. Fantastic with grilled lamb chops, chicken, or fish. Excellent spread onto a baguette and then loaded with cooked leftover roast chicken. Fab as a relish with burgers and however else you fancy it. I use mild large green chillies but you could always use a couple of fat green chillies and temper the flavour with a red/green or orange sweet pepper to add a more subtle note of heat.

TUNISIAN SALAD

Steps:

• Peel and chop apples and vegetables very fine.
• Mix dressing and pour over salad.
• Let stand at least 2 hours before serving.

PAN-ROASTED STRIPED BASS WITH TUNISIAN CHICKPEA SALAD AND YOGURT SAUCE

Steps:

• Put 1/2 cup of the chickpeas in a mixing bowl. Mash the beans with a fork or potato masher until they are smashed but still have some texture. Add the remaining chickpeas, the onion, cucumber, cilantro, celery, cumin, harissa, olive oil, and vinegar; season generously with salt and pepper. Set aside at room temperature, or cover and refrigerate overnight. Return to room temperature before serving.
• Preheat the oven to 450°F.
• Put a large cast-iron skillet or nonstick ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat and coat with the canola oil. Pat both sides of the fish dry with paper towels and season generously with salt and pepper. When the oil is shimmering, lay the fish skin side down in the pan. Sear for 4 to 5 minutes without moving the fillets. Transfer the pan to the oven and roast until the fish is opaque, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and carefully flip the fish over with a flat spatula, so the skin side is now up; it should be brown, crisp, and make a sound when you tap it. Let the fish sit in the hot pan for a minute to sear the bottom side.
• To serve, pool 2 tablespoons of the yogurt sauce on each of 4 plates, place the fish skin side up on top of the sauce, and pile the chickpea salad next to it.
• Yogurt Sauce
• In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, and oil; season with salt and pepper. Transfer the yogurt sauce to a container, cover, and refrigerate until ready to use, for up to 7 days.

TUNISIAN ROASTED SALAD

Steps:

• Heat an oven until very hot (about 200C/400F).
• Put the onions, peppers and tomatoes on a piece of foil on a baking sheet and place in the oven.
• Remove the tomatoes as soon as their skins begin to loosen and they soften very slightly.
• This will take about 15 minutes.
• When they are cool enough to handle, skin and cut into wedges.
• Roast the peppers for another 15 minutes or until their skins are browned and they feel soft.
• Pull them out and put in a brown paper bag for a few minutes to loosen the skins further.
• Peel, seed and cut each pepper into eight pieces.
• Take the onions out when they feel soft.
• They will take 15-30 minutes longer than the peppers, depending on their size.
• Leave until cool enough to handle and then peel and cut into wedges.
• Lay out your salad plates and then arrange all the tomatoes, onions, peppers, flaked tuna and eggs on the plates in a decorative way.
• Garnish with capers, anchovies and even a few black olives if you like.
• Mix the oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper and caraway seed together.
• Drizzle over the salad.