Middle Eastern Lamb with feta and tomato salad March 16 2014

Middle Eastern Lamb with feta and tomato salad

 

Serves 4

Ingredients

 

1kg  Lamb loin chops (any lamb cut will do in reality and sometimes I use lamb leg slices and strips

3 – 4 tspn Black Market Spices Middle Eastern Sharwarma spice blend

Olive oil

Sea salt and pepper

150gr Feta cheese – crumbled

2 spring onions finely sliced on a bias

250gr Cherry tomatoes

Vinaigrette dressing – 50ml each EVO and cider vinegar, seasoning, 25ml mint sauce

 

Method

Rub the Black Market Middle Eastern spices all over the lamb, season slightly and set aside for 30 minutes.

Heat a large non-stick frying pan over a high heat, add a dash of olive oil and until just browned and medium rare (pink)

Add cherry tomatoes, spring onions, feta, mint, vinaigrette and stir until well combined. Season with salt pepper.

Serve the lamb with the salad….devine and refreshing.

 

Singapore spiced inspired pork meatballs with a pickled ginger and pineapple slaw March 16 2014

Singapore spiced inspired pork meatballs with a pickled ginger and pineapple slaw

Serves 4
Ingredients

500gr New Zealand pork mince
½ red capsicum – finely diced
1 small – medium onion – finely diced
1 small – medium carrot – finely diced
2 Tbsn freshly grated fresh ginger root
4 garlic cloves – crushed
1 green chilli – finely diced
4 Tbsn fresh coriander – finely chopped
1 spring onion – finely chopped
2 beaten eggs
2 – 3 tspn Black Market Spices Singapore Spice mix
¼ - ½ cup (approx) white breadcrumbs
Salt and pepper


Method

In a large bowl combine the pork mince, the finely diced red capsicum, onion, carrot, ginger, garlic, chilli, coriander, spring onion the beaten egg, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper to season and the Black Market Spices Singapore Spice Mix. Combine and mix well. If required add a little more breadcrumbs to bind.

To make the meatballs roll in the palm of your hands a golf ball sixed portion of the mix. Each meatball should be similar in size and shape.

To cook heat a suitable sized frying pan with a dash of olive oil. Place the meatballs in the pan and cook until golden brown. Do not overcrowd the pan. Keep warm in the oven until all are cooked and serve with the pickled ginger and pineapple slaw.


Pickled ginger and pineapple slaw

Ingredients

2 cups finely shredded green Cabbage
4 Tbsn pickled ginger – shredded
Sushi vinegar or sushi seasoning – good splash
½ - 1 cup finely shredded fresh pineapple
Salt and pepper
EVO olive oil – good splash

Method

Combine all of the ingredients together mixing well. Adjust seasoning as required. Serve with the hot meatballs.

Snapper on Madras Indian cauliflower florets with a light coconut and lychee curry March 16 2014

Snapper on Madras Indian cauliflower florets with a light coconut and lychee curry

 

Serves 4

Ingredients

 

4 x 150gm snapper fillets -  skin on (John Dory can also be used)

¼  white Cauliflower – cut into florets (small bite sized pieces)

250ml coconut cream

200gr lychees – juice and whole (canned are ideal)

50ml cream

Lupi Extra Virgin Olive oil

50gm butter

2 – 3 tspn Black Market Spices Indian Madras curry powder

Flaky Sea salt

White pepper

25gm micro leaves

 

Method:

To a suitable pot blanch the cauliflower florets taking care not to overcook. Very al dente. Chill in cold water (refresh).  Set aside and dry.

 

Place ¾ of the lychee into a small saucepan with the coconut cream and the half of the cream. Place onto a low heat, simmer and keep warm. Season as required. Add the remaining cream just prior to serving.

 

Heat a flat pan for the fish, add a splash of olive oil and half of the butter, season the fish fillets and place into the pan presentation side down first. If desired finish in a hot oven.

 

To a sauté pan or small saucepan add the remaining butter and a little olive oil. Add the cauliflower florets, the Black Market Spices Indian Madras Spice mix. Sauté adding colour and season well. Take care not to burn the spice.

 

To serve, place the cauliflower on the plate, drizzle a little of the sauce over with the fish on top. Place the remaining few whole lychee around the plate as garnish.

Use a few micro leaves as garnish strategically placed around the plate. Edible flowers also would work very well.  Flowers to consider would be Thai Basil flowers, Chive flowers and borage. 

Moroccan spices Chicken, preserved lemons and chickpeas March 16 2014

Moroccan spices Chicken, preserved lemons and chickpeas

 

This dish is one of the staples of Moroccan street food, both in the coastal towns and inland. I have adapted this recipe for baking in the oven to make it a little healthier and believe it is equally as delicious, similar to how a tagine can be cooked. A great taste of North Africa and Morocco.

 

Serves 4

Ingredients

 

750grm chicken thigh meat – skin on or off depends on taste really (and the waist line)

Olive oil

2 – 3 tsp Black Market Spices Moroccan spice blend

1 x preserved lemon – sliced and in segments

250gr Chickpeas

200ml dry White wine

250gr small Cherry tomatoes – can use tined / canned variety

Sea salt and pepper

1 lemon – wedges

Parsley and coriander leaves

 

Method

 

Add the chicken thighs to an oven dish (with a fitting lid or tagine) with a splash of olive oil, coat with the Black Market Spices Moroccan spice blend, add the sliced preserved lemon, the chickpeas, the white wine and finally arrange the cherry tomatoes. Season and place into a hot oven for about 30 minutes.

When cooked remove and garnish with lemon wedges and coriander and parsley

 

 

Rose Water perfumed Honey and Fig Couscous March 16 2014

Rose Water perfumed Honey and Fig Couscous

 

A favourite of North Africa. The Black Market Spices Tagine North African spice blend is just awesome with the couscous. The recipe is based on a sweet couscous recipe (Seffa) that is perfect with spicy food. The richness of the figs and honey make this dish ideal as an accompaniment to dishes that carry a bit of spice, also great as a dish on its own.

 

Serves 4

Ingredients

 

200 grm couscous

1 cinnamon quill

2 oranges (1 zested) and 2 juiced

1 lemon (1 zested) and 2 juiced

6 tablespoons runny honey

¼ cup diced dried figs

2 – 3 tspn Black Market Spices Tagine

50ml rose water

Olive oil

50gr Butter

Water – extra for cooking couscous

Sprigs of fresh mint – for garnish

 

Method

In a large flat heavy bottom saucepan add the orange and lemon zest and juice, the cinnamon quills, clove, honey and the Black Market North African spice and about a cup of water. Bring to the boil. Adjust flavours if necessary by adding more citrus zest or juice and a bit of honey.

Slowly add the couscous to the pan stirring with a wooden fork or wooden spoon. Add a little olive oil and a dash of sea salt.. Add the diced figs and stir in gently. Add more moisture if required by adding boiling water

Present the couscous on a warmed serving platter with a spicy dish or serve as a cold salad.

 

Moroccan Sweet potato, eggplant and green bean fritters, coriander and preserved lemon aioli March 16 2014

Moroccan Sweet potato, eggplant and green bean fritters, coriander and preserved lemon aioli

 

A great way to utlise the Moroccan spice blend and a great little package of flavour especially with the preserved lemon aioli.

 

Serves 4:

Ingredients:

 

2 large eggs beaten

100 – 150ml full fat milk

150gr chick pea flour (Besan flour) if no chick pea flour then plain flour will do.

3 tsp Black Market Spices Moroccan spice blend

2 garlic cloves finely diced / chopped

3 tbsp roughly chopped coriander

½ eggplant – medium fine dice salted in colander and rinsed and squeezed

150gr green beans cut into 20- 30mm sections

200gr precooked sweet potato – medium fine dice

Sea Salt and cracked pepper

Lupi Olive oil

Preserved lemon aioli

Sprigs of coriander

1 lemon in wedges

 

 

Method:

 

To a suitable sized bowl add the beaten egg, milk and spices. Slowly whisk in the besan flour ensuring no lumps. Add more milk / flour  if required until reached the desired consistency (as per demonstration).

 

To the bowl add the garlic, coriander, eggplant, green beans and sweet potato and season well and combine well.

 

Spoon the pakoras onto a medium hot flat bbq plate or suitable pan with a small wipe of olive oil (you don’t need too much and just a small amount to coat only) to Colour and ensure cooked prior to serving.

 

Serve with the preserved lemon aioli with large sprigs of coriander and lemon wedges.

 

Preserved lemon aioli

 

50gr- 75gr preserved lemons finely chopped / diced with flesh also used

Juice of half a lemon

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 egg yolk

Salt and pepper

150ml Sunflower or good quality vegetable oil (full 150ml may not be required)

Pinch of castor sugar (if desired)

 

Whisk all ingredients together well excepting the oil which needs to be drizzled in slowly as per demonstration. Season to taste. Take care not to split.

 

*( if you don’t want to make an aioli then just add the preserved lemons to a good mayonnaise.

Malaysian Prawns, seared watermelon, coriander, chilli lime dressing, micro salad, cashew crumble March 16 2014

Malaysian Prawns, seared watermelon, coriander, chilli lime dressing, micro salad, cashew crumble

Ok…you might think a strange combination but the flavours really work well together and I do like the colours and textures in this dish. The cashew is a real contrast but devine. Enjoy.

 

Serves 4:

Ingredients:

 

2 x Limes – juiced and zested

1 x red chili

Splash Soy sauce

Splash Fish sauce

2 Tspn Palm sugar

100ml Peanut oil

Sea salt and cracked black pepper

Watermelon – enough to cut a good square or suitable shape per person

24 x green prawn cutlets (6pp) – Most supermarkets stock them in the frozen section

3 tspn Black Market Spices Malaysian spice blend  

30gr Micro leaves

100gr roasted cashews – cracked and crushed in a mortar and pestle

 

Method:

To make the dressing combine the lime juice, red chili, soy, fish sauce, palm sugar and a little peanut oil. Mix well and adjust seasoning.

Cut the watermelon flesh into the desired shape. It can be a square, rectangle, triangle or round. Rub with a little peanut oil and place onto a hot grill to brand and keep warm.

Place in the prawns in a suitable bowl with a splash of peanut oil and the Malaysian Black Market Spices spice blend, season. Place onto a medium hot flat plate bbq grill and cook until just done which will take very little time. Do not overcook.

To serve place the watermelon onto the plate serve the prawns on and around the melon and drizzle with the dressing. Garnish with the micro leaves and crumble the cashews over and around the dish.

Spanish spiced chorizo sautéed potatoes March 16 2014

 

Spanish spiced chorizo sautéed potatoes

 

 

Serves 4

Ingredients:

 

750gr small potatoes

Lupi EVO Olive oil

3 x cloves garlic – sliced

1 x small onion – finely chopped

3 Tspn Black Market Spices Spanish mix

1 large chorizo sausages – sliced (or 2 small)

4 x Tbsn chopped flat leaf parsley

 

 

Method:

 

Blanch the whole potatoes until “just cooked” remove and cool well. When cool cut into a dice. To a large hot sautee pan add a good dredge of olive oil, add the garlic, onion and Black Market Spices Spanish Spice mix and combine well. Sautee. Add the potato with the sliced chorizo. Toss, stir regularly to colour evenly and to allow the oils in the chorizo to colour and season the potatoes. Season with sea salt and black pepper. Toss through the chopped parsley.

 

Great with a rocket salad and poached eggs

 

 

Free Samples for February January 28 2014

Great news and due to many requests we will be sending out sample pouches with every order in February. For every jar of the famous Black Market Spice mix we will enclose a taster sample of one of our other awesome blends - for example if you order 1 spice blend you will get one free taster sample, order 2 spices and you will receive 2 free taster samples, etc. Enjoy.

It just tastes so good January 28 2014

OK....so the planned diet didn't pan out as anticipated..using the BMS spices to facilitate loosing a few pounds hasn't quite panned out...the food just tastes sooo good......there are not too many meals where the spices are not used and mostly when eating out although I am challenging myself not to take a jar out to restaurants to make meals sing. New spice blends in the test kitchen which are awesome.

Dieting can be Delicious! November 12 2013

Hi everyone,

I'm Mark Dronjak, and I am passionate about food. I think about it all of the time (probably accounts for the few extra pounds that have snuck on) and am enthusiastic about teaching and influencing people in creating better meal experiences. This is why I created Black Market Spices - a passion that has been in the planning for many years. I was thinking the other day (yes, caught me off guard) and was in deep consideration about what healthy food is all about and believe it is food without the scientists dabbling, the XYZ on the label and all of the things that come from who knows where… and I am happy to acknowledge that my spice blends are not full of anything that will get you growing anything bizarre. And as a soon-to-be passionate dieter, I am pleasantly optimistic that the addition of different spices to meals will not only make a meal more appealing, but more enjoyable too and will result in more of a use of lower calorie alternatives. Who said food for losing a few pounds should be so bland! I am keen to share my story and recipes to help loose a few pounds whilst using spices to enhance, so watch this space!

Mark