A salad or a side dish of tasty wholesome ingredients. It doesn’t always have to be bells and whistles, some of the best dishes are just a few ingredients, simply cooked, that speak for themselves.
Ras el hanout is an aromatic spice blend common in North African cuisine. Ras el hanout translates as something like “head of the shop” and was traditionally a house blend of the best spices the shop owner had to offer. The amount and quanity of spices used varied from village to village and house to house, but standard ingredients included cumin, coriander, ginger, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, rose petals and paparika. While it use to be only available in shops specializing in Middle Eastern ingredients today most well stocked grocers carry a commercially made blend. Ras el hanout is meant to be a mild spice blend. The mixture of spices is intended to add warm, pungent flavors not heat. It can be stirred into soups, stews and tagines, rubbed into meat as a marinade or sprinkled on food to add flavor as as a condiment.
Click here for Fresh homemade Ricotta recipe
Crispy kale, roasted squash, sautéed black beans and fresh ricotta with ras el hanout
Ingredients
- Serves 6
- 1 medium size butternut or other squash
- 1 x 14 oz (400) g can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 7 oz (200 g) Kale
- Olive oil
- Ras el hanout spice blend
- Juice of 1 lemon
- sliced green onions or chives to garnish
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- 1 recipe homemade ricotta (click on link above) freshly made and slightly warm or greek yogurt seasoned with salt and pepper
Instructions
- To make the crispy kale:
- Preheat the oven to 325 °F (165 ° C).
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Wash the kale, remove the tough stem and tear or slice the leaves into bite size pieces. Place the leaves in a salad spinner and spin to dry or else use a towel to blot up any moisture clinging to the leaves. The leaves need to be very dry or else they will steam instead of turning crispy. Place the dried kale in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Toss to evenly coat. Spread the leaves out on the baking sheet in a single layer without crowding or again, they will steam instead of turning crisp. Bake in the oven 12-20 minutes or until crisp. Remove when done and sprinkle with salt and ras el hanout. Set aside.
- To cook the squash:
- Turn up the oven heat to 400 ° F (200° C).
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Peel, halve and deseed the squash and cut into ½ inch (1 cm) slices. Place in a large bowl, drizzle with olive oil and toss to evenly coat. Sprinkle with salt and ras el hanout and toss again. Spread the slices on the baking tray in a single layer and place in the oven. Cook for 20-25 minutes or until the slices are blistered and golden and cooked through.
- To finish:
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium skillet on medium-high heat. Add the beans and cook, turning in the oil until lightly fried and a little crisp.
- When ready to serve, layer the squash over a big serving platter and scatter the kale and beans on top. Season everything with lemon juice and garnish with dollops of homemade ricotta or a drizzle of greek yogurt and green onions or chives.
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https://www.charlottepuckette.com/recipes/salads/crispy-kale-roasted-squash-sauteed-black-beans-and-fresh-ricotta-with-ras-el-hanout/
