Back from Morocco with a bag full of foodie ingredients! The light, fresh salads and use of spices was inspiring – and delicious.
Here’s something simple that I made as a side dish for lunch today that was lifted out of the ordinary by some fresh coriander leaf (cilantro), toasted ground cumin seed and a drizzle of argan oil, which has a lovely toasted nutty flavour. If you haven’t got argan oil (which is only produced in South West Morocco), use walnut oil or toasted sesame oil instead.
Despite the fact the hothouse veg from Spain are not as flavourful as they would be in summer, this makes a real impact. It goes really well with cheese or cold meats and would be an excellent partner with some hummus in a lettuce wrap for a fast day snack or starter. You could add some chopped red or green pepper for variation, and also I considered sprinkling with a few sesame seeds or chopped almonds.
- 1 medium tomato, chopped
- 1/4 cucumber, peeled and chopped
- 1 tsp cumin seeds, toasted and ground
- 1 tbsp coriander leaf, finely chopped
- 1 tsp oil (argan, walnut or sesame)
- Mix the vegetables and coriander leaf together and turn into a dish
- Sprinkle with cumin
- Drizzle with oil
- If you can't get argan oil, use walnut oil or toasted sesame oil