There's nothing quite like waking up in the morning and everything is peaceful and calm in the comfort of your bed and then BAM, it hits you. Whatever you thought was a good idea at the time the previous evening comes flooding back to you and all you want to do is rewind to the part when you just opened your eyes to a Friday morning and everything was ok. Mistake number 1) do not accept tequilas offered to you before a meal and mistake number 2) eat the bread that the waitress put on the table. Lastly, 3) realise that 3 sardines and a bit of salad is not going to absorb that tequila you had so you may as well kiss your good judgement and sobriety goodbye.
It was a hard week this week, much pressure from work and previously mentioned 'wall' so I did not hold back when it came to drinks offered on Thursday night and my deadline-packed Friday did not allow me the luxury of indulging my hangover and every time I thought about popping to the pharmacy across the road for some industrial strength painkillers, something came up. I pushed through.
Friday night came and went with the girls and I taking a couple of creatives out for dinner who were up from Cape Town to shoot an ad and they went out after for a night of debauchery. I bailed, climbed on top of my bed in my stilettos and fully glammed regalia and I woke up this morning fully clothed and in the same position. I need a holiday. I have buggered up arrangements, forgot about dinner invitations and cancelled dinner invitations this weekend to just catch my breath. So here I sit on a Saturday night in the same spot I am in day in and day out with a full day of work to look forward to tomorrow.
I'm having a full-blown dinner party on the 20th and have gone through the recesses of my brain as to what I am going to cook. I can't tell you how excited I am. I can spend the entire day cooking without worrying about work and really make it a meal to remember. The theme for the evening will be Moroccan and I will be making a lamb tagine, pea puree with a Moroccan twist, apricot and pomegranate raita (not really Moroccan) and a warm bulgar wheat salad. I am going to give you the recipes in stages and have no doubt I will give details about the evening afterwards which will most probably be my last insert for the year. I am really looking forward to it, the guest list is abundant in humour and talent and great conversation.
Below is a recipe for pea puree which is traditionally served with lamb and usually contains mint but as this is taking on a Moroccan flavour, I am going to amend the traditional combination for a more exotic taste. Should you want to go the classic route, substitute all the herbs and spices other than the garlic for plain old mint. Just an FYI - I have not included turmeric in the recipe as I don't want the yellow of the spice to take away from the bright green of the peas.
Moroccan Pea Puree (Serves 6)
500 gram packet of frozen peas
2 gloves of garlic
1/3 teaspoon ground ginger
1/3 teaspoon ground coriander
1 handfull of chopped coriander
2 chicken stock cubes
Salt and pepper to taste
Paprika for garnishing
Method
Bring a pot of water to the boil and add the stock cubes and garlic and peas. Boil for about 4 minutes
Drain the peas and garlic but keep a cup of the stock for blending
Add the ground ginger, ground coriander and fresh coriander to the peas and throw into a blender with some of the leftover stock for easy blending. You do not want soup but rather a puree so watch how much stock you add
Remove from the blender and add salt and pepper to taste
Decant into a serving dish
Garnish with a smattering of paprika and some chopped coriander
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