Harissa Lamb Tacos

These tacos are bright, zesty, and delicious. My husband’s family has a massive sheep farm in New Zealand and my parents used to raise a small flock of sheep when I was growing up so we both love eating lamb. Of course, now that my children have demanded Taco Tuesday be a weekly tradition I am always trying for new varieties (and no, they didn’t appear to like this...they ate mostly cheese and lettuce tacos and I’m ok with that). These tacos have a smokey red pepper Moroccan vibe with harissa and mint. The sour cream and feta blend balance out the spice really nicely.

What you need:

For the taco filling:

1 lb ground lamb

1 small onion, chopped

2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 clove garlic

2 tbsp spicy harissa sauce (I used Mina brand)

Cucumber Tomato Salsa:

1/4 cup of chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 cup of chopped fresh mint

1/2 cup diced tomatoes

1/2 cup diced cucumbers

lemon zest of 1/2 lemon

juice of 1/2 lemon

salt and pepper

feta cheese and sour cream (equal parts) about 1/2 cup each

soft taco shells

In a sauté pan over medium heat, drizzle a tiny bit of oil and add onions plus all of your spices. Stir for a few minutes until onions have softened and then add your lamb, garlic, and harissa. Keep stirring occasionally until the lamb is cooked through. Don't drain the fat but serve with a slotted spoon.

Meanwhile, mix all of the ingredients for your cucumber tomato salsa. Allow the feta and sour cream to sit out for about 15 minutes and it will be easier to mix together, stir together equal parts of feta and sour cream. Serve tacos with the sour cream blend, salsa, and extra chopped mint and cilantro if you have it. Shredded lettuce would also be a great addition, I offered it for my kids who also insisted on ”regular taco cheese”. My husband who likes everything spicy added extra harissa on top of his. Enjoy : )

Harissa and Herb Roasted Potatoes

I am in an infinite search for more delicious potato recipes. They are so versatile. We've been eating a lot of roasted potatoes lately and love Spanish style potatoes with paprika. I've been trying to use up a jar of Harissa and it has a similar flavor profile with the roasted red peppers and I recalled a Harissa potato recipe from Ottolenghi. This is what I came up with, they were so good I made them two days in a row but managed to improve them the second day. You can use Feta as an accompaniment if you have it on hand or love Feta but I don't think it's necessary (I had an open package in the fridge...definitely doesn't hurt). The herbs however, are crucial...don't skimp on the herbs. Luckily, we are heading into Spring and my mint and parsley is already multiplying right outside my kitchen door. LOVE having fresh herbs at home.

What you need:

4 medium yukon gold potatoes

3 tbsp harissa sauce (I use Minna brand)

juice from half a lemon

3 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp salt

Fresh cracked pepper

handful of parsley and mint finely chopped

1/4 cup crumbled feta

Preheat the oven to 425° and line a baking pan with parchment paper. Wash and peel the potatoes, leaving a little skin on for good health : ) Chop them into chunks/wedges (4-6 pieces per potato) and put them in a mixing bowl. Add harissa, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and a touch of pepper. Mix well. Transfer the potatoes to the baking pan and make sure to spread them out well so there is at least 2 inches in between each potato (this is how you get them crispy, over crowding will create too much steam). Keep the leftover sauce in the bottom of the bowl. Place potatoes in the oven and roast for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes remove them from the oven and use tongs to place them back in the mixing bowl with the leftover sauce. It's ok if there are some burned bits, the sauce will deglaze a bit after you remix it. Swirl around in the rest of the harissa sauce and then place back on the pan and cook for another 10-15 minutes until the potatoes are golden brown and pierce easily with a fork. Sprinkle over the herbs and feta and enjoy!

Chocolate Almond Butter Pie

This pie is so sweet, creamy, and delicious. It's lusciously smooth with a crumbly chocolate crust. You can easily swap this for peanut butter, it follows the same recipe as a classic peanut butter pie but I can't eat peanuts and as a result my family has grown to love almond butter too. It's amazing. This has a chocolate crust and a layer of chocolate ganache underneath the almond butter filling. Heaven. We made this today to celebrate Pi Day. It was a quick and easy after school project and was chilled and ready to enjoy after dinner.

What you need:

1 1/2 cups of chocolate Graham Cracker crumbs or chocolate wafer cookies

1/3 cup melted butter

1 cup of dark chocolate chips

1 cup of half and half

1 cup of Almond butter, the smoothest you can find. I like Barney butter.

8 oz block of cream cheese, room temperature

1 1/4 cup powdered sugar

8 oz whipped topping like Cool Whip, thawed

First preheat the oven to 350° and then make your crumbs. I tend to eyeball it by adding a few sheets of crackers to my blender and then pulsing it into crumbs and adding a bit more as I go. I find the blender is easy to use because it has measurements on the side. Once I have enough crumbs I add the melted butter and blend for about 5 seconds and it's well mixed. Then slowly spread the mixture out evenly in a pie dish and gently push up the sides until the whole surface area is covered. Bake for 5-6 minutes then remove to cool.

Next make the ganache. Add 1 cup of dark chocolate chips (I use Ghirardelli 60%) to a microwave safe dish and microwave in 30 second intervals and stir until it's smooth. Quit heating when there are still a few small lumps of chocolate and then stir until smooth. You don't want to overcook the chocolate. When the chocolate is smooth stir in the half and half with a fork or a whisk. It will take a minute or two to come together, be patient. All of a sudden it will start to thicken and be glossy and beautiful. Pour the ganache evenly over the pie crust.

Lastly, add the almond butter and cream cheese to a mixing bowl. You can use a handheld or a stand mixer. If using a stand mixer use the paddle attachment for easier cleaning. Mix until well combined then add the powdered sugar slowly until well combined. Lastly, stir in the whipped topping until smooth. Pour the almond butter mixture carefully on top of the ganache. If you have extra chocolate chips you can give them a rough chop and scatter on top.

In the past I have crushed up various cookies (Tate's chocolate chip and Walkers shortbread both made excellent topping) and sprinkled on top to make it extra amazing. Use what you've got on hand and be creative! Everyone will love this pie. Yum!