Smoky, Spicy, Salty, Citrus

Harissa is a blend of spices that come together and make a beautiful, happy union. Like curry, you can make your own blend, or you can buy it pre-made. You can buy this spicy little number as a dry spice blend, in an oil or paste. Harissa is a smoky, spicy-heat blend. It goes really well with citrus too. The origin is North African. It’s used a lot in traditional stews. Even though I’m semi heat-intolerant, I love it and I use it in many different ways. My favorite is to make my own blend and keep it ready for a surprisingly large variety of recipes.

If you’re not one to keep a lot of different spices on hand, you can buy it ready-made. I just realized as I was putting this blend together, that the largest cabinet and most valuable real estate in my kitchen is dedicated to my spices. My kitchen is not very big either. Maybe it’s a little weird, to dedicate that much space to spices? So, now I’m curious. How much space do you dedicate to your spice collection? Would you let me know by leaving a comment below? Maybe, like me, you never thought about it before.

Here’s the Formula

There are many different variables, but this is how I made my harissa. 1 tablespoon paprika, 1 tablespoon cumin powder, 1 teaspoon coriander powder, 1 teaspoon each of ancho chile powder and chipotle chile powder, 1 teaspoon caraway seed, toasted and ground, 1 tablespoon garlic powder and 2 teaspoons salt. Mix it all up and put it into a bowl.

You can keep the mixture for up to six months and use it as needed. You can also mix it with olive oil and water to make a paste.

Harissa Yogurt Sauce with Lemon = Heaven 😇

This is a delicious sauce to put over freshly grilled veggies, when you want to add a little extra zip. It’s great on chicken too.

Into a small bowl, add about 1 cup of Greek yogurt, I used 2%, even better, right? In a sauce like this, I seriously cannot tell the difference in non-fat to full fat Greek yogurt. Then add the zest and juice of one lemon. Add about 2 tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespoons of your harissa spice mix. Mix well and taste. For a little more zip, add a bit more until it’s to your taste.

Grilled Onions ❤ A Little Harissa

This is the perfect season for delicious, huge, spring onions. Just scrub them up, trim the ends and you’re ready to go. Toss the onions with some olive oil and salt, then throw them onto a outdoor grill or indoor grill pan.

You want them to be nicely charred, so cook on high heat. Serve them on a platter and serve with delicious Harissa. You’re going to love it!

Harissa spiced yogurt with grilled springonions — Harissa spiced yogurt with grilled spring onions

Harissa Yogurt Sauce on Grilled Spring Onions

May 25, 2018

by Karen

Category Eat Your Veggies! Vegetarian! What's Cooking

Persons

Ingredients

For the Harissa Spice

1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon ancho
1 teaspoon chipotle
1 teaspoon caraway
1 tablespoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt

For the Harissa Sauce

1 cup Greek yogurt (full, 2% or non-fat)
1 lemon zest and juice
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons (or more to taste) harissa spice mix

For the grilled spring onions

2 bunches spring onions, washed and trimmed (about 10 onions)
1 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Garnish: Fresh chopped cilantro or parsley and lemon wedges

Instructions

For the Harissa Spice Mix

in a small bowl, mix paprika, cumin, coriander, chili powders, caraway, garlic and salt and mix. Set aside
Note: You can keep the mixture for up to six months and use it as needed. You can also mix it with olive oil and water to make a paste)

For the Harissa Yogurt Sauce

Into a small bowl, add 1 cup of Greek yogurt, The zest and juice of one lemon. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespoons of your harissa spice mix. Mix well and taste. For a little more heat and spice, add more spice mix to taste.