23.06.13 | LEBANESE FEAST / CHILLI SAUCE RECIPE

When we were last down by the coast we ended up trying some Lebanese food, something I had not had before. We were served with a giant flat bread filled with beautifully marinated chicken, oodles of fresh crunchy salads and a chilli sauce that was both spicy and sweet. We took it as take-out and ate it watching the sun go down and I promised myself that once we were back home, I'd try to recreate it.

Not long after I made that promise, I got an email from the folks at Eco Market asking me if I'd like to sample some of the Steenbergs Organic range. It took me about 0.3 seconds to spot a few that I knew I'd like to base some recipes around and one of them was a Lebanese 7 spice which helped to make one of the best home made chilli sauces I've tasted - and it was pretty spot on to the one we tasted just weeks before.

It was such a simple yet amazing supper. I marinated some diced chicken in a little lemon juice & olive oil for a couple of hours before griddling it. I made two very simple salads consisting of red onions in a sumac and red wine vinegar dressing, and some cabbage and chopped parsley which I sprinkled with some sea salt & drizzled over some fresh lemon juice. I cooked some wheat berries in some organic chicken stock & a teaspoon of paprika and served it all alongside some giant Lebanese flat breads & some hot pickles. It was however the chilli sauce that stole the show...

Lebanese chilli sauce - makes one jug

- 1 onion, chopped

- 4 cloves garlic

- 2 tsps Lebanese 7 spice

- 1/2 tsp hot chilli powder

- 1 tin organic chopped tomatoes

- 50 ml distilled vinegar

- olive oil

1. In a food processor whizz together all the ingredients except the olive oil - pulse until well combined.

2. In a medium saucepan, heat a little olive oil to lightly coat the bottom. When warm, add the sauce mixture from your food processor.

3. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat & simmer for about 10-15 minutes or until the sauce has thickened slightly. 

4. Leave to cool and enjoy!

This will keep in the fridge in an air tight container for up to a week.