Ottolenghi fans - help please

[Longtalljosie]

I have Ottolenghi and Plenty and I have never used them - ever - because I don't have preserved lemons in the cupboard. Which recipes should I try which don't require so many ingredients I might just as well eat out?

The black pepper tofu is amazing (I just used one type of soy sauce and it was still great).

There's lots in the first book that aren't too bad - Harissa chicken etc. cauli and cumin fritters are gorgeous. My ultimate ultimate favourite is the pistachio tuna and papaya salsa. Don't be put off by the list of ingredients! It's mainly chopping and it's really worth it. In plenty, the garlic tart is really delicious.

In Plenty we like the paella and the fennel and tomato soup.

Khosheri is delicious, and consists entirely of really simple cheap ingredients. You can use tinned lentils instead of dried if you want to save a bit of time.

Preserved lemons are easy peasy to make. recipe here

Roasted Garlic and Goat Cheese Tart! Easy and amazing.

The Ultimate Winter Couscous in Plenty is amazing although it does use preserved lemon (but the other ingredients are pretty normal stuff)

Thank you! Off to try those - perhaps the garlic and cheese tart first - that sounds straighforward...

It isn't difficult to find preserved lemons, even Tesco has them. Just go to a supermarket in a town where there is a higher than normal proportion of forriners and you'll find all sorts of ingredients that your local supermarket might nor carry. Or just find a small ethnic supermarket. They are not expensive and one jar will last you ages - you only need a small amount as they have a very strong and distinctive taste.

Agree the cauliflower fritters are divine. They are really cheap to do, and they freeze really well. I lightly fry them first, then just bung them into a hot oven to warm through and crisp up, straight from frozen.

The chicken with sumac and za'atar from Ottolenghi is the nicest thing I've ever eaten and it's just a marinade/roast job.