I promised recipes with preserved lemon a looooooong time ago, and surprise, surprise, here is one at last! Although I think the photo of my cat is far cuter, I do think it is also not bad to actually post a recipe every, cough, once in a while. This recipe is quickly prepared and deelicious.

The only “strange” ingredient is ras-el-hanout, a Moroccan spice mix that is readily available in most supermarkets around here. Should you not be able to find it, try this website www.moroccanfood.about.com for a cauliflower recipe which uses individual spices. It is a lot longer, but will be just as tasty.

I made preserved lemons (see my blog post www.acookonthefunnyside.com/content/preserved-lemons ) and have found many uses for them. Be careful not to use too much at first as they have quite a strong lemon flavor. And go easy on the salt as they are salted. Some people remove and discard the pulp and just use the rind, but I don't see why one would do this. I use the pulp, but add NO salt as they are salted (are you getting the message that they are salty???). However, you should do as you please.

THE RECIPE

1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2-4 cloves of garlic, crushed (use more or less according to your taste)
1 tbsp yellow ras-el-hanout (see above)
1 tsp turmeric
pinch of black pepper
1 cauliflower, cut into florets
1 cup / 250ml vegetable or chicken stock
½ preserved lemon, chopped (see above)
1 handful of black olives, chopped or left whole
Cilantro / coriander, fresh, chopped, to serve if desired

METHOD:

1. Saute the onion in the oil, then add all the spices and cook until they are fragrant, about 1 minute.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer covered till the cauliflower is cooked, about 10 minutes.
3. And you are ready to go! Serve with couscous and enjoy. Couscous is ready in 5 minutes: pour 2 cups of boiling water (or stock) over 1 cup of couscous and leave covered for 5 minutes. Now it is too ready to eat. A whole meal in 20 minutes including prep time.