Leeky Harissa Pasta with Labneh

I have been asked many times what’s one thing that will always be found in my fridge, well it’s not one but four - 1 lb of leeks, 2 Fennel Bulbs, one head of confit garlic and a tub of Greek Yoghurt…No kidding, literally always! However my amnesiac partner keeps forgetting this rule and buys leek in every produce run to make me happy. So one time I had 3lbs leeks to finish & this quick Pasta dish was born! Clearly, we need to work on our communication, and you all need to try this easy umami laden pasta dish.

Ingredients (serves 2)
2.5 tbsp Olive Oil
190g thinly sliced Leeks
6 garlic cloves, crushed
250g cherry tomatoes, halved
2 small sweet peppers, thinly sliced
1 tbsp Tomato Paste
2 tbsp harissa paste (Spicy kind); increase to 3 tbsp if using mild variety
1 tbsp ground coriander seeds
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp Miso paste
80ml water
225g dried pasta (any kind)

Topping (per serving)
1 tbsp lemon juice
3-4 tbsp Labneh (substitute with Greek Yoghurt or Vegan Yoghurt)
1 tbsp chopped chives
1/4 tsp Aleppo pepper flakes

Directions
💥In a deep bottomed pan, heat up oil, add leeks, peppers & garlic. Cook on low flame for 7 mins or until soft & caramelized. Add tomatoes & cook for 11 mins or until tomatoes have almost broken down

💥Now add tomato paste, harissa, sugar & spices; increase heat to medium flame & cook for 2 mins. Add miso, water & cook for 5 mins or until it’s thick & saucy

💥Cook pasta according to package instructions & reserve 60ml cooking water. Now transfer both pasta alongwith reserved cooking water into the sauce & increase heat to high. Mix everything well & cook on high heat for 2-3 mins or until the sauce is at your desired consistency

💥Divide into 2 serving bowls - add lemon juice, spoon Labneh on top & finish with chives & Aleppo. Give it a good mix before eating, enjoy!

*Notes:
- Preferably use Red Miso
- No chives, try parsley; No Aleppo, try chile flakes
- I have used yoghurt, crème fraîche, sour cream & all works great so use whatever is in your pantry however Labneh is my personal favorite

Spicy Turmeric Udon with Smoked Tofu & Crispy Shimeji

I adore the chewy bouncy texture with a bite from Udon noodles. Invariably I always have a packet of cooked Udon in my freezer, no need to thaw straight into boiling water for 1 min and hot sear in the pan with the sauce for another minute or two and done. This version has both chile pepper and sriracha for the kick but feel free to adjust to suit your spice tolerance. Smoked tofu adds another layer of complexity which is hard to substitute so highly recommend procuring some from your local grocery store.

Ingredients (serves 2)
3 tbsp Neutral Oil
1 tbsp Ground Coriander Seeds
1.5-2 tsp Ground Turmeric (adjust based on your personal preference)
30g (4oz) Buna Shimeji Mushrooms (any petite cluster mushrooms should be okay), whole & separated tossed in 1/2 tbsp Corn or Potato Starch
1/2-1 tsp Chile Pepper Flakes (adjust to your spice tolerance)
1/2 tsp Flaky Sea salt
220g Cooked Udon (I prefer the frozen pre-cooked ones from the frozen Aisle in H-Mart)

4 scallions, whites finely chopped & greens thinly sliced for topping
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbsp Miso Paste well mixed with 2 tsp Sriracha & 1/2 tsp Water
120g Smoked Tofu, finely diced (if living in the US then the Trader Joe’s Sriracha Tofu could work)
1/2 head of roasted garlic - about 10 cloves (optional but highly recommended)
2 tbsp Light Soy (substitute Tamari or Coco Aminos)
1/2 tsp Brown Sugar
1 tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar (substitute with Apple Cider Vinegar)
40ml Water (I use reserved Noodle cooking water)

Generous squeeze of Lime (optional but kinda not!)

Directions
🍜 Heat up a wok or deep bottom pan, sprinkle some water to test if it sizzles. Once it does, quickly add oil, coated mushrooms, coriander and turmeric. Fry on high heat for 5-6 mins or until golden brown. Fish out mushrooms into a bowl and leave spiced oil in the wok. Add chile flakes and salt to fried mushrooms, toss well and keep them aside

🍜 Add scallion whites & garlic to the spiced oil. Turn on heat and fry them on low heat for 3-4 mins or until it’s aromatic. Now add miso-sriracha concoction and fry for 1 min then add Tofu & Roasted garlic (if using). Fry for 1 min then add remaining ingredients. Let it cook on medium heat for 2-3 mins or until begins to bubble a lot

🍜 Now transfer the Cooked Udon into wok, fry everything (while mixing well) on high heat for 2 mins. Divide and transfer into serving bowls, top with fried mushrooms & reserved scallion greens. Finish with a generous squeeze of lime!