Tunisian Tomato and Capsicum spicy relish

This is a rather piquant capsicum and tomato relish, adapted from Joanne Weir's Tunisian Sweet and hot pepper tomato relish.  I always roast my own capsicum with olive oil, oregano and salt.  If it's in season, I tend to have a containerof roasted capsicum in the fridge.  It's excellent with the Moroccan spiced beef and mushroom pastries, and if you can keep a bowl of it in the fridge you'll find yourself slathering it on meatballs, grilled fish, chicken or in a steak sandwich.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 brown onion, chopped finely
2 cloves garlic, sliced finely
1 bay leaf
1 tin of tomatoes (400g) or 4 ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon* Harissa
3 large red capsicums, roasted and sliced into strips
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
Salt and pepper

Fry the onion, garlic and bay leaf in the oil until softened for about 8 mins, on medium heat.  Add the tomatoes andt spices and cook for 10 mins till thickened.  Then add the rest of the ingredients and cook for a further 2 mins.

* Harissa is a fiery hot condiment made from chillies, especially common in the Magreb.  It's available in tubes and keeps well in the fridge.  Found in Greek and Middle Eastern delis.

Moroccan spiced beef and mushroom pastries

I  do get a little obsessive about food and sometimes I'll attempt to recreate a dish I tried at a restaurant, or celebratory event where obtaining a recipe can be tres difficile.  Last Saturday night, we danced, ate and drank ourselves away at a relative's Engagement party by the sea.  Cocktail - style food was served and it was  absolutely delicious!  Tender, moist beef skewers, salt and pepper calamari with rocket and balsamic reduction served in noodle boxes, pea and saffron arancinis.....Being a Greek event, there was a cornucopia of food.  Interestingly enough, there was one dish I didn't try, only because I ate too many of their pumpkin and pesto wood fired pizzas!  It was the  beef and mushroom pastries served with a tomato salsa that my husband waxed lyrical about the most.  As I hadn't tried them, I asked him to describe the flavours.  Was there any cinnamon, a hint of cardamon perhaps, parsley??  Anyway, he retorted, in his typical fashion, that he just enjoyed them and didn't stop and analyse the components.  Where is DI Henry Crabbe  (from the wholesome BBC1 series 'Pie in the Sky') when you need him?

Anyway, after trawling through some of my precious cook books, I came across a recipe from Joanne Weir's 'From Tapas to Mezze', titled Baked phyllo triangles with lamb and moroccan spices.  I've altered it considerably and this is my version:

500 minced beef
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tablespoons dried oregano
3 teaspoons Ras el Hanout blend (if not available, replace with 4 teaspoons ground cumin, 1 teaspoon each of ground ginger, cinnamon, coriander, 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper)
300 grams sliced brown mushrooms
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped
salt and pepper
24 sheets of fillo pastry
125 grams unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons sesame seeds

In a frypan, fry onion and garlic over medium heat until softened, about 8 mins.  Add all the other ingredients and continue cooking for another 10 mins till meat is browned.  Savour the aroma of the spices mingling in the heat!  The moisture should have completely evapourated at this stage.  Set aside.

In meantime, preheat oven to 180 degrees.    With a knife, cut the fillo the long way into 3 strips.  Place the strips on top of each other to form a single pile and cover with a slightly dampened tea towel.   Take one strip and brush with butter. Top with another sheet of fillo and butter again.  Place a heaped teaspoon of filling at one end. Fold 1 corner over the filling to meet the other side and continue to fold as you would a flag, until the whole strip is folded into a small triangular parcel.  Repeat with the rest of the fillo and filling.  Brush remaining butter on the top and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Place on a greased baking sheet  and bake until golden, 15 mins.

Serve immediately, warm or at room temperature.