Harissa

For those who like a little spice, this is a great condiment to have in your refrigerator to add a little umph to whatever you’re making.

Harissa is a North African chile pepper and spice paste that shows up frequently in many recipes from that region of the world.  I almost always find different ingredients for any harissa recipe when I happen upon one in a cookbook, magazine or on the Internet, but it will always contain hot peppers, garlic, spices like coriander and cumin and oil.  This version has all the fire from chiles, but gets some sweetness and tang from tomatoes and a bright pop of freshness and green from chopped cilantro and parsley.

It’s easy to make at home and is a welcome addition to a multitude of recipes.  Slather over meat for a marinade and spice rub in one, swirl into mayonnaise or yogurt for a flavorful dip for vegetables (potatoes are my favorite!), or use as a condiment to spice up a soup, sandwich, dressing, pasta dish, and on and on.  It will keep for quite a while in the refrigerator if you continue to replenish the olive oil “cap” on top, so make some and figure out what you like it best on!

[tasty-recipe id=”31156″]