Sabrina Ghayour‘s new collection of unmissable dishes in her signature style, influenced by her love of fabulous flavours, is full of delicious food that can be enjoyed with a minimum of fuss. With sections ranging from Effortless Eating to Traditions With a Twist, Simply provides over 100 bold and exciting recipes that can be enjoyed every day of the week.

Recipes include Baked sweet potato & za’atar chips, Pomegranate molasses & honey glazed meatballs, Kabab koobideh, Marinated steak with labneh, pul biber butter & onions, Chilled pistachio & cucumber soup, Chorizo, goats’ cheese & cumin borek, Goats’ cheese, vegetable & za’atar filo tart, Albaloo polow (lamb & sour cherry rice), Harissa chicken noodle lettuce cups, Tahini, almond & orange brownies, Saffron & sesame shortbreads and Turmeric, orange & coconut rice pudding.

Simply: Easy everyday dishes from the bestselling author of Persiana is available at Amazon.com and Indigo.ca.

Seafood, Coconut & Ginger Spiced Rice

The Spanish have the right idea with their famous pan-baked rice dish of paella, and while this isn’t a paella, it’s put together in a similar manner, albeit using very different flavours. I am a big lover of rice and I think it makes a fantastic partner for seafood. This spiced coconut and ginger rice is rich, comforting, and has a depth of flavour that makes it incredibly delicious. The best part? You can take it straight from the stove to the table. This is one-pot cooking at its finest.

Serves 4 to 6

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, very finely chopped
3-inch piece of fresh ginger root, peeled and sliced into thin matchsticks
1 cup Spanish paella rice
1 heaped teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 cup coconut milk
1 cup cold water
7oz frozen squid tubes, defrosted and each cut into 3 to 4 rings
7oz baby plum tomatoes, halved
6 large raw shrimp in their shells
sea salt flakes and freshly ground
black pepper

Place a wide pan, ideally nonstick, over medium heat and pour in the olive oil. Add the onion and cook for a few minutes until it begins to turn translucent. Add the ginger, stirring to ensure it doesn’t burn. Continue cooking gently until both the onion and ginger are softened, without browning.

Add the rice and stir until well coated with the onion and ginger, then stir in the curry powder, turmeric, and a generous amount of salt and pepper.

Pour in the coconut milk, cold water, squid, and tomatoes and mix well. Lay the shrimp on top, reduce the heat slightly, and cook gently for about 20 minutes. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for a further 10 minutes until the shrimp turn pink. Then remove the lid and cook for a final 10 minutes until the rice is cooked through. Serve immediately.

SIMPLY DELICIOUS WITH…

Carrot, Pistachio & Dill Weed Salad with Lime & Honey Dressing (see page 51) or Fennel Salad with Spinach, Cashew & Coriander Seed Dressing (see page 53).

Recipe reprinted with permission from Octopus Publishing.