3 Easy Recipes From Nara Aziza Smith’s New Cookbook

Sometimes I mix the dry ingredients the night before so we can get right to the fun part of cooking the waffles.

Start by whisking together the cassava flour, collagen peptides, coconut sugar, bicarbonate of soda and salt in a large bowl.

Next, whisk together the coconut milk, eggs, coconut oil and vinegar in a medium bowl. Add the coconut milk mixture to the dry ingredients and lightly whisk (it’s okay if there are a few lumps). Let the batter rest at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes. This helps hydrate the flour for fluffier and more tender waffles.

Meanwhile, brush your waffle iron with coconut oil and preheat it.

Ladle in 80ml of batter for each waffle and cook until lightly golden (check the timing instructions for your waffle iron). You may need to brush the iron with more coconut oil between batches.

Serve the waffles hot with a drizzle of the buttermilk syrup or blueberry compote if you like.

Let’s toast the quinoa first so it can cool a bit before assembling the salad.

Preheat your oven to 190°C. Line two baking trays with parchment paper.

Toss the cooked quinoa with the oil, harissa and salt on the lined baking trays. Make sure it’s evenly coated, then pat it into a thin, even layer.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until golden brown and crispy, stirring halfway through (see notes). Let cool.

Meanwhile, make the dressing. Combine the olive oil, lemon juice, maple syrup, vinegar, harissa, garlic, salt and pepper in a small jar or bowl. Shake or whisk until smooth and set aside.

Next, make the salad. Peel the squash into long ribbons with a vegetable peeler and set aside.

Combine the cavolo nero and a drizzle of olive oil in a large bowl. Gently massage the cavolo nero with your hands until the leaves are tenderised and broken down, about 30 seconds.

To serve, add the cavolo nero to a large serving bowl or platter. Top with the sliced fennel, squash ribbons, blackberries and chilli. Drizzle with the dressing and sprinkle with the crispy quinoa.

It's a little bit of an oven shuffle, but giving the cabbage a head start makes this so much easier. Arrange racks in the upper and lower thirds of your oven and preheat it to 220°C. Place one unlined baking tray in the oven to preheat for about 15 minutes. Have another nearby.

Start the cabbage by whisking together the sesame oil, soy sauce and honey in a large bowl. Add the cabbage wedges and toss to coat, then season with the salt and a few twists of pepper. Carefully remove the preheated baking tray from the oven. Arrange the cabbage wedges in an even layer and transfer the baking tray to the top rack.

Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, flipping the wedges and rotating the tray front to back halfway through, until browned and tender. Cover with foil and set aside to keep warm while you make the chicken.

Meanwhile, prepare the chicken. Set up a dredging station in three shallow bowls. Mix the flour and cayenne in the first bowl and lightly whisk the eggs in the second bowl. Combine the ground cornflakes, panko and sesame seeds in the third bowl. Season each bowl with ¼ teaspoon of the salt and a few twists of pepper and mix well. Have a large plate or small baking tray nearby to hold the breaded cutlets. Set aside.

Next, put the chicken thighs on a chopping board and cover them with a piece of clingfilm or parchment paper. Use a meat mallet or heavy-bottomed frying pan to pound them to an even 1cm thickness. Season the thighs all over with the remaining teaspoon of salt and the ½ teaspoon of pepper.

Place a second unlined baking tray on the bottom rack of your oven to preheat for 15 minutes.

To coat the chicken, use one hand and toss one piece at a time in the flour first, tapping off any excess. Then, with the same hand, dredge it in the egg, allowing the excess to drip back into the dish. Finally, with your other hand, coat it in the cornflake mixture, patting to help the crumbs adhere. Place the chicken on the large plate and repeat to bread the remaining cutlets.

After all the cutlets are breaded (or wait until it's been 15 minutes), carefully remove the preheated baking tray from the oven and pour in the algae oil (it will sizzle), making sure it covers the whole baking tray. Arrange the chicken in an even layer on the baking tray, then drizzle the tops lightly with more oil.

Bake on the lower rack for 10 to 15 minutes, until the bottoms of the thighs are crisp and golden. Flip the chicken and turn the tray back to front. (The cabbage should be ready by now; if not, move that tray to the lower rack and the chicken to the top rack.) Continue baking the chicken for 10 to 15 minutes more (20 to 30 minutes total), until golden all over and cooked through with an internal temperature of 74°C. Lightly cover with foil to keep warm and crispy if your chicken is done before you've finished the gravy.

Meanwhile, make the gravy. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the spring onions and ginger and cook, stirring a few times to prevent burning, until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the miso paste, flour, ketchup and mirin and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Switch to a whisk and while whisking, slowly pour in the chicken stock. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook, stirring frequently, until the gravy thickens enough to lightly coat the back of the spoon, four to five minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the lime juice, coriander, pepper and cayenne pepper (if using). Season with salt to taste (miso varies in saltiness).

To serve, slice the chicken thighs on an angle and place them on a platter. Nestle the roasted cabbage wedges and the rice alongside. Right before serving, drizzle everything with the miso gravy (this will prevent sogginess) and top with the spring onions and sesame seeds, with lime wedges alongside.