Think outside the box and start the day with a traditional Middle Eastern hash. Tender chickpeas, ground lamb or beef and butternut squash seasoned with a blend of coriander, cumin and fennel are the star of the bowl. Add skhug, a popular Middle Eastern hot sauce, for a tangy-savoury spiciness that’ll keep you and guests coming back for more. Top it off with a dollop of creamy skhug ricotta and diced cucumber.
Mix the ricotta cheese and 2 tbs of the Skhug Sauce in a small bowl, until they are well blended. Cover and refrigerate, until ready to serve. Reserve the remaining Skhug Sauce to flavour the lamb hash.
Mix all of the dry spices in small bowl, set aside. Steam or microwave the butternut squash until soft, then reserve.
Heat a large frying pan on medium-high heat. Add the lamb, cook and stir for 3 minutes. Add 4 tsp of the dry spice mixture, and cook and stir until the lamb is no longer pink. Then with a slotted spoon, remove the lamb from the frying pan and reserve.
Add the onion, squash and aubergine and stir while cooking on a medium-high heat for 5-6 minutes. Add the chickpeas, Garlic and the remaining spice mixture and cook and stir for 3-4 minutes. Stir in the tinned tomatoes and the browned lamb and cook until the squash is tender. Stir in the spinach, lemon juice and reserved Skhug Sauce, and cook until the spinach is just wilted.
To serve, spoon the chickpea and lamb hash into serving bowls. Top with the diced cucumber and a dollop of the skhug ricotta.
