After months of searching for it, I finally managed to get my hands on some Ras El Hanout. Albeit it was the paste rather than the spice which apparently no supermarket in Manchester or Newcastle likes to stock! Once I got my hands on it I started to think of what kind of recipe I could put together to make the best possible use of it. I’ve also wanted to experiment with chickpeas for a while now so this seemed like the perfect opportunity to combine the two.

I’ve used sausages in this recipe as they add a nice flavour whilst still being low in points. It would also be great if you could get your hands on merengez sausages or chilli sausages but it would equally be as nice with another meat such as chicken or lamb. I am a massive carnivore, but this recipe is so tasty and filling I would even consider omitting meat altogether and going veggie.

The recipe below can be served on its own as a stew and you accompany it with some crusty bread. If you are serving it to more people you could also serve it with a small portion of wild rice. Either way, be sure to add the extra points! If you are omitting meat you could beef it up but adding extra veg such as courgette, butternut squash or aubergine. Getting rid of the sausages take the pp’s down to 4 per person.

Ingredients
Serves 4 = 6sp each

6 x Weight Watchers Pork Sausages
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
2 peppers, deseeded and sliced
2 carrots, peeled and finely diced
1 heaped tsp Ras El Hanout Paste (I got mine in Tesco)
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 x tin of chopped tomatoes (if you only have one you can make up chicken stock in the used tomato tin and use this as a replacement for the second)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp honey
1 x 240g tin of chickpeas
Couple of large handfuls of spinach, shredded
Large handful of fresh coriander, shredded
1 lemon, quartered
4 x eggs

Harissa to serve, optional
Natural Yoghurt to serve, optional

Method
Take a large frying pan, spray with 1kal, and cook your sausages for 6-7 minutes until they start to brown nicely on the outside. Then add your onions (and a splash of water to stop them sticking to the pan) and fry for another 4-5 minutes until the onions begin to soften. Then add the garlic, peppers and carrot and fry for another minute or two. Next add the Ras El Hanout Paste and smoked paprika and another small splash of water. Give a mix and cook for a minute or two. Then add the tomatoes, salt and honey. Mix and simmer for around 10 minutes. Next add the chickpeas and spinach and cook for another five minutes.

Add a little water if you think it needs to be a little more saucy). Then add the coriander, a good squeeze of lemon and a twist of black pepper and cook for another few minutes. When the chickpeas are nicely cooked, turn up the heat and make a small well in one quarter of the pan. Quickly crack in one egg. Repeat this in each quarter of the pan, cover and cook on high until the whites of the egg are cooked but the yolks are still nice and runny (around 3 minutes). Serve in a nice big bowl, and top with a little fresh coriander and a slice of lemon.

You can also top it with a scattered teaspoon of harrisa or with some fat free natural yoghurt with harissa swirled in.

Enjoy!