How to eat an Artichoke

An artichoke is a wonderful thing, but if you have never eaten a fresh artichoke, it can be hard to know where to begin.
The best way to cook an artichoke to enjoy its natural flavor is to steam them.  Use one artichoke per person.
First wash the artichokes, and trim the stems. Drop them into a large pot of boiling water, with 1 tsp salt and 1 tblsp of lemon juice.  Let them cook until you can easily pierce the base with a fork - about 30 minutes, depending on the size.   While they are cooking melt 4 tblsp butter, with 2 minced garlic cloves and 1 tblsp lemon juice.
When the artichokes are done, drain and place each one on a plate, with a small dish of the garlic butter. Then the fun begins.  You pull off each leave individually, dip the base in the butter, and bite down on the end, then pull.  You will scrape off the meat with your teeth. Then on to the next leaf.  When you get to the center there will be tiny inedible leaves, and the hairy choke. Scoop that off with a spoon, and you are left with the prize. The tender tasty artichoke heart. Dip in the butter and enjoy!

Mechoui - the Tandoori of Morocco

For an experience not to be missed, in Marrakech be sure to try Mechoui, the slow pit roasted lamb.  Tender and succulent, falling off the bone, not even a fork is necessary.  Served with a sprinkling of freshly ground cumin and some sea salt, a simple and satisfying meal. 
Baked in a below ground oven, similiar to a tandoori, you will find it near the main square in Marrakech.
The very traditional take-out meal for those lucky enough to be in Marrakech.

Moroccan Style Lentils

A hearty vegetarian dish for a cold winter day.
Rinse 2 cups of brown or green lentils,
Add to 4 cups of boiling salted water (1/2tsp) in a heavy large saucepan.
Cook over medium heat about 15 minutes.
Add
2tsp paprika,
1/2 tsp black pepper, or 1/4tsp cayenne pepper (to taste)
1tsp ground cumin
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 large or two small cloves of garlic
1 tomato, diced
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cups cubed squash(optional)

Cook over medium heat for 20-30 minutes- this should be a gentle boil. Add more water if necessary. Cooking time will depend on the lentils - they should become soft - tender to bite, but not mushy.
Then add
1cup sliced green or red pepper
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro or parsley

Cover and cook another 10 minutes
Taste to check seasoning, and serve drizzled with extra virgin olive oil.

Serves 2 or 3 as a main dish, 4 to 6 as a side dish.

Sebta

 

 

Salt roasted chestnuts in Spanish Morocco

Rghifat رغيفات

Flaky moroccan Flatbread

Bread & Jam, Marrakech style

Rghaif is a classic, the light and flaky flatbread that is almost a flat crossiant.  A simple bread dough, a bit loose in texture, is rolled very thin, spread with a little olive oil, and then folded and folded. The technique is like making puff pastry, the dough is rolled out flat again, oiled lightly, folded and rolled once more. 
The bread becomes light and flaky, tearing apart into delectable layers.  The perfect breakfast with honey and jam, served with mint tea of course.

Best Hummous Ever

Fantastic hummous recipe, simple and quick.

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 - 3 cloves garlic, peeled
1/4 - 1/2 tsp salt, to taste
2 tbsp tahini
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 - 4 tbsp water
Optional - 1/2 tsp cayenne

Put all ingredients in blender or food processor. Puree till smooth consistency, adding water as necessary. Serve on a flat  plate, drizzled with olive oil. 

Great with toasted pitas, crackers, or vegetables to dip.



Hummus

Harira- Vegetarian

Harira is the classic moroccan soup, hearty and satisfying. In the month of Ramadan, harira served with dates is the traditional dish for breaking the fast.  As the sun sets, almost everyone sits down to a bowl.

Ingredients
-1/2 cup dried lentils
-2 cups water
-1/2 tsp salt
-1/2 cup finely chopped onion
-3 tbsp olive oil
-three tomatoes, 1/4 cup cilantro, 1/4 cup parsley, 1/2 cup celery leaves and stalks - pureed in a blender or food processor
-1/2 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
-1 tsp ground cumin
-1 tsp paprika
-1/2 tsp black pepper
-2 tbsp flour

Cook the lentils in two cups of water until soft.
Saute onions in olive oil in a large heavy pot, until transparent.  Add spices and pureed tomato mixture, stir well.  Pour in the cooked lentils with the cooking liquid. Add four more cups of water, and bring to a boil.  Whisk the flour with 1/2 cup water, and gradually stir into soup mixture. Bring back to the boil, and add the chickpeas. Lower heat to simmer and let soup cook approx. 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Stir in 1 tsp vinegar or lemon juice before serving.  Check salt to taste. Sprinkle with finely chopped cilantro, and drizzle with olive oil when serving.

Moroccan Style Mixed Grill

Toasted Chickpeas- Classic Moroccan Snack

This summer enjoy a simple, healthy, and amazingly easy snack.

One  12 oz.can chickpeas

1/2 tsp. salt, or to taste

1 tsp. whole cumin seeds  (or 1tsp. ground cumin)

Drain the chickpeas, and rinse several times with cold water.

Heat a heavy cast iron pan or similiar heavy bottom frying pan. When the pan is very hot, pour in the chickpeas.  Cook over high heat to toast the chickpeas, about 3 to 5 minutes, shaking or stirring with a wooden spoon. Add the cumin seeds and salt, and continue cooking another minute or two.  The chickpeas will be slightly browned, and the cumin aromatic.
Serve warm, as a snack with wine or beer, or your choice of a summer cooler.

A Chicken Sandwich with a Moroccan inspiration. | My easy cooking by Nina Timm.

A Chicken Sandwich with a Moroccan inspiration. My easy cooking by Nina Timm.

Chicken with Lemon and Olives

This is the express version of the ultimate moroccan dish.

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts halves, cut lengthwise in two
1 white onion, sliced
1 clove garlic,chopped
1/2 lemon (preserved lemon is the best, if possible)
1/4 tsp saffron, dissolved in 1/4 cup boiling water
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes -(optional)
2tsp cumin
2-3 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup green or kalamata olives
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro or parsley

Brown the chicken gently over medium heat in the olive oil, turning once.
Add the onions and garlic, sprinkle with the salt, pepper, and cumin, and cook 5 minutes until the onion is translucent.
Pour the dissolved saffron over the chicken, add the olives, and the preserved lemon.
If you are using fresh lemon, slice thinly and spread over the chicken.
Add 1/4 cup water.
Sprinkle with the cilantro or parsley, cover, and cook over low heat 15 minutes.
Watch and add more water if necessary, there should be about 1/2 inch of sauce in the bottom of the pan.

Serve with a good crusty bread to catch all of the sauce!
serves 4

Kefta - Moroccan Meatballs

Classic quick and easy, meatballs are european, asian, african, or moroccan! For the moroccan version, you can use ground beef, lamb, or veal, or a combination (my preference).

Ingredients

Meatballs
1 pound (500 gm) ground beef(lamb, or veal)
2 tsp ground cumin seed
1 1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 onion, grated
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup finely minced cilantro or fresh parsley, or a combination

3tbsp olive oil, for pan

Mix all but the oil together, using your hands, as gently as possible. Too much handling will make them tough. Form into 1" balls, and lightly brown in the olive oil over medium low heat. Then add

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tsp cumin, ground
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
1 onion sliced
2tomatoes, sliced
2 cloves peeled garlic
one green or red pepper, sliced
one jalapeno pepper, in thin slices (optional)

Turn heat to medium high for 3 or 4 minutes, watching carefully, to draw the moisture out from the vegetables. Add

8 or 9 kalamata olives, and 1/4 cup water.


and turn heat to low. Let simmer for 10 minutes, for the flavors to meld.


Serve with bread to absorb the sauce, or with rice on the side.

Serving a Moroccan Dinner

Traditionally a moroccan dinner is several courses in succession - salads, then a chicken tagine, followed by a vegetable tagine, and if it is Friday, an enormous couscous. Other days it would be a meat or fish dish. In modern Morocco, it is more likely to be salads, a variety of two or three, served with a single large tagine.
Bread is very important, and served with every meal. The traditional is a round flat loaf, served in wedges, to absorb the fabulous sauce from the tagine.
Dessert is usually fresh fruit, the best of what is in season - after a full moroccan dinner, nothing else could be managed!
Tea with fresh mint is the completion of the meal.

Recipes for simple single rise moroccan bread, and authentic mint tea, in the next post!

An evening in Fez

The ultimate dining experience - dinner in a palace, with food to match. Fez is famous for the finest of food - the traditions of weddings, banquets, and feasts.

Summer Salads

Cucumber & Orange Salad

This light and refreshing summer salad is so easy to make, a perfect opener on a hot summer day.

2 cups finely shredded lettuce
2 cups grated english cucumber
or
2 cups grated garden cucumber, peeled and seeded
1 large or 2 small oranges, peeled and chopped in small pieces, reserving the juice.
Mix it all together just before serving, and serve in small individual bowls, garnished with an orange slice if you like.



Moroccan Tomato Salad - a classic take on fresh salsa

1 cup finely chopped red or white onion
1 clove of minced garlic (or more to taste)
2 large tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro (chinese parsley),
or
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
(or a combination of the two)
1/2tsp salt - preferably sea salt or fleur de sel
1 tsp ground cumin seed
1tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp olive oil
1 fresh jalapeno pepper, minced finely
(optional)
Mix them together, marinate for 1-2 hours before serving if possible. You can adjust the salad to your taste - a little hot sauce, more garlic, fresh basil if you have it. This is a great side dish for grilled chicken or lamb. Wonderful with burgers or kefta.

Marrakech, the big square, Djeema el Fna. Fabulous food of all descriptions, ready to go.

Couscous Marrakech

One of the best couscous recipes, rich, flavorful, spicy, but only hot if you choose.

Couscous is a semolina based pasta, and like spaghetti, couscous is the name of the pasta and of the completed dish.

For the couscous grain, choose regular or whole-wheat, medium instant couscous. Despite what the package might say, it requires a bit more work than adding boiling water. Good couscous is not instant oatmeal.

For 2 cups of dry couscous, you will need 3/4 cup hot water, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1tbsp olive oil or butter.

Place the couscous in a bowl, add the hot water and salt, and stir. Let it sit for ten minutes to absorb the water. Fluff with a fork or rub with your fingers to separate the grains. Add the butter or olive oil, and rub through the grains gently. Set aside.

The Dish

Couscous Marrakech is best with chicken, but can be adapted to a vegetarian dish by using firm tofu.

Ingredients

500gm boneless chicken breast, cut in strips

1 12oz can chickpeas

two medium onions

one clove garlic, peeled and minced

1/4 cup raisins

3 tbsp olive oil

1 1/2 tsp paprika

1tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

1tbsp light jam - apricot, peach, or marmalade (this is the trick)

1/4 cup slivered toasted almonds

Traditionally couscous is prepared in a couscousiere, a tall two section pot like a double boiler, allowing you to prepare the main ingredients in the bottom, and steam the couscous grains above it. A simple alternative is to use a steamer over a small pot of boiling water for the couscous, and a heavy bottomed pan or deep skillet to cook the chicken.

Place the chicken strips in a bowl with 1tbsp olive oil, the paprika, cumin, garlic, and black pepper. Mix and let marinate for 15min. Drain and rinse the chickpeas, and set aside. Peel and very coarsely chop the onions. Place the raisins in a small bowl with boiling water just to cover.

Heat the olive oil in a heavy bottomed pan or a deep skillet. Add the chicken, and brown over medium heat. Add the onions and cinnamon, and continue cooking until the onions are translucent. Now drain the raisins, and add to the chicken with the chickpeas, jam, and red pepper flakes. Stir lightly, then add 2 cups hot water. Cover and cook 15min over medium low heat, checking to make sure the liquid doesn't evaporate.

While the chicken is cooking, place the couscous grain in a perforated steamer, over boiling water. Steam for 5 minutes, fluffing with a fork once or twice.

Add the chopped cilantro to the chicken, and taste for seasoning.

Pile the couscous grain on a large round plate, with a well in the center. Drizzle the couscous with some of the sauce from the chicken, and then pile the chicken mixture in the center of the couscous, reserving some of the chickpeas and raisins to garnish the ring of couscous. Gently pour the sauce over the dish, garnish with almonds, and serve.

Moroccan Spices

Spices are an integral part of moroccan cuisine. The subtle blending of spices is what creates the flavors of morocco.

Ras el hanout, "top of the shop", is a premixed blend of cumin, paprika, black and red pepper, cinnamon, saffron, ginger, turmeric, and coriander seeds. The mix varies from shop to shop, and there are unique individual variations - the addition of cloves, rose buds, nutmeg, and other ingredients.

The most commonly used spices are cumin, paprika, pepper, cinnamon, and saffron. In all of the markets in Morocco you will see fresh spices gathered from around the world, sold by weight.

what is a tagine?

A tagine is a dish - i.e. container/cooking vessel, and a dish you eat - just like a casserole, which is the food AND the container it cooks in.

A tagine has been described as a stew, but it is much more sublime than that. Tagines are slow-cooked dishes, cooked in a covered pot so that the steam and flavors don't escape, and the food stays moist. Traditionally made from heavy earthenware, the tagines were cooked over low heat on a charcoal burner. Now they can be cooked over low direct heat on a stovetop, or in the oven.

The method of cooking in a tagine is North African - you will find them in Algeria, Tunisia, and especially Morocco. Everything cooks tagine style - lamb, beef, chicken, fish, vegetables, even pigeon, turkey, or rabbit.