Around the World: Morocco

For our Moroccan dinner, we ate on a low table, sitting on cushions on the floor. We began by eating eggplant salad with bread made of semolina flour. Next, we ate the tajine on couscous with the bread and our (clean) fingers, like in Morocco. We ate melon slices next, which would typically be dessert, but with guests, there are pastries too. So we finished with a cup of mint tea and semolina cookies.

Batinjaan Zalud- Eggplant Salad (upenn cookbook)
Yield: 8 small salads. This Eggplant Salad may also be served as an appetizer. Be sure that the salad is very cold when served.

Ingredients
1-2 eggplants, peeled and cut in 1” slices
½ cup olive oil
1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 Tbs. lemon juice
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 Tbs. sugar
tomato for garnish
olive for garnish
parsley for garnish

Directions
1. In a large skillet, fry eggplant in olive oil until soft.
2. Mash eggplant and add onion, garlic, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and sugar.
3. Chill in refrigerator.
4. Presentation: Heap 1/2 cup eggplant mixture on a 6- to 7-inch plate. Mash it down to form a circle within 1 inch of edge of plate.
Dribble with 1/2 tsp. olive oil (if mixture appears dry).
Place: 1 slice tomato in center of circle and 1 black olive in center of tomato. Garnish with parsley sprigs.

For the Moroccan Semolina Bread Recipe (Khobz dyal Smida), I used about.com. I didn’t like it and wouldn’t make it again, but it was fun. Therefore, I’m not even adding this recipe.

Moroccan Chicken with Olives and Lemon (aka Chicken Tagine)
(America’s Test Kitchen)

Serves 4
Bone-in chicken parts can be substituted for the whole chicken. For best results, use four chicken thighs and two chicken breasts, each breast split in half; the dark meat contributes valuable flavor to the broth and should not be omitted. Use a vegetable peeler to remove wide strips of zest from the lemon before juicing it. Make sure to trim any white pith from the zest, as it can impart bitter flavor. If the olives are particularly salty, give them a rinse. Serve with couscous (see related recipe).
Ingredients
1 1/4teaspoons sweet paprika
1/2teaspoon ground cumin
1/4teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2teaspoon ground ginger
1/4teaspoon ground coriander
1/4teaspoon ground cinnamon
3strips lemon zest (each about 2 inches by 3/4 inch)
3tablespoons fresh lemon juice, from 1 to 2 lemons
5medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 5 teaspoons)
1 whole chicken (3 1/2 to 4 pounds), cut into 8 pieces (4 breast pieces, 2 thighs, 2 drumsticks; wings reserved for another use) and trimmed of excess fat
Salt and ground black pepper
1tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, halved and cut into 1/4-inch slices (about 3 cups)
1 3/4cups low-sodium chicken broth
1tablespoon honey
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick coins, very large pieces cut into half-moons (about 2 cups)
1cup Greek cracked green olives, pitted and halved
2tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
*I also added chopped green pepper, chopped tomato, apricots, raisins and chickpeas!

Directions
1. Combine spices in small bowl and set aside. Mince 1 strip lemon zest; combine with 1 teaspoon minced garlic and mince together until reduced to fine paste; set aside.
2. Season both sides of chicken pieces liberally with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large heavy–bottomed Dutch oven over medium-high heat until beginning to smoke. Brown chicken pieces skin side down in single layer until deep golden, about 5 minutes; using tongs, turn chicken pieces and brown on second side, about 4 minutes more. Transfer chicken to large plate; when cool enough to handle, peel off skin and discard. Pour off and discard all but 1 tablespoon fat from pot.
3. Add onion and 2 remaining lemon zest strips to pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions have browned at edges but still retain shape, 5 to 7 minutes (add 1 tablespoon water if pan gets too dark). Add remaining 4 teaspoons garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add spices and cook, stirring constantly, until darkened and very fragrant, 45 seconds to 1 minute. Stir in broth and honey, scraping bottom of pot with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits. Add thighs and drumsticks, reduce heat to medium, and simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Add carrots and breast pieces (with any accumulated juices) to pot, arranging breast pieces in single layer on top of carrots. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of breast registers 160 degrees, 10 to 15 minutes.
5. Transfer chicken to plate or bowl and tent with foil. Add olives to pot; increase heat to medium-high and simmer until liquid has thickened slightly and carrots are tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Return chicken to pot and add garlic-zest mixture, cilantro, and lemon juice; stir to combine and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
TO MAKE AHEAD: The recipe can be prepared through step 4, cooled, and refrigerated for up to 2 days. To serve, gently warm until the chicken is heated through, then proceed with the recipe from step 5.

Basic Couscous (America’s Test Kitchen)
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
2cups couscous
3tablespoons unsalted butter
2-3 shallots, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1cup water
1cup low-sodium chicken broth
1teaspoon table salt
¼ cup parsley
½ tsp lemon zest
2 tsp lemon juice
¾ cup toasted almonds

Directions
1. Heat butter and shallots in medium saucepan over medium-high heat, aprox 5 min. Add garlic, cook till fragrant. Next, add couscous and cook, stirring frequently, until grains are just beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add water, broth, and salt; stir briefly to combine, cover, and remove pan from heat. Let stand until grains are tender, about 7 minutes. Uncover and fluff grains with fork. Season with parsley, zest, juice, and almonds and serve with chicken tagine.

Moroccan Semolina Cookies – Ghoriba dyal Smida (about.com)
Fine semolina (smida) provides great texture and flavor in this light, traditional variation of a Moroccan cookie known as ghoriba. Additional flavor comes from orange flower water and either lemon zest or vanilla.

Ingredients
3 eggs, separated
1 1/2 cups (175 g) sifted powdered sugar
3 1/2 tablespoons (50 ml) melted butter
3 1/2 tablespoons (50 ml) vegetable oil
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons vanilla (or the zest from 2 lemons)
2 3/4 cups (500 g) fine semolina, plus additional if needed
orange flower water, for shaping the cookies
powdered sugar or granulated sugar, for garnish

Directions
1. Preheat your oven to 350° F (180° C). Line two or three baking sheets with lightly oiled parchment paper.
2. With an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until stiff. Set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks with the sugar until thick. Beat in the melted butter, vegetable oil, baking powder and vanilla (or lemon zest). Gradually add the fine semolina, mixing to ensure even distribution of ingredients. The mixture at this point will be sandy and coarse.
4. With a rubber spatula, fold the beaten egg whites into the semolina mixture until the egg whites are fully incorporated and a soft dough has formed. If the dough is too soft to mound without spreading or drooping, fold in more semolina, one or two tablespoons at a time, until the dough can be scraped with the spatula into a mound and hold its shape. Allow the dough to rest a few minutes.
5. Set out small bowls of orange flower water and sugar. Wet your hands and fingers with a little orange flower water, take a small portion of dough and gently shape it into a 1″ (2.5 cm) ball. Roll the ball in sugar and place on the prepared baking pan. Repeat with the remaining dough, allowing two-inch spacing on the pans between the balls of dough.
6. Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes, or until light golden with slightly darker edges and cracked tops. Remove the pan from the oven and transfer the parchment paper with the cookies to a wire rack. When the cookies are cool enough to handle, gently loosen them from the parchment paper and then leave to cool completely.
Store the semolina ghoribas in an airtight container at room temperature for several days, or in the freezer for up to two months.

Ratatouille Tacos

Tonight I made some tacos, titled below and when eating, realized we were eating ratatouille in taco form. Yum and I really love guacamole.

Smoky Chipotle Roasted Summer Vegetables

Ingredients:

• 1 eggplant
• 1 bell pepper
• 1 yellow squash
• 1/2 yellow onion
• 1 1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder
• 1/8 tsp garlic powder
• 1/8 tsp onion powder
• 1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/8 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Instructions:

1. Trim & discard ends of eggplant & squash. Stem & seed bell peppers. Cut eggplant, squash, & pepper & onion into 1 1/2-inch chunks.
2. Combine spice mixture, vegetables, & olive oil in a mixing bowl & toss, coating the vegetables in the spices & oil.
3. Transfer to an roasting pan & spread evenly. Bake at 400 degrees F, for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are fragrant & tender. While the vegetables roasting away, make salsa.

To make the salsa, I made a spin-off of this Spicy Summer Salsa recipe using a jar of mom’s canned salsa (tomatoes, onions, mild peppers, carrots) and adding a banana pepper, poblano pepper (less spicy than a jalapeno), onion, roasted corn, cilantro.

Then I made a quick guac. I mashed 2 avocados with some salsa, some garlic, a bit of the chopped poblano pepper, and a little cilantro.

Once the veggies were done, I prepared our blue corn tortillas, piled on lettuce, the ratatouille-like veggies, salsa, and dollops of guacamole.

Mediterranean Dishes

I prepared some food for the drive and made some things today. It was all fresh Mediterranean food, and was awesome. We had Falafel and Baba Ganoush on the drive and more of it along with pita, Greek Dip, and Cucumber Yogurt for lunch. For dinner, I prepared Fattoush.

Falafel (Martha Stewart)

Ingredients

•  1 15.5 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 2 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1 small yellow onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• 2 tablespoons chopped mint
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander (I didn’t use)
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 3 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
• 1/2 cup safflower or canola oil
• For serving: pita bread, sliced tomatoes, thinly sliced red onion, romaine lettuce leaves, and store-bought tahini sauce.

Directions

1. Place half of chickpeas in food processor and pulse a few times until chopped, transfer to a large bowl.
2. Place remaining chickpeas in food processor with garlic, onion, herbs, spices, baking soda, salt, and lemon juice. Pulse to a thick, chunky paste, about 30 seconds. Transfer to bowl with chopped chickpeas.
3. Add egg and sesame seeds to bowl and stir to combine. Cover and chill batter in fridge 30 minutes.
4. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When oil shimmers, drop heaping tablespoons of batter into skillet and gently press batter into 2-inch-round patties. Cook, turning once, until deep golden brown on both sides, about 4 minutes total. Transfer to paper towel-lined plate to drain.

Baba Ganoush (food.com) (Patrick said it was the best baba he’s ever had, an we’ve purchased it a few times.)

Ingredients

• 1 large eggplant
• 1/4 cup tahini, plus more as needed
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, plus more as needed
• 1 pinch ground cumin
• salt, to taste
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions

Tip: Salt first for less oily eggplant. Eggplant soaks up oil like a sponge, but you can reduce its ability to absorb oil by salting the cut flesh and letting it sit for 30 min. or more. Then drain, pat dry, and proceed with cooking. This “sweating” the eggplant also helps it to tenderize the flesh’s texture and to reduce some ot the naturally occurring bitter taste.

1. Wipe the eggplant clean and slice them in half lengthwise. With the tip of a knife, score the flesh deeply in a diamond cross-hatch pattern by making two or three long cuts, cutting at a steep angle, and then rotating the eggplant to make another set of similar cuts. Press on the edges of the halves to open the cuts and sprinkle salt (1 to 1-1/2 tsp. total for all the halves) over the surface and into the cuts. Set aside, cut side up, for 30 min. Heat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
2. Over the sink, gently squeeze the eggplant to extract the salty juice and wipe them dry with a paper towel.
3. Place the eggplant on the foil, cut side down. Place in the oven and roast large, fat eggplants for 20 to 25 minutes, depending on the size; small, narrow Japanese eggplants (and other varieties) should be roasted for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven when skin has begun to shrivel, the edges and cut surface are browned, and the eggplant has softened but not collapsed. Remove from the oven, let cool slightly, and peel off and discard the skin.
4. Place the eggplant flesh in a bowl.Using a fork, mash the eggplant to a paste.Add the 1/4 cup tahini, the garlic, the 1/4 cup lemon juice and the cumin and mix well.Season with salt, then taste and add more tahini and/or lemon juice, if needed.
5. Transfer the mixture to a serving bowl and spread with the back of a spoon to form a shallow well.Drizzle the olive oil over the top and sprinkle with the parsley.Serve at room temperature.

5 Layer Greek Dip

-Hummus

-red bell pepper

-kalamata olivws

-cucumber

-feta cheese

-fresh dill

1. Finely chop olive, bell pepper, cucumber, and dill.

2. Spread hummus about 1-2 inches thick in the bottom of a wide serving dish.

3. Sprinkle the vegetables evenly over the hummus.

4. Crumble feta cheese on top.

5. Sprinkle bits of dill and serve with warm pita slices. Enjoy!

Cucumber Yogurt Dip Recipe (Khiyar bi Laban)

Ingredients

• 4 persian cucumbers (or equivalent), finely chopped
• 4 cups of plain yogurt
• 1/2 cup of water
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
• a few leaves of green mint finely chopped, or 1 teaspoon of dried mint powder
• a dash of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice (optional)

Preparation Method

1. In a bowl, whisk the yogurt, water, crushed garlic, salt and lemon juice well.  If you’re preparing this in summer, you can add 2-3 ice cubes in the mix to cool the yogurt and make it even more refreshing
2. Finely Chop the cucumbers into cubes of ~ 1/3 inches, add to the mixing bowl
3. Add the finely chopped green mint or the dried mint powder and salt, mix well
4. Serve in small soup bowls as an appetizer or snack.

Fattoush (Lebanese “Crumbled Bread” Salad with Sumac and Pita Chips)

Makes 4 large main-dish salads or 6 small side salads
Ingredients:
2 whole wheat pita pocket breads, cut into strips about 3/4 inch wide, then toasted and crumbled
1 tsp. chopped garlic (2-4 cloves garlic)
1 tsp. salt (I used fine grind sea salt)
1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice, about 2 large lemons (I love lemon, so adjust the amount to your own taste)
1 tsp. powdered Sumac, plus more for sprinkling on individual salads if desired)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 heads Romaine lettuce, chopped
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onion
1 cup diced tomatoes (let drain a minute or two if extra juicy)
1 cup diced cucumber (same size as tomatoes)
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley (leaves only, no stems)
optional ingredients: chopped green pepper or radishes (I didn’t use either of these but Lori’s recipe had green peppers and I saw several recipes that added chopped radishes.)Instructions:

Preheat oven or toaster oven to 400F/200C. While oven heats, mash together the chopped garlic and salt using a mortar and pestle, or the side of a knife or spoon. Put garlic-salt paste in a small bowl, then add lemon juice and 1 tsp. Sumac. Whisk in olive oil and set dressing aside. (You can also make the dressing in a glass jar and shake to combine.)

Cut whole wheat pita into strips about 3/4 inch wide and arrange on baking sheet. (Some recipes call for brushing the pita with olive oil, but I didn’t do that.) Bake until pita strips are crisp but only barely starting to brown, less than 10 minutes. Watch carefully because they can go from crisp to overly brown rather quickly.Remove outer leaves from Romaine, trim stem end, then wash and spin dry or dry with paper towels. Cut Romaine into fourths lengthwise, then turn and chop crosswise into small pieces. (If you have a salad spinner, you can chop the Romaine first, then wash.) Put chopped Romaine into salad bowl large enough toss all ingredients.Chop tomatoes, green onions, cucumbers, mint, and parsley and add to lettuce. Add about half of the dressing and toss, then add crumbled pita chops and toss again with more dressing. (You may not want all the dressing, but this salad should be quite wet.) At this point the salad should sit for a few minutes (or longer) to let flavors blend and so the pita chips absorb some of the dressing. To serve, arrange salad on individual plates and sprinkle with a bit more Sumac. You can also serve it in a large bowl with the Sumac sprinkled over.

When I first tested the recipe I made enough for two large salads, ate one for dinner, and put the rest in the fridge overnight. I was surprised how great it still tasted the next day, even though the vegetables were fairly wilted. When I made this for guests I tossed the salad together before they arrived, and it was perfect when I served it about 30 minutes later.

Around the World Series: France

Patrick had the idea of trying another country’s cuisine once a week*. Since I like to cook and I like to learn about other countries, I thought that sounded like a good idea! This week I chose France because since I took French for four years in high school, it is a good place to start.

*Once a week will be my goal, however things come up… like traveling to another city, or wanting to wait to go to a farmer’s market, or Patrick knowing he will be home late from a job. Some of these reasons have already happened.

Menu:

Tarte a l’Oignon, Ratatouille, and Gateau de chocolat (I almost went with a chocolate mousse but will save that for another time when I have the ingredients. I decided not to make coq au vin, boeuf bourguignon, quiche lorraine, a bisque or bouillebaisse, pain au chocolat, creme brulee, and tarte aux pommes, among many others. )

Tarte a l’Oignon (Onion Tart) Recipe

SERVES 6

For the Filling:

• pie crust
• 1 Onion, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• salt & pepper, to taste
• nutmeg, a pinch

1. Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium low heat. Add the onions and cook about 30 minutes until they are very soft and caramelized. Add salt and pepper to taste.
2. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and prepare the custard. Combine the egg with the egg yolk in a small bowl with a whisk.
3. Add the milk, cream, salt, pepper and nutmeg, whisking gently until combined. Do not over whisk and create bubbles or froth/foam.
4. Spread the onions on the bottom of the prepared tart shell and pour the custard over the onions filling the shell completely.
5. Bake for 30 minutes until the custard is just set. Do not let the custard rise, as this is a sign of overbaking. Serve warm or at room temperature.

(Note, I added a pinch of pumpkin spice- which I wasn’t too sure how it would taste- and it was wonderful! I also added more eggs, well egg whites, and did not add the heavy cream).

Ratatouille

INGREDIENTS

• 2 large eggplants
• Kosher salt
• 2 red peppers
• 2 yellow peppers
• About 1/2 cup olive oil, for cooking
• 4 small zucchini, cut into thick rounds
• 2 onions, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 pepperoncini, crushed
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• 8 medium tomatoes, seeded and roughly chopped
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Handful or 2 chopped fresh basil leaves

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to broil.Thickly slice the eggplant, and lay the rounds on cake racks which you’ve placed in the sink. Salt, very generously, and leave 30 minutes for the excess water to drain off. When they are ready, rinse them well under the tap and pat them dry with a towel.While the eggplant drains, put the red and yellow peppers in the oven and broil to blacken the skin on all sides, 20 minutes total. Remove to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let sit 5 minutes. The skin will now peel off easily. Peel and seed, then slice the flesh to julienne and put it in a large bowl.Turn the oven down to 450 degrees F.Put some oil on a baking sheet and toss the zucchini slices in it. “Grill” in the oven, turning once, about 10 minutes. Remove, and add to the peppers. Finally, cut the rinsed and dried eggplant into large chunks, toss in oil, and spread on the baking sheet, and “grill” also, about 15 minutes. As things are done, add them to the bowl.While the vegetables are in the oven, heat a spoonful of olive oil in a saute pan, and fry the onions until soft. Add the garlic,pepperoncini, bay leaf, and rosemary, and saute 1 minute. Add the tomatoes. Cook the tomatoes until they are very soft and the whole mixture thickly soupy, about 15 minutes.Pour the tomato over the vegetables, and toss everything. Check the seasonings. Serve at room temperature with the basil scattered over.

(Note: this is called “Lazy” Ratatouille, but there is nothing lazy about it!)

The secret of a good ratatouille is to cook the vegetables separately so each will taste truly of itself.

—Joël Robuchon, The Complete Robuchon

And it was good.

Ghirardeli Individual Chocolate Lava Cakes

Ingredients

• Centers:
• 2 ounces Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate baking bar, broken or chopped into 1-inch pieces
• 1/4 cup heavy cream

Cakes:

• 4 ounces Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate baking bar, broken or chopped into 1-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 2 large whole eggs
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1/3 cup granulated white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup cake flour
• Raspberries for garnish
• Whipped cream for garnish

Directions

1. To make the centers, in the top of a double boiler or in a heatproof bowl over barely simmering water, melt the 2 ounces of chocolate with the cream. Whisk gently to blend.
2. Refrigerate for about 2 hours, or until firm. With your hands, form into six balls; refrigerate until needed.
3. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray six 4-ounce ramekins or custard cups with cooking spray.
4. To make the cakes, in the top of a double boiler or in a heatproof bowl over barely simmering water, melt the 4 ounces of chocolate and the butter, stirring occasionally until smooth.
5. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, whisk the whole eggs, egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla on high speed for about 5 minutes, or until thick and light. Fold the melted chocolate mixture and flour into the egg mixture just until combined. Spoon the cake batter into the ramekins. Place a chocolate ball in the middle of each ramekin.
6. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the cake is firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and let sit for about 5 minutes. Run a small, sharp knife around the inside of each ramekin, place an upside-down plate on top, invert, and remove the ramekin. Garnish with raspberries and a dollop of whipped cream.

(I really only used this recipe as an outline and substituted for about half the ingredients. It was still really good!)