Kefta Kebabs

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. This isn't even my recipe, but from another woman whose recipes I use quite often, or at least use them as a jumping off point. For authentic Moroccan recipes, I highly recommend http://moroccanfood.about.com/bio/Christine-Benlafquih-44847.htm

The other night, I really wanted to make something quick & easy & authentic for my husband. This totally fit the bill and we both enjoyed them immensely. I leave out the lamb/beef fat, but otherwise, followed pretty closely. I served it w/ a rice pilaf I made using mushrooms, red peppers, & wild rice.
Here's the link directly, followed by a copy/paste of Christine's recipe.

http://moroccanfood.about.com/od/maindishes/r/basic_kefta.htm

Moroccan Kefta Kebab Recipe - Moroccan Ground Beef or Lamb with Spices
By Christine Benlafquih, About.com

Kefta is ground beef or lamb, typically mixed with cumin, paprika, minced onion, coriander and parsley. Cinnamon, hot ground pepper, and mint leaves are optional. The recipe below shows traditional quantities of these spices and herbs.

Kefta makes a superb kebab (brochette), and it's also the foundation of a number of other Moroccan dishes. You can use lean ground meat, but the traditional recipe calls for a higher fat content. The meat, fat, spices and herbs would all be passed through a meat grinder together.

The recipe below assumes that you're starting with ground meat.

Serves 4.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:

* 1 lb. (about 1/2 kg) ground beef or lamb (or a combination of the two)
* 3 ounces (about 100 g) beef or lamb fat (optional)
* 1 medium onion, chopped very fine
* 2 teaspoons paprika
* 1 teaspoon cumin
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon pepper
* 1/8 teaspoon hot ground pepper
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)
* 1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
* 1 tablespoon chopped mint leaves (optional)

Preparation:

Mix all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl, and leave for an hour or longer to allow the flavors to blend. The kefta is then ready to shape and cook.

To make kebabs, take small amounts of kefta and shape them into cylinder or sausage shapes. Skewer the meat, squeezing it to mold it the skewer.

Cook over hot coals, approximately five minutes each side. (It may take less or more time, depending on how hot the coals are, and how thick you shaped the kefta.) Watch the kebabs carefully, so you don't dry out the kefta.

Serve immediately, or wrap in aluminum foil to keep hot while you cook additional kebabs.

Kefta kebabs are often served in bread with Tomato and Roasted Pepper Salad as a filler, and Mint Tea as a beverage.

Frozen Cappuccino Pie

This is a delicious frozen summer treat!

Frozen Cappuccino Pie

8 oz light cream cheese, softened
1 (14 oz) can of FF sweetened condensed milk
6 T light chocolate syrup
1 T instant coffee powder (decaf or reg)
1 T hot water
1 1/2 C light whipped topping (I used FF Cool Whip)
6 oz Ready Crust - chocolate (I used oreo kind)

1. Beat cream cheese in a medium bowl w/ an electric mixer on med speed until fluffy (abt 3 min). Add condensed milk & 4 T of chocolate syrup, beat on low speed until well blended.

2. In a separate bowl, dissolve coffee powder in hot water, stir into cream cheese mixture. Fold in whipped topping, pour mixture into crust & freeze overnight. (I didn't do this early enough, so hopefully it will be frozen enough in 4-5 hrs.)

3. For best results, let pie stand in refrigerator for about 15 min before serving. Drizzle w/ remaining 2 T of chocolate syrup before slicing.

For those on WW, it's 6 points/slice.

Chickpea & Tomato Salad w/ Feta, Mint & Basil

Chickpea & Tomato Salad w/ Feta, Mint & Basil

1 small red onion thinly sliced (I finely chopped)
1 small fresh red chili (I used jalapeno b/c I have a lot of them right now)
2 handfuls of red or yellow cherry tomatoes, roughly chopped (I used some of both)
Juice of 2 lemons
Extra Virgin Olive Oil to taste
Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 can of chickpeas, drained & rinsed well (I used 2 b/c I thought it needed more, maybe that's b/c I used a good bit of basil & mint!)
2 T fresh mint leaves, roughly torn or chopped
2 T fresh basil leaves, roughly torn or chopped
7 oz of Feta (I didn't measure, just used what I had)

1. Combine the onion, chili, & tomatoes w/ their juice into a bowl. Dress w/ most of the lemon juice & olive oil to taste, then season w/ salt & pepper.

***I completely omitted Step 2 below b/c I wasn't paying attention - it's delicious w/o cooking, but I'll try it this way next time***

2. In a small skillet, drizzle a little olive oil over medium heat & add chickpeas. Cook for a few minutes until hot & creamy & just beginning to color. Add them to the bowl and allow to marinate & cool.

3. Once cooled, toss the herbs and season again to taste, adding any remaining lemon juice if needed. Serve w/ the feta cheese loosely crumbled on top.

Mango Avocado Salsa

Mango Avocado Salsa

1 avocado, peeled, pitted & diced
1 lime, juiced
1 mango, peeled, seeded, & diced
1 small red onion, chopped
1 habanero pepper, seeded & chopped (I used jalapeno)
1 T chopped fresh cilantro (I like a lot, so I prolly used 2T)
salt to taste

This was so delicious w/ multigrain chips, but I know it would be amazing topping either a delicate white fish (like tilapia) or salmon.

More Turkish fun...

So I haven't blogged in a while... been dealing w/ life and such. Anyhow, I attended the final Art of Turkish Cuisine class of this session and here's what I learned. I'll upload some pics later from my other computer.
Everything was so tasty and I've made the Cabbage salad and the Sulu Kefte today at home.

Turkish Cabbage Salad
1 head cabbage shredded or finely chopped
Sprinkle w/ a lot of salt to remove excess water & soften it. Mix it well. Let sit for 5-10 min, then rinse well and squeeze out as much water as possible.

Sauce:
1 ½-2 C plain yogurt
3-5 T mayonnaise
2 T olive oil
1 clove finely chopped garlic (optional)
Combine all ingredients and mix well. Pour sauce over cabbage & top w/ chopped fresh parsley or dill, shredded carrots, and garnish w/ walnuts.


Sulu Kofte (Meatballs in tomato sauce/soup)

1 lb ground beef
¾ C rice (uncooked)
1 onion grated or finely chopped
1 egg
2 potatoes (cut into small cubes)
1 C flour
1 t black pepper
1 t dried mint
1 t cumin (or 2)
1 t salt
1 or 2 T tomato paste (or 1 C tomato sauce)
2-3 T butter or oil
5-6 C warm water

Put flour in a large tray (pie pan works well) to keep meatballs in. Mix beef, rice, onion, & egg together. Add black pepper, mint, cumin, & salt then knead well. Make hazelnut sized balls from the meat mixture. Put these balls into the floured tray/dish and shake well so that the flour fully coats the meatballs.
Put oil or butter into a pot and add potatoes & simmer them for 3 min. Add tomato paste and simmer another 1 min. Add water & stir well. Bring this to a boil. When it is boiling gently add meatballs slowly into the pot & cook for about 2-30 min. on medium heat. *Gently* stir occasionally and add salt if needed.
Serve with bread.



Stuffed Kadaifi (Kadaifi Dolmas)
2 C water
2 C sugar
Bring to boil and stir, let cool.

1 pkg Kadaifi (shredded phyllo dough)
1 ½ sticks of b utter
Pull kadaifi apart and drizzle well w/ melted butter.

You will need either a demitasse cup or small tea cup or muffin tin to form these into “nests”.
1 ½ - 2 C walnuts (chopped roughly)
Fill bottom of cup w/ a small portion of dough and press it down. Add 1 T walnuts and cover w/ another portion of dough. Flip the cup or tin over to release the “nest” and place in a baking dish. Repeat until all dough & walnuts are used.
Bake @ 350 degrees for 2-25 min until golden brown on top. After removing from the oven, pour the syrup mixture evenly over the “nests” and serve.

Yogurt success!

So, I got the consistency right w/ this last batch. This is definitely more of the consistency I was looking for. So it's rather lengthy, but here's the recipe I used:

What You Will Need
• To make about 4 cups of yogurt, you'll need the following ingredients and equipment. **I doubled this**
Ingredients
• 1 quart milk (skim, 1%, 2%, or whole)
• 1/3 cup nonfat dry milk (optional; will result in a thicker yogurt with a higher protein content)
• 2 to 3 tablespoons plain yogurt with active cultures
o You can use store-bought yogurt as a starter for your first batch; once you have produced your own yogurt, you can use a portion of your stock to culture subsequent batches
• Sweeteners and flavorings, if desired
o See the flavorings section for ideas
Equipment
• Double boiler
• Metal spoon (which you can sterilize)
• Candy thermometer
• 1 quart-size container or 4 or 5 cup-size containers to hold finished yogurt, with lids
o Plastic wrap if container(s) do not have lids
• Dish towel
• One of the following: slow cooker; oven; heating pad and cutting board; or cooler
• Refrigerator
Step 1: Sterilize Your Equipment
• Make sure everything you're going to use to make your yogurt is extremely clean!
1. The easiest way to ensure that your equipment (saucepan, bowls, heatproof yogurt containers, utensils, etc.) is scrupulously clean is to run it through a dishwasher with a heated drying cycle.
2. Alternatively, wash your containers and tools well in warm water with dish detergent and let the dishes air-dry.
3. Then fill containers with boiling water and let them stand until you are ready to fill them with yogurt.
Step 2: Heat Your Milk
• Even if you use pasteurized milk, it will require sterilization due to the bacteria it contains.
1. Fill the bottom of a double boiler with water and bring to simmer over medium heat.
2. Pour milk into top of double boiler.
o Add nonfat powdered dry milk if using.
3. Heat milk slowly, stirring continuously with a metal spoon, until small bubbles gather around the perimeter and steam rises from the surface.
4. The temperature of the milk should be between 180 degrees F and 200 degrees F.
o Do not allow milk to boil.
5. Keep milk at this temperature for approximately 10 minutes, stirring frequently with a metal spoon.
o Be sure to stir up from the bottom of the pot so the milk at the bottom doesn't scorch.
Step 3: Add the Culture
• Once it has been sterilized, you must bring the temperature of the milk down so that the heat doesn't kill off the beneficial bacteria in the warmed starter culture.
1. Bring your starter out of the refrigerator so it can reach room temperature.
2. Remove the top pan of the double boiler and place in the refrigerator.
o Alternatively, place it in a pan of very cold water, making sure that no water rises over the side and mixes with the milk.
3. Keep checking the temperature of the milk every few minutes.
4. You don't want to add the starter until the milk has dropped to below 120 degrees F, but do not let the milk fall below 100 degrees F.
o The ideal temperature at which to add the starter is approximately 110 to 112 degrees F.
5. When the milk reaches 115 degrees F, remove from refrigerator or water bath and stir.
6. Remove about a cup of the milk.
7. Stir 3 tablespoons plain yogurt with live active cultures into the cup of milk.
8. Stir this back into the pot of sterilized milk.
9. Your milk has now been cultured, or pitched.
10. Cover the cultured milk.
Step 4: Incubate the Bacteria
• Incubating the beneficial bacteria in your yogurt is the trickiest part of the whole procedure. If the temperature of the milk mixture is too low, the bacteria won't grow enough to produce yogurt. If the temperature is too high, however, it will kill the bacteria. There are a few methods you can use to regulate the temperature of your milk mixture as it turns to yogurt. Whichever method you choose, be sure to keep an eye on the temperature (use your thermometer!) to make sure it stays within the necessary parameters. Also, for the best results, your developing yogurt should be kept as still and undisturbed as possible.
Oven Method
1. Turn oven to 170 degrees F.
2. When oven comes up to temperature, turn oven off, wait 5 minutes, and place milk mixture inside.
3. For ideal incubation, maintain a temperature of about 110 degrees F inside the oven.
4. Use an oven thermometer or your candy thermometer to monitor the temperature inside the oven.
5. Do not let the oven temperature drop below 100 degrees F.
6. Let incubate for 5 to 7 hours.
Step 5: When Yogurt Is Done
• After the estimated incubation time has elapsed, check your milk to see if it has turned into yogurt. The longer the yogurt remains warm and still, the thicker and tarter it will become.
1. If the yogurt appears to be set and feels slightly firm, it's done.
o It will continue to thicken as it cools.
2. If you haven't already done so, spoon the yogurt out of the top of the double boiler and into the sterilized storage containers (e.g., a large mason jar or several individual-size yogurt cups).
3. Cover each container of yogurt with a tight-fitting lid or plastic wrap.
4. Store in the refrigerator for no more than 10 days

yogurt - round 2

So I made yogurt Sunday night following a little more closely to this recipe I found online (& I read 5 or 6 of them comparing notes of each one):
Homemade Yogurt
What you need:
• A saucepan
• A thermometer
• 1 quart of milk
• 2 T. plain commercial yogurt (check to be sure it has live yogurt cultures in it.)
• A heavy crock or bowl
First, heat up the milk, stirring constantly so it doesn’t form a skin on top. Take it up to boiling and then immediately remove it from the burner. Let the milk cool back down. The perfect temperature for culturing yogurt is 112°. Anything over 120° will kill the live beasties. Anything under 90° will never provoke them to grow into yogurt.
While the milk is cooling down, I usually put really hot water in the crock so that it is nice and warm when I pour the milk into it. I also turn the oven on to “warm” for a couple of minutes and then off again. The oven is my warm place where the yogurt doesn’t get disturbed.
Once the milk has cooled to appproximately 112°, whisk 2 T. plain yogurt into about 1/2 c. of that warm milk. Get this whisked nice and smooth and then pour into the crock. Pour the warm milk in on top of that and stir it thoroughly. Cover the crock, wrap in a towel, and set it out of the way in the oven. Now, all you need is time.
After a few hours, the yogurt will start setting up. At that point, it still doesn’t have a real sour taste to it. After a few more hours, you’ll be able to taste that classic sour flavor.

**So - my result was: It was tasty but kind of runny (like drinkable yogurt -which was ok). I liked the taste, but the consistency was a bit thinner than I'd like ideally. I ended up making Cacik w/ some of it (a sort of yogurt/cucumber/dill soup) and it was perfect for that. I added some vanilla extract and some stevia to the rest of it and we drank it for breakfast. It was fantastic like that!

So tonight, I'm trying a different recipe using skim milk, non-fat powdered milk and a little different approach, but mostly similar. I have hope for a thicker consistency. I'll post again to let you know the results, and if it was a success, I'll post the recipe.
I LOVE YOGURT!!! So does the hubby... we always keep it on hand here and we both eat it pretty much daily.

Home made yogurt

I love yogurt and have never made it at home, although I have heard it's very easy. The wonderful Turkish women who teach the cooking classes shared their method & recipe w/ me. I'm making it right now - tomorrow morning will reveal whether or not it was a success. Here's the recipe I used. I'll post my thoughts & results later, maybe a picture too.

Plain Yoghurt

Boil 2 litres of milk (~ 8 C), leaving it warm after boiling.
In a separate bowl, mix 1-2 T plain yogurt (from starter or previous batch) w/ a small amount of the boiled milk.
Add the yogurt/milk mixture back in to the boiled milk.
Cover, wrap w/ blankets, leave over night (8-12 hours).
Refrigerate when complete.

Another Turkish Cooking class

Another cooking class today - this was (again) delicious! I was unsure of what to think about "boiled meatballs", but they were terrific. I'll post pictures of it all soon.

More Turkish Recipes from the Atlas Foundation (3/27/09)

Icli Kofte (Boiled Meatballs coated w/ a paste made of cracked wheat)

For the shell mixture:
2 C bulgur (finely ground)
2 C flour
2 t salt

For the stuffing:
½ lb lean ground beef
1 onion chopped fine
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
½ C finely chopped parsley
1-2 T Veg oil
1 t salt
¼ t red pepper
½ t black ground pepper

To prepare the stuffing:
Heat the oil in a pan. Add the ground beef & cook until the beef is no longer pink. Add the onions & garlic & saute’ until onions are transparent. Add the salt, red pepper, black pepper & chopped parsley & mix well. Remove from heat & set aside. You can prepare this ahead of time.

To prepare the shell:
Soak the bulgur in warm water in a large bowl & cover. Let it sit for 1 hour. Have a small bowl of water handy – you will need to dip your hands in water while kneading and for forming the shells. Keep kneading for 15-20 minutes or longer until all ingredients are mixed well and shell mixture is soft enough to give a shape.
1. Take an egg sized piece & put it in your left palm. Make sure your hand is dipped in water before starting to shape the shells.
2. Wet your right index finger & stick it into the egg sized piece of dough & make a hole.
3. Make a half circular movement clockwise and counter clockwise w/ your index finger into the shell while it is still on your left palm to create a thing shell (as thin as possible).
4. Fill the shell w/ stuffing and gently pinch closed.
5. The final shell should look smooth & intact. Make sure to wet your hands so that you can smooth the shell from the outside after you close it.

While you are working w/ the shells, keep the remaining mixture covered w/ a damp cloth. As the mixture tends to dry out, make sure you roll each ball in your hands (dipped in water) before shaping the shells.
6. Boil the shells in water instead of frying them. The boiled shells are then served topped w/ a red sauce.
** Sauce is made by sautéing crushed garlic in vegetable oil and adding red pepper paste to the mixture and some simple spices (salt, pepper, cumin).

You can dip the stuffed shells in this mixture (we had it drizzled over them)and enjoy w/ a Mediterranean salad, plain yogurt or Cacik (recipe to follow)



Cacik (Jijiki, Jajouke) – Chopped Cucumber in Garlic-Flavored Yogurt

1 clove of garlic, minced
1 C cucumber (diced or shredded)
1 ½ C plain yogurt
1 C water
Extra virgin Olive Oil
Fresh Dill (chopped fine) * or finely chopped fresh mint

Place the garlic, yogurt & water in a medium sized bowl. Mix w/ a wooden spoon until it is blended very well. Add cucumber and mix again. With a ladle pour into small bowls and then add 1 T of olive oil on top of each. Garnish w/ fresh dill.

Cacik goes very well as a side dish w/ white beans, rice or chickpeas.

Personal note: We actually mixed everything together in the bowl and used no olive oil. Then served like a chilled soup. Delicious!
I would also (on occasion) omit the water for a thicker consistency as a dip or topping for meats, rice, beans, etc.


Revani

Make a simple syrup by boiling 2 ½ C water and add 2 C sugar, remove from heat and cool, then chill completely. You will pour this over the cooked cake.

1 C sugar
4 eggs
*mix well together – then add:
½ C milk
½ C veg oil
1 C flour
1 T baking powder
1 ½ - 2 C shredded coconut

Mix everything together well and bake @ 375-400 for ~ 30 min.

Indian Cooking w/ Nalini's mom

Indian Cooking w/ Nalini’s Mom!
*pictures will be added soon*
These are some recipes I learned a couple of weekends ago w/ my friend Nalini's mom. Nal's dad is from India and her mom has been cooking Indian food for 35 years. We had a fantastic feast and learned a lot. We're hoping she'll have us over to do it again soon. I also am getting my mom to teach us a class in Southern/Cajun cooking. We had a really nice time hanging w/ the girls and cooking up a storm. Kudos to Bernadette Raghavan for sharing her family recipes w/ us.

Dosai (Crepe/pancake)

1 C wheat/farina
1 C rice flour
½ C all purpose flour
2 T salt
2 C buttermilk
2 C water

Mix together and let sit @ room temp for a minimum of 3 hours, preferably overnight, to ferment. The longer the better.

On a griddle, put a small amount of veg oil and ladle about a 1/3-1/2 C of mixture and spread thinly. As bubbles start to form in the center of crepe/pancake, loosen the edges, and flip to cook other side. Continue process for as many dosai as you want/need. The batter will keep in the refrigerator for several days.


Fried Sambar Powder

1 C dried coriander seed
½ C chana dahl
½ t methi
10 dried red chilies

Fry in oil til flavored & brown. Remove to drain on paper towels, then grind in a spice grinder (or coffee grinder), & keep in refrigerator until use.


Sambar (soup)

2 T veg oil
½ t black mustard seeds
¼ t methi
5-6 curry leaves
~ 2 C vegetables (maybe 3 kinds, cut in large chunks)
------------------------------------------
1 t tamarind paste
1 ½ T sambar powder
1 ½ t salt
Pinch of turmeric powder
~ 2 C water
1 C cooked Toor Dahl
1 T unsweetened shredded coconut
¼ C fresh cilantro (coriander)

Fry the mustard seed til it pops, then add methi & curry leaves in 2T oil. Add veggies and let the oil coat them. Add tamarind, sambar powder, salt, turmeric, & water. Then add Toor dahl, coconut & simmer til veggies are cooked. Add fresh cilantro last 5 min.


Coriander Chutney

3 bunches of cilantro, stems removed
4 fresh green chilies
3 dried red chilies
3 T Urad Dahl
1 T black mustard seeds
2 + T oil (oil lessens the heat of chilies, preserves flavor, & lends to consistency)
1/2-3/4 t hing (asafoetida powder)
2 T brown sugar
1 t salt
¾ t tamarind paste

In a skillet, pop the mustard seeds, then add hing, urad dahl, & chilies, all cilantro, & cook down, adding a tiny bit of water if needed. Add brown sugar, salt, & tamarind. Put everything in a blender or food processor and blend adding a little water till you get the consistency you want.


Potato Masala

9 med potatoes peeled, boiled, & cubed
1 onion sliced (half moon slices)
1 green chili pepper
1 ½ T finely chopped ginger
Oil & ghee
1/3-1/2 C cashew nuts
1 T urad dahl
2 red chilies (to be removed after cooking)
1 t cumin seed
1 ½ t mustard seed
2 t hing
5-6 curry leaves
1 ½ t salt
1 t turmeric
1 handful of fresh chopped cilantro

In a skillet, in a combo of oil & ghee, saute’ onion, green chili pepper, & ginger, til onions are translucent. Either remove onion mixture temporarily or use a separate skillet to fry/saute’ all other ingredients together (except cilantro)– starting w/ the black mustard seed til it pops. Then add cashew nuts, urad dahl, red chilies, cumin seed, hing, curry leaves, salt, & turmeric. Fry all this together, then add onion mixture back in, then add potatoes in and roughly mash or break the potatoes up. Finally, add the cilantro in, stir to mix together. Serve w/ dosai.
This can also be used as a “stuffing” for the dosai.

getting a "round tuit"

I've been meaning to post some new recipes since last week, but I've been super busy moving my office and *trying* to get my tax chit together. Hopefully, I'll get most of that stuff done this weekend and get back to posting.

I took an Indian cooking class last weekend w/ a friend's mom who has been cooking Indian food since she married her husband from India 35 years ago. I learned a lot and took plenty of notes. I need to type up the recipes and get them posted - she gave me permission to post them. I also have some pics of what we made, so I'll try to put that on here too.
Till then.... cheers!
Noura

I have a variety of hummus recipes, but for just plain delicious hummus, here's a simple recipe. I'll post other varieties soon.

Hummus

1 can chickpeas (rinsed thoroughly)
1/4 C or more of tahini
2 cloves of garlic
small bunch of parsley
juice of 1 large lemon
salt, pepper, paprika
some water (to get the right consistency)
Put garlic & parsley in the food processor to finely chop, add everything else but the water and process til smooth, adding water as necessary.

Fish Bstilla (with Chermoula)

Since making this, my husband brought some home from Morocco and they were a little different (& fantastic), so I need to experiment a bit to try to re-create the ones he brought back. They had a little bit of that tiny pasta in it. YUM!

Fish Bstilla (with Chermoula)

Filling
2 tbs olive oil
2 onions, diced
1 glove of garlic, minced
2 tomatoes, seeded and diced
2 tsp sweet Hungarian Paprika
2 tsp cumin
15 green olives, pitted, drained and finely chopped
3 tbs fresh lemon juice
12-16 ounces boned firm white fish fillets, cut into bite size
3/4 tsp salt
2 tbs fresh cilantro finely chopped
3 tbs finely chopped parsley
a dash of cayenne if you like
package of Filo
melted butter

Cook the onions and garlic in the olive oil until translucent. Add the cumin, paprikia, lemon juice, tomatoes and olives. Stir for a bit and add the fish and cook until flaking. Shred the fish and add the herbs, salt and cayenne.

Layer 4 Filo or so on a greased pan, spraying or brushing each with butter. Spread the fish mix on top of this, leaving an edge. Top with 4 more Filo sheets, again buttering each. Tuck the edges.

Bake in preheated oven set to 425 for 25 minutes and serve with a side of chermoula.


Chermoula

2 tbs olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp sweet Hungarian paprika
5 tomatoes (chopped after peeling and seeding)
1/4 tsp sugar
3 tbs each fresh parsley and cilantro finely chopped
1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)

For the chermoula, in a saucepan cook the olive oil, garlic, cumin, and paprika for a couple minutes. Now toss in the tomatoes, sugar, herbs. Stir occasionally until it is thickened. Flavor with salt. Set aside and keep warm.

My Mom's Crawfish Etouffee recipe

Crawfish Etouffee

1 onion chopped fine
½ C celery
2 finely chopped green onions
3 cloves garlic minced
1 stick butter
2T flour
2 C water
1 (8oz) can tomato sauce
2 Bay leaves (optional)
1T Worcestershire sauce
1t salt
½ t sugar
½ t crushed thyme
4 drops Tabasco
1/8 t black pepper
1 lb crawfish tails (or 3 C raw shrimp)
½ chopped parsley

Sautee 1 onion chopped fine, ½ C celery, 2 finely chopped green onions, 3 cloves garlic minced, 1 stick butter.
Stir in 2T of flour, add 2 C water, 1 (8oz) can tomato sauce, 2 Bay leaves (optional), 1T Worcestershire sauce, 1t salt, ½ t sugar, ½ t crushed thyme, 4 drops Tabasco, 1/8 t black pepper,.
Simmer uncovered 25 min until thick. Add crawfish (or shrimp) and cook abt 15-20 min longer. Add parsley at the end. Serve over cooked rice.

Chicken & Olives w/ French Fries

Chicken & Olives w/ French Fries

1 large onion sliced very thin
2 chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)- cut into 1" pieces
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp cumin
2 tablespoon turmeric
2 1/2 cups chicken stock (this is a guess, I don't actually measure)
1 small tub of olives (we use different kinds depending on what's available)
1 lemon
french fries (I use frozen shoestrings)
Fresh parsley (optional)

In a pot, cook the onion in the olive oil on medium-high until softened. Add the chicken and cook, stirring frequently, until chicken begins to brown. Stir in salt, pepper, turmeric, & cumin.
Add chicken stock and bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 30-45 min.

In the meantime, bake fries in the oven (as per directions). Add olives to chicken and juice of fresh lemon. Put chicken, onions, and olives on a plate. Add liquid from the pot until there is about an inch of liquid surrounding the chicken on the plate. Add the fries to the top of the chicken. Serve with bread for dipping.

Broccoli, Bleu Cheese, Apple Slaw

Ok, it's not Moroccan, but it sure is tasty!

Broccoli, Bleu Cheese, Apple Slaw
Serves 10-12

2 (12oz) pkgs broccoli slaw
½ bunch green onions, thinly sliced
¼ C chopped fresh parsley or more if you like
1 ½ tsp dried dill weed or fresh to taste
¾ C dried sweetened cranberries (I use Craisens)
1 red apple, cored & thinly sliced
1 Granny Smith apple, cored & thinly sliced
½ C crumbled bleu cheese
Prepared “lite” bleu cheese salad dressing
¾-1C toasted pecans

1. In a large salad bowl, mix broccoli slaw, green onions, parsley, dill & cranberries together.
2. Core apples & cut into very thin slices. You may toss these in a little orange or lemon juice to prevent discoloring. Add to broccoli mixture.
3. Crumble bleu cheese into salad. Toss w/ dressing.
4. To serve – mound salad in bowl or plate and sprinkle w/ toasted pecans

Chicken w/ Apricots & Olives

Chicken with Apricots and Olives
Serve with a side of orzo, rice or couscous.
Ingredients
• 1/3 cup dried apricots
• 1/3 cup drained olives (kalamata or nicoise)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp grated orange peel (I leave this out unless I have an orange handy)
• 1 tsp dried basil (I leave this out too)
• 4 chicken legs (I used breasts – boneless/skinless)
• freshly ground pepper
• 2 tbs dained capers
• 2 tbs brown sugar
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
(Note: I usually alter this recipe by leaving out the black pepper and basil and throwing in tiny amounts of spices that taste more Moroccan, i.e. - ginger, coriander, cinammon, etc. It is flavorful even without any spices so it doesn't need much)
Instructions
In slow cooker, combine apricots, olives, garlic, orange peel, and basil. Rinse and pat dry chicken, and arrange on top of apricot mixture. Sprinkle with black pepper, capers and brown sugar; drizzle with orange juice and vinegar. Cover and cook on low setting until tender (approximately 6 hours).
Lift chicken, apricots and olives out of slow cooker with slotted spoon. Keep warm. Skin and discard fat (no need if using boneless/skinless breasts) from cooking liquid. Put liquid in a small pan and bring to a boil until reduced to 1/2 cup. Pour sauce over chicken. Garnish with orange slices and parsley sprigs. (I leave out this entire part. I use breasts so there is little fat. I use the liquid as is).

Marocain Salad

Marocain Salad

1 each Red, Yellow, Green Bellpepper (seeded & chopped)
1-2 Cucumbers, seeded & chopped
2-3 medium tomatoes, seeded & chopped
Olive oil to taste
Cumin, salt, pepper
Mint & parsley chopped finely

Mix together & serve!

Turkish recipes

I've been taking a series of Turkish cooking classes w/ the Atlas Foundation in Baton Rouge. They are a wonderful group of women sharing their home cooking and I thought I'd share them here too. I'll post more from this series later.

Lentil Soup

1 C lentils (they used red)
1 1/2 C water
1 med onion, chopped
1/4 C vegetable oil
2 Carrots, chopped
tomato paste (maybe 2-3 T)
salt, pepper, oregano, dry mint
Saute' the chopped onion, carrots, & tomato sauce in a pot w/ veg. oil. Add lentils to the mix & roast/saute' all together for a while, then add water. Stir all mix until boiling. After soup cooks, use a blender to make it smooth. Garnish w/ mint & serve.

Ic Pilav (Rice w/ currants, pine nuts, & beef)

1 C rice (uncooked)
2 C water or beef broth
1 small onion chopped
2 T veg oil
100 gr beef (abt 1/4 lb), baked or boiled (for broth), cut into small pieces
2 T currants
2 T divided almonds or pine nuts, roasted
1/2 C (frozen or fresh) corn, peas, & carrots (she used that frozen mixture - you know the one)
1/2 t cinnamon
salt & pepper

Saute' the onion w/ veg oil for 2-3 min. Add the cooked beef, then add the rice, currants, almonds or pine nuts, cinnamon, salt & pepper, and stir. Pour hot beef broth in. Cover w/ lid. Turn the heat down to low & cook until the rice absorbs all the water. Let the Pilav stand for about 5 min.



Tahini Cake - this was an unexpected sweet treat!

9 T butter
2 eggs
2 1/2 C flour
1 3/8 C sugar
1 1/4 C yogurt (plain)
8 T tahini (4 T for cake, 4 T for sauce) - she was a little more generous than this - I'd say 10 T, 5 each
1 T baking powder
1/2 T vanillin powder (comes in a pkg at the Int'l market)
5-6 T honey

Melt/soften butter. Mix eggs, sugar, vanillin, yogurt, tahini (4-5 T). Add the butter slowly so as to not "cook" the eggs w/ the warm butter, continually mixing. Add flour & baking powder. Pour into 9x13 greased pan.
Prepare the sauce: mix 4-5 T tahini w/ 5 T honey. Drizzle sauce over cake mixture (you can make designs w/ a fork) - she made it look kind of marbled.
Bake @ 350 until firm - about 15-20 min.


Kisir (wheat salad)

1 C bulghur (cracked wheat)
1 C hot water
1 T tomato paste (I like it spicier, so I used chili paste instead)
2 T veg oil
1/2 chopped green onion
1-2 chopped tomatoes
4 large lettuce leaves (optional - I'd leave them out & add to individual servings or use lettuce leaves to serve salad in)
Salt, Lemon juice, dry mint, black & read pepper
**we also added chopped (seeded & peeled) cucumber & chopped parsley and/or cilantro

Pour hot water on to the bulghur & cover; let sit 10 min. Chop onion, lettuce & tomatoes. Add oil & tomato paste into bulghur and mix. Let bulghur absorb oil & tomato paste. Add salt, spice, salad mixture, lemon juice & mix. Kisir is ready to serve and eat.
*This makes a lot! If you have leftovers & there is lettuce in there, it will be soggy and not so good later. That's why I suggest either omitting it or adding it individually.

Kadayif (shredded dough dessert)
***This is one of my faves - really easy & delicous, makes a nice presentation too!

1 pkg Kadayif (Kataifi) (shredded dough - found in most Int'l mkts where you'd find Phyllo)
2 C chopped walnuts (I've also used pecans and think pistachios would be good too)
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter

Syrup:
1 T lemon juice (I like it lemony, so I use the juice of one lemon)
2 C sugar
2 1/2 C water

To prepare the syrup: place the water & sugar in a medium sized pot. Bring to a boil and continue boiling for 5 min. Then simmer for 15 min & turn heat off. Add lemon juice and set aside.

Mix the melted butter w/ the shredded dough. Then place half of the shredded dough in a tray or casserole dish evenly and press it down w/ your palm. Spread the walnuts on top evenly. Then spread the 2nd half of the dough and again press down w/ your palm. Preheat oven to 375 F. Place pyrex dish on middle rack. Bake until the top takes a light golden color (20-35 min). Immediately pour the lukewarm syrup all over evenly. Enjoy!

Patatesli Sigara Boregi (Potato Cigarette Borek)

1 pkg spring roll wraps (25 sheets)
Filling:
5 medium sized potatoes, boiled & mashed or grated
2 medium sized onions, thinly sliced
1/2 C veg oil
1/2 t red pepper
salt, pepper
1T tomato paste (for spicier version, use chili paste)
For Frying:
Veg oil

Saute the onion w/ oil. Add in mashed potatoes & the rest of the filling ingredients, then mix.

Put 2 tsp of filling on each sheet. First close both ends, then roll it up. Soak the open end in water and close it up.

After you've rolled up all the sheets, heat up the oil on the stove in a skillet. Fry each borek equally over medium heat until they take a light golden color. Don't leave the stove as they fry very quickly. Place ones that are done on a paper towel to soak up extra oil.

Lentil Patties (these are some of my favorites!!! this makes a LOT of them)

1 C red lentils boiled in 2-3 C water
2 medium onions chopped fine
2 C bulghar (fine grain #1)
2 T chili pepper paste
2 T tomato paste
crushed pepper flakes
juice of 2 lemons
parsley - chopped
green onions - chopped


After lentils are cooked, add bulghar, let sit until moisture is absorbed. Add mixture of tomato paste & pepper paste and all other ingredients. Roll into patties (or logs) and enjoy!

Noura's Chicken & Olive Tagine

Noura’s Chicken & Olive Tagine
Serves 2

1 large or 2 small boneless/skinless chicken breast
-cut into 1” cubes
1 small onion (or half large) - diced
1 C olives (black or green w/ pimento)
2-3 red potatoes peeled & cut into slices
-optional if serving w/ rice or pasta
¼ preserved lemon
1-2 tsp turmeric
½ tsp ground ginger (optional)
5-7 threads of saffron crushed
Salt
Pepper
1 tsp cumin
Parsley – chopped – maybe 2T
Olive oil (seasoned or regular)

Saute’ onion in olive oil til golden. Add chicken, lemon & seasoning, stir to coat and let chicken start to turn white. Add potatoes and maybe a little water if needed. Cook on med heat for about 25-30 min. Add olives and cook about 10 min more or until potatoes are soft.
Traditionally, this is eaten w/ bread, but it’s also good served on rice, pasta, or couscous if you prefer. This is also traditionally prepared in a tagine, but can be cooked in a skillet or saute’ pan w/ lid. The key is to keep the steam in for moisture.

Moroccan Preserved Lemons

Moroccan Preserved Lemons (Moroccan Jewish style)

6 Lemons (quartered, but left intact on one end)
1/4 C sea salt
2 cloves
1 inch cinnamon stick
1/4 tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp coriander seeds

Fill lemons w/ salt & close again. Arrange them in jar, putting salt & spices in b/t lemons, push them down to express the juice. If the juice isn't enough to cover add more lemon juice. Leave the jar in a warm place in the kitchen, shake the jar daily for abt 1 month.

Harissa

HARISSA
INGREDIENTS
• 6 ounces dried red chilies, seeded and stems removed
• 12 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 tablespoon coriander, ground
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon dried mint
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 cup olive oil
DIRECTIONS
1. Place the chilies, garlic, ground coriander, cumin, salt mint and cilantro into a blender or food processor. If the mixture is too dry, add a bit of the olive oil. Store in a bowl or jar in the refrigerator with the remaining oil poured in a layer over the top.
2. Make sure that the surface is covered with a layer of oil each time you use some. When you run out of Harissa you can use the oil to add flavor to fried or baked dishes.
NOTE: I make only half of this recipe which makes enough to fill up about a 6oz jar.

Medfouna

Medfouna is a Moroccan dish very similar to an Italian Calzone, but w/ a totally Moroccan flair. Below is the recipe I use, but lately I've been dabbling w/ adding veggies & doing a total veggie version. I'll post my veggie notes after the recipe. I hope you enjoy if you try it!

Medfouna recipe

This recipe has two parts.
Start with the bread: (You only need half this recipe for the medfouna, but using the full recipe will give you a loaf of bread)
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 packages of yeast
• 3 cups white flour (King Arthur works best)
• 1 cups wheat flour (again King Arthur) (all white flour can be used too)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup room temperature milk
• room temperature water
• a little oil or melted butter
Take one cup of the room temp water and mix in the sugar until it dissolves. Now add the yeast and let it sit until the yeast bubbles.

Mix 3 cups of the flour (I mix 2 C white & 1 C wheat, and reserve the extra cup of white flour for adding if necessary and for the counter top when I roll it out) and salt in a bowl. Add the activated yeast/water mix and the milk. Mix it up with a wooden spoon. Add room temp water as needed until it comes together and makes a sticky ball.
(**I do this in a food processor or KitchenAid mixer**) *Also note, I've tried this w/ more whole wheat flour & less white flour & even all whole wheat flour - it does not come out right. This mixture works well.

Put the sticky ball on a flour-covered surface and let it sit for about 20 minutes.

Come back, add in the remaining flour (give or take some) until the dough is the right consistency. It should be stiff and should bounce back when you push on it. Knead it for 10 minutes.

Divide the dough in half. Use one half to make a loaf of Moroccan bread. Shape the bread loaf, lightly oil it, cover and let it rise. Bake at 350 until done, about 20-30 minutes or so.
Now for the medfouna... divide the other half of the dough until two balls. Cover and let rise. When it has risen, roll out to circles of dough for the medfouna.
For the filling combine
• 1 onion, chopped
• finely chopped flat leaf parsley
• finely chopped cilantro
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• salt and pepper to taste (and any other spices you like - coriander, cayenne, etc)
• 1 pound or so of ground meat (or used finely chopped fillet)
• don't hesitate to throw in peppers or celery or anything else
Put the filling on one of the dough circles, leaving room around the edge. Top with the other dough circle, wetting the edge to help create a seal. You can brush the top with beaten egg and sprinkle with salt.
Pop it in the oven. The meat cooks inside the medfouna. It takes about 20-30 minutes in a 350 oven.

My personal notes: I usually roll the dough out really thin, and instead of making one large one (rolling out one layer, filling it, then covering w/ the other layer), I use each "layer" and fill 1/2 of it, then fold it over like a calzone, sealing the other 3 edges.
So, I like the plain meat version above, but felt we needed to add more veggies to this meal, so I'll shred a couple of carrots and add it to the mixture, sometimes adding thinly sliced sweet peppers, maybe some celery, what ever you have on hand that you like. If you feel so inclined, add some cheese in there too.
For my total veggie one, I used shredded carrots, thinly sliced celery, chopped onions, sweet peppers, sliced tomatoes (again, what ever you have on hand that you like). I thought about adding some broccoli and/or cauliflower, but chose not to this time. I also think some chopped olives would be good, but forgot to add them. Also, optional cheese - mix it all together w/ the above spices (or whatever tickles your tastebuds). Spread it out on the dough, fold the dough over and seal the edges. I like the effect the egg white has on the bread while cooking - gives it a little crispness and a nice, shiny appearance.
OH!!! I also often add harissa in the mixture for an extra kick (spicy!!). So, may as well post the harissa recipe here too... it's tasty on lots of things.

Fuul Mudammas (Fava bean dip)

Fuul Mudammas

1 can Fuul (Foule) Mudammas (Fava beans)
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
Olive oil (to taste & consistency)
Juice of 1 lemon (or ~ ¼ C)
Cumin, Salt, pepper to taste
Chopped parsley (6-8 sprigs?)

Rinse beans well, place in microwave safe dish w/ garlic & olive oil, cumin salt, & pepper. Heat 1-2 min. Remove, mash, add lemon juice (& more olive oil if necessary) and a small portion of the parsley. Heat again for 1 min. Form on dish & top w/ remaining parsley. Serve w/ pita bread.
• you can also add a small amount of finely chopped onion and/or tomatoes if you like.
• Also, some people add hummus to the mixture as well.

Chicken B'stilla

This is my husband's favorite recipe. I've even entered it into a cooking competition. It didn't win, but I was competing against professional chefs. It's a winner in our home & everywhere else I've made it!

B'STILLA
Filling -
2T veg oil (I use olive)
1 onion finely chopped
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1/4 C minced fresh flat leaf parsley
2 T minced fresh cilantro (I use a bit more)
1/4 t ground turmeric
8 threads saffron, crushed
1 C water
1 t ground ginger
1 1/4 t ground cinnamon
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper
2/3 C powdered sugar

Almond mixture -
1/2 C whole blanched almonds (I used split almonds)
1/2 C powdered sugar
1 t ground cinnamon

12 sheets phyllo dough, thawed
1 C (2 sticks) butter, melted (I completely skip this and used spray butter stuff)
ground cinnamon & powdered sugar for garnish

Filling: In a large saucepan over med heat, heat the oil. Saute' onion until golden (6-8 min). Add chicken, parsley, cilantro, turmeric, saffron, water, ginger, & cinnamon. Cover & cook until the chicken is tender (20-25 min). Transfer chicken to a bowl or plate and set aside to cool. Let the sauce continue to simmer in the pan and add the beaten eggs, salt, pepper, & sugar. Stir constantly until the eggs are scrambled. Shred the chicken & add it to the egg mixture. Set aside.

Almond mixture: In a blender or food processor, coarsely grind the almonds and mix w/ sugar & cinnamon. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Remove 12 sheets of phyllo from the pkg and re wrap the remaining phyllo in its original wrap. Refrigerate for future use.
Stack the 12 sheets on a work surface and cover w/ a damp towel. Spray a little butter on a pizza pan or baking sheet. Layer 3 sheets of phyllo, lightly spraying each layer w/ butter. Sprinkle the 3rd sheet evenly w/ 1/2 of the almond mixture. Layer & butter 3 more sheets. Spread the chicken mixture evenly over the top, leaving a 1 1/2" border of phyllo. Fold over the edges to partially cover the chicken mixture. Layer & butter 3 more sheets over the chicken, sprinkling the remaining almond mixture evenly over the top. Layer & butter the last 3 sheets of phyllo over the almond mixture. Tuck the edges of the last 6 sheets under the b'stilla as you would a bed sheet (@ this point, I take another baking sheet and place it on top, then flip it over & seal the last 6 sheets of phyllo from bottom to top) - does that make sense?

Bake the b'stilla until golden brown (20-25 min). Place the powdered sugar in a fine-meshed sieve. Tap the sides of the sieve to cover the surface of the b'stilla lightly & evenly w/ sugar. Using thumb & forefinger, sprinkle ground cinnamon over the top (most people make patterns, I just lightly dust it). Serve immediately, before pastry becomes soggy.
**It took me a long time to finally make this b/c I thought it would be a really daunting task. It's not - it's a lot of steps, but it's really easy and didn't take as long as I thought.

Note: These can be prepared in advance and frozen uncooked in aluminum foil. It will keep up to 2 months in the freezer. No need to thaw before baking, but bake for 10 min extra if frozen.
**This makes about a 10" pie and easily serves 4 average plates.
Recipe from "Cooking at the Kasbah" by Kitty Morse (w/ some personal notes of my own added as well)

Avocado Juice

Avocado Juice (shake)

One whole avocado, peeled and cut into chunks
Milk (maybe 2 ½ Cups?)
2-3 dates (pits removed, broken in halves or thirds)
*sometimes I also add a fig*
Pecan/almond/walnut – optional (5-6)
Sugar/Splenda to taste
Blend til smooth & enjoy!!!

This is our favorite morning drink. We have it often!

I have been having this blog for months (like more than a year's worth of months) and keep meaning to "get around to" posting some things, mostly recipes and such, but whatever drivel I might find as well. Being the total slacker that I am, I'm going to start it off (finally) w/ some recipes folks have been asking me for. I'll try to keep up and get plenty of them posted before long.
So.......... here goes...........

Noura