Dinner in Morocco (Phase 1)

Avatar for starwynde
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Dinner in Morocco (Phase 1)
1
Mon, 05-31-2004 - 8:07pm
I made this menu for my family tonight, very good! Even the 2 year old ate well, but he is used to eating whatever we eat.

Brochettes of Lamb

From Cooking Light



Serve with harissa, a hot sauce sold in Middle-Eastern markets. (I couldn't find any, just squirted with some lime juice)

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons Hungarian sweet paprika

1 teaspoon ground cumin

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 pounds boneless leg of lamb, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes

Cooking spray

Combine all ingredients except the cooking spray in a large bowl. Cover and marinate in refrigerator 2 hours.

Prepare grill to medium-high heat.

Thread lamb pieces onto each of 8 (8-inch) skewers. Lightly coat lamb with cooking spray. Place brochettes on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 5 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness.



Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 brochette)

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Tomato Salad with Avocado and Preserved Lemons

From Cooking Light



4 cups diced plum tomato (about 2 pounds)

1 tablespoon minced Quick Preserved Lemons (see below)

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 diced peeled avocado

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Combine first 5 ingredients. Sprinkle with parsley.

Note: Nutritional analysis includes Quick Preserved Lemons.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1/2 cup)

(I made this with half tomatoes and half cucumber, not being a tomato fan. I also left out the avocado and parsley as I was out of both.

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Quick Preserved Lemons

From Cooking Light

1 cup water

2 tablespoons kosher salt

2 lemons, washed and quartered

Combine water and salt in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Add lemons; cook 30 minutes or until liquid is reduced to 1/2 cup and lemon rind is tender. Remove from heat; cool to room temperature.

Yield: 1/2 cup (serving size: 1 teaspoon)

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Kamfounata 60mins plus standing

(This was online somewhere, don't remember the source)



Serves 6



Ingredients

2 Aubergines (Eggplants), cut into 1/2 inch cubes

2 tbsp Olive Oil

5 Garlic Cloves, finely chopped

675g/1-1/2 lb Tomatoes, chopped

Salt and Black Pepper

2 teasp Sugar (just let this out, never missed it)

Olive Oil for shallow frying

2 Courgettes (Zucchini), cut into 1 inch slices

1 large Onion, halved and sliced

2 Capsicums (sweet peppers), deseeded and sliced

25g/1oz Freshly chopped Coriander



Instructions



1. Place the aubergine cubes in a colander, sprinkle liberally with salt and leave in the sink or over a large bowl for 1 hour to draw out the juices.



2. Rinse the aubergine cubes under cold running water and dry well on kitchen paper.



3. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan, add the garlic and sauté until golden.



4. Add the tomatoes, salt, pepper, and sugar and simmer for 20-30 minutes until reduced to a thick sauce. Set aside.



5. Heat some olive oil in a large frying pan until very hot, add the aubergine and quickly brown on all sides. Drain on kitchen paper and set aside.



6. Reheat the oil, adding a little more if necessary and quickly fry the courgette slices until browned. Drain on Kitchen paper and set aside.



7. Reheat the oil and add the onion and pepper and sauté until soft and golden.



8. Remove the onion and pepper from the pan with a slotted spoon and add to the tomato sauce together with the fried vegetables and the chopped coriander. Mix well and simmer for 5-10 minutes until heated through. Serve hot or cold.

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Iced Mint Tea

From Cooking Light



Mint tea, made with spearmint, is the traditional drink of Morocco and North Africa. A few leaves of fresh or dried lemon verbena add a lovely citrus flavor. Be sure to use Chinese green tea, such as Gunpowder Green, Young Hyson, or Formosa Oolong. For a lighter minty flavor, remove the mint sprigs before chilling. This tea is traditionally very sweet, but use less sugar, if desired.

8 cups boiling water

1 tablespoon loose Chinese green tea

25 fresh mint sprigs (about 1 1/2 ounces)

1/2 cup sugar (substitute Splenda)

Combine water and tea in a medium bowl; cover and steep 2 1/2 minutes. Strain tea mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl, and discard tea leaves. Add mint; steep 5 minutes. Add sugar; stir until sugar dissolves. Cool completely. Serve over ice.

Yield: 8 cups (serving size: 1 cup)

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-28-2003
Thu, 12-30-2004 - 4:18pm

Here is the paste that you mentioned. I make this at home and it's great and spicy!!!!!

I'm looking forward to the Morrocan Dinner

Harrisa Paste (North African

Used in a lot of North African dishes (Morrocan, Tunisia, Libyan, etc...)to add nice touch....

8 Red Chilli peppers, seeded
4 jalepeno peppers
2 habeneros peppers
3 garlic cloves
handful of fresh cilantro or parsley
3/4 tsp cumin
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tbsp water
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
cayene pepper (optional)
salt and pepper to taste (optional)
couple of pinches of fresh mint leaves(optional)

Serving 4 oz...mas o menos

Place in Blender or food processor and blend until smooth...

*Note*
I do not completely seed to add some texture. Also one time when I was in a rush for a party... There was still some pepper chunks left. This is also great as a spread for sandwiches or to baste your meats or to add to soups, etc.... That is if you like spicy food. Sometimes I mix with plain yougart and dip pita bread or chopped vegetables...