Travelling through Morocco

MOROCCAN CUISINE

(Bride being carried in at a Moroccan wedding) Moroccan cuisine is exotic! It is extensive in its variety and remarkable in its taste and aroma. The centuries long history of invasions have contributed to the diverse sense of good food traditions, different ingredients and naturally the best possible combination of all these factors. It carries different levels of distinct tastes from north, south and the east; but the most strong influence comes undoubtedly from the east!

(Water boys selling on the street) Moroccans produce a large range of fruits and vegetables: nearly all tropical and Mediterranean varieties. Fish and seafood are plentiful while natural environment is very generous for feeding large quantities of sheep and goat. Poultry is also very popular throughout the country. Even the desert supplies a rich harvest of dates from its remote oases.

(Bedowin tent) Most these ingredients have always been used by the indigenous Berber people of Morocco in their traditional dishes. Bread is eaten in every meal. Equally well known traditional segment of Moroccan cuisine is 'tajine'. Tajine is mainly a casserole of meat and poultry named after the cooking pot in which it is cooked. The most famous national dish is still 'couscous' served with the meat and a sauce made from the bouillon.

Olives pickled in lemon juice and salt are essential ingredient of many Moroccan dishes. All kinds of olives are used for different recipes. Various sizes and colors of olives are utilized for different occasions, mainly for taste but also for presentation.

(Band)

Yogurt Cheese

Purchase a good quality yogurt such as the FAGE total 0% Greek yogurt (Costco) or Mountain High Plane Yogurt. Put coffee filters in a collander making sure all the collander is covered. Put the collander in a bowl or pot so it has a place to drain. Pour the yogurt on to the filters in the collander. Set the bowl with collander and yogurt into the refrigerator. In two days you should have a solid cheese. Drizzle olive oil on top. Serve with toast pieces of peta bread. (If you want to make the yogurt or the pita bread, see the Lebanese recipes on this site.)

Moroccan Chicken Soup with pita bread 4 cup Chicken stock 2 teaspoon Ground cumin 1 teaspoon Paprika 1 teaspoon Ground coriander 2 teaspoon Dried mint 8 Skinless chicken thighs or drumsticks 1 cup Brown lentils 1 medium Onion 2 Cloves garlic 1 bunch English spinach 1 bunch Chopped fresh coriander 2 tablespoon Chopped parsley 1/4 cup Lemon juice Turn Crockpot onto high. Add chicken stock, spices, chicken pieces and dried mint. Wash lentils well under cold running water and add to soup. Chop onion and place in microwave safe bowl with garlic and a little olive oil. Cook on high for 3 minutes or until onion is soft, add this mixture to the crockpot. Cover the Crockpot and cook on high for 3 1/2 hours or on low for 8 hours. When soup is cooked, add washed and chopped fresh spinach leaves and chopped fresh herbs. Stir in lemon juice and taste for salt. Serve with toasted pita bread.

Photo: Dye Pots at a leather factory:

Moroccan orange-walnut salad

6 large Oranges 
1 tablespoon Honey 
1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon 
1 pounds Mixed salad greens; clean,dry,chill 
1/2 cup Thinly sliced red onion 
1 cup Thinly sliced radishes 
3 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil 
  Salt; to taste 
  Freshly ground black pepper 
1 cup Toasted walnut halves (or chopped toasted walnuts) 

Moroccan vegetable stew 1 medium Onion, chopped 1 cup Unsalted tomato juice 1/4 teaspoon Black pepper or cayenne 2 cup Potatoes cut into 1-inch square pieces 2 cup Fresh green beans, sliced into 2-inch pieces 16 ounce Unsalted tost these ingredients have always been used by the indigenous Berber people of Morocco in their traditional dishes. Bread is eaten in every meal. Equally well known traditional segment of Moroccan cuisine is 'tajine'. Tajine is mainly a casserole of meat and poultry named after the cooking pot in which it is cooked. The most famous national dish is still 'couscous' served with the meat and a sauce made from the bouillon. Olives pickled in lemon juice and salt are essential ingredient of many Moroccan dishes. All kinds of olives are used for different recipes. Various sizes and colors of olives are utilized for different occasions, mainly for taste but also for presentation. (Band) Yogurt Cheese Purchase a good quality yogurt such as the FAGE total 0% Greek yogurt (Costco) or Mountain High Plane Yogurt. Put coffee filters in a collander making sure all the collander is covered. Put the collander in a bowl or pot so it has a place to drain. Pour the yogurt on to the filters in the collander. Set the bowl with collander and yogurt into the refrigerator. In two days you should have a solid cheese. Drizzle olive oil on top. Serve with toast pieces of peta bread. (If you want to make the yogurt or the pita bread, see the Lebanese recipes on this site.) Moroccan Chicken Soup with pita bread 4 cup Chicken stock 2 teaspoon Ground cumin 1 teaspoon Paprika 1 teaspoon Ground coriander 2 teaspoon Dried mint 8 Skinless chicken thighs or drumsticks 1 cup Brown lentils 1 medium Onion 2 Cloves garlic 1 bunch English spinach 1 bunch Chopped fresh coriander 2 tablespoon Chopped parsley 1/4 cup Lemon juice Turn Crockpot onto high. Add chicken stock, spices, chicken pieces and dried mint. Wash lentils well under cold running water and add to soup. Chop onion and place in microwave safe bowl with garlic and a little olive oil. Cook on high for 3 minutes or until onion is soft, add this mixture to the crockpot. Cover the Crockpot and cook on high for 3 1/2 hours or on low for 8 hours. When soup is cooked, add washed and chopped fresh spinach leaves and chopped fresh herbs. Stir in lemon juice and taste for salt. Serve with toasted pita bread. Photo: Dye Pots at a leather factory: Moroccan orange-walnut salad 6 large Oranges 1 tablespoon Honey 1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon 1 pounds Mixed salad greens; clean,dry,chill 1/2 cup Thinly sliced red onion 1 cup Thinly sliced radishes 3 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil Salt; to taste Freshly ground black pepper 1 cup Toasted walnut halves (or chopped toasted walnuts) DO STEP ONE AHEAD OF TIME, IT'S MOST OF THE WORK. STEP ONE: At least one hour ahead, peel and section the oranges, using a serrated knife. First cut off the polar ends of the peel, then slice the peel off the sides. With a gentle sawing motion, cut in one side of the membrane, and out the other, releasing each orange section into a bowl. Squeeze all excess juice from the remaining membrane into the bowl as well, and pick out the seeds if necessary. Discard the membrane. Drizzle honey, and sprinkle cinnamon over the orange slices. When you are finished drizzling and sprinkling, cover the bowl and let it stand at room temperature at least one hour. STEP TWO: Shortly before serving, toss the greens in a large bowl with the onion radishes and olive oil. Season to taste with salt and fresh ground black pepper. STEP THREE: Just before serving, add the oranges with all their liquid, and toss well. STEP FOUR: Serve topped with walnuts. omatoes OR 2 cup Fresh tomatoes 2 tablespoon Water 3/4 teaspoon Ground cumin 2 cup Carrots, large chunks 2 teaspoon Oil In a tagine or regular pot simmer on stove or in oven onions in oil and water until transparent. Add potatoes and carrots and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chopped tomatoes and cumin. Cover and simmer for about 1 hour, checking to see if the stew needs more liquid. If so, add the tomato juice. Add green beans and cook for 15 minutes more. Check seasoning--add 1/4 teaspoon or more black pepper and more cumin, if desired. MOROCCAN PRESERVED LEMON QUARTERS (or purchase) Eureka or Meyer lemons, rinsed Kosher salt Quarter lemons lengthwise and put in a noncorrosive airtight container. Freeze for 8 hours. Add 1 tablespoon salt per lemon (4 quarters). Store airtight at room temperature for 6 days; shake occasionally. Use as suggested. To store, chill up to 6 months (color darkens). Each lemon makes 4 pieces. Lamb Tagine : Photo making tagine pots 2 pounds LAMB CUT INTO 1'' CUBES 1 teaspoon SALT 2 teaspoon FRESH GROUND PEPPER ½ teaspoon SAFFRON, CRUSHED 1 teaspoon GROUND GINGER 2 CLOVES GARLIC, PRESSED 1 large YELLOW ONION, CHOPPED 1 small BUNCH PARSLEY (OPP.) 4 tablespoon OIL 1/2 PRESERVED LEMON, SKIN ONLY 2 teaspoon CINNAMON 1/4 cup HONEY 2 tablespoon ORANGE BLOSSOM WATER 1 tablespoon SESAME SEEDS 6 ounce Blanched almonds, slivered The traditional tajine pot is formed entirely of a heavy clay which is sometimes painted or glazed. It consists of two parts; a base unit which is flat and circular with low sides, and a large cone or dome-shaped cover that rests inside the base during cooking. The cover is so designed to promote the return of all condensate to the bottom. With the cover removed, the base can be taken to the table for serving. Tajine dishes are slow-cooked at low temperatures, resulting in tender, falling-off-the-bone meat with aromatic vegetables and sauce. The cover has a knob-like formation at its top to facilitate removal. While simmering, the cover can be lifted off without the aid of a mitten, enabling the cook to inspect the main ingredients, add vegetables, move things around, or add additional braising liquid. If you do not have a tagine pot, please use a large cooking pot. In a 6 quart pot add 3 tablespoons of olive oil, then add lamb, salt, pepper, saffron, ginger, garlic, onion and parsley. Add 2 1/3 cups of water, enough to just barely cover and simmer on the stove or in the oven for a minimum of 1 1/2 hour or until meat is tender. Chop preserved lemon skin into tiny pieces, add with cinnamon and simmer uncovered for another 15 minutes. Then add the honey and orange blossom water and cook fo Thinly sliced radishes 3 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil Salt; to taste Freshly ground black pepper 1 cup Toasted walnut halves (or chopped toasted walnuts) DO STEP ONE AHEAD OF TIME, IT'S MOST OF THE WORK. STEP ONE: At least one hour ahead, peel and section the oranges, using a serrated knife. First cut off the polar ends of the peel, then slice the peel off the sides. With a gentle sawing motion, cut in one side of the membrane, and out the other, releasing each orange section into a bowl. Squeeze all excess juice from the remaining membrane into the bowl as well, and pick out the seeds if necessary. Discard the membrane. Drizzle honey, and sprinkle cinnamon over the orange slices. When you are finished drizzling and sprinkling, cover the bowl and let it stand at room temperature at least one hour. STEP TWO: Shortly before serving, toss the greens in a large bowl with the onion radishes and olive oil. Season to taste with salt and fresh ground black pepper. STEP THREE: Just before serving, add the oranges with all their liquid, and toss well. STEP FOUR: Serve topped with walnuts. r a few minutes more until the sauce is quite thick and reduced. In the remaining tablespoon of oil, just before serving taost sesame seeds in a fry pan with almonds and ten sprinkle over the meat. Garnish with olives and lemon slices and SERVE OVER COUSCOUS. Moroccan Winter Fruit Couscous 2 tablespoon Oil 1/2 cup Onion; chopped 1 1/2 cup Bulgur (cracked wheat); uncooked 1 cup Apricots, dried 1 cup Prunes; chopped 1 cup Apples, dried; chopped 4 cup Vegetable stock 1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg, ground 1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon, ground 1/4 teaspoon Coriander, ground Heat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook onion in oil about 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until tender. Stir in bulgur. Cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until bulgur is golden brown. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cover and bake 50 to 60 minutes or until bulgur is tender. Moroccan mint tea 2 tablespoon Chinese green tea or Chinese gunpowder tea 5 cup Boiling water 1 large Bunch fresh mint 1 cup Sugar; or to taste Yield: 4 servings In Morocco, tea is served very sweet. 1. Place tea in teapot. Pour in boiling water. Cover and steep 2 to 3 minutes. 2. Wash mint under running water and add to pot. Steep for 3 to 5 minutes. Add sugar. Serve in mint tea glasses or small cups. Ghouribi (moroccan sugar cookies) 1 cup Vegetable oil or butter 1 cup Sugar 3 cup Unbleached all-purpose flour 1/3 cup Finely ground walnuts or almonds Cinnamon 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly flour an ungreased cookie sheet. 2. Place oil and sugar in a large bowl and mix well. Gradually add the flour, a cup at a time, and knead well. Blend in the nuts. 3. When the dough feels mooth, use the palm of your hand to roll it into balls the size of an egg. Pat into a round cookie about 2- inches in diameter. The cookies should not be flat. 4. Place on the cookie sheet and sprinkle the center of each cookie with cinnamon. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Do not let the cookies become even slightly brown; they must remain off-white. Moroccan Date Cake 10 servings 1/2 cup Butter 1/4 cup Sugar (or up to double amt.) 4 Eggs 1 teaspoon Baking powder 1 cup Unbleached white flour 1 teaspoon Cinnamon 1 teaspoon Nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon Ground cloves 1/2 cup Milk 1/2 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract 1 cup Pitted, chopped dates 1/2 cup Chopped walnuts Fresh whipped cream Preheat the oven to 325 F. Cream together the butter and sugar. Beat in the eggs. Combine the baking powder, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture, beating well. Mix in the milk and vanilla. Beat well. Add the chopped dates and walnuts and stir again to distribute them evenly. Butter and flour a 9-inch cake pan. Pour the batter into the pan. Bake for about 30 minutes, until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Serve with fresh whipped cream. sawing motion, cut in one side of the membrane, and out the other, releasing each orange section into a bowl. Squeeze all excess juice from the remaining membrane into the bowl as well, and pick out the seeds if necessary. Discard the membrane. Drizzle honey, and sprinkle cinnamon over the orange slices. When you are finished drizzling and sprinkling, cover the bowl and let it stand at room temperature at least one hour. STEP TWO: Shortly before serving, toss the greens in a large bowl with the onion radishes and olive oil. Season to taste with salt and fresh ground black pepper. STEP THREE: Just before serving, add the oranges with all their liquid, and toss well. STEP FOUR: Serve topped with walnuts.