Lamb and Prune Tagine

In Morocco you will find two principle dishes, couscous and tagine. Tagines are slow cooked for at least two hours sometimes more. You will find them lined up outside of restaurants and cafes cooking away with delicious smells wafting into the air. The recipe I have included here is for a tagine sweetened by prunes and garnished with sesame seeds and almonds. In Morocco there is a special tagine pot used specifically for cooking these. Of course I do not expect you to own one, and it is not necessary. It is possible to cook it in a large pan or pot (cast iron works well). Be sure to check my learning from the locals section where you will find my story on cooking in Morocco.

(At home I cooked it in a cast iron pot in substitution of a tagine pot)

Ingredients
2 pounds lamb chops
1 large white onion (diced)
4 cloves garlic (minced)
1 teaspoon fresh ginger (minced)
1 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon cinnamon
One pinch saffron (about 5 threads)
One preserved lemon or one lemon juiced with 2 teaspoons of zest
1 ½ cups dried prunes
3 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup chopped coriander (cilantro)
Half a cup whole blanched almonds (or almond slices)
2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Method
In a large pot or pan, arrange the lamb chops so that each one is laying flat on the bottom. Add in the all the ingredients starting with the onion and up until the almonds. These ingredients do not need to be stirred, just simply arrange and sprinkle everything on top of the lamb. Leave the sesame seeds for garnish. Cover the pot with a lid and cook on a medium low heat for 2-3 hours. Make sure to cook it with the lid on and only remove it to check the progress. The finished product should be a juicy tender meat with a sweet soupy sauce. Serve with bread (preferably flat bread).

(This photo was taken at my cooking class in Morocco)

La jeune fille dans la cuisine: Learning from the locals

La jeune fille dans la cuisine: Learning from the locals: "Moroccan Cooking experience This past January 2011 I traveled to Morocco with my friend Sydney. Before arriving I knew I wanted to take a c..."

Pesto

Pesto is one of those things that can be eaten may different ways, as an appetizer, on pasta, in a soup, on a sandwich or inside a crêpe. The best part about it is that it is fairly simple to make, the only time consuming part is the preparation and cleanup. So here we go, the o so simple recipe that is o so delicious. 

Ingredients

3 tightly packed cups of fresh basil

3 large cloves fresh garlic (if your not a huge fan two cloves is okay)

½ cup pine nuts

¾ cup fresh parsley

¾ cup grated parmesan

½ cup olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Combine the ingredients into a food processor and mix together until smooth. It is now ready to serve, simple as that!

Pesto

Savory summer pesto Crêpe

It’s hard not to like crêpes when really you can put anything inside of them. There are both sweet and savory crêpes and depending on which type you are making the batter should be made slightly different. In this recipe I made a savory crêpe and gave it a twist by adding Herbs of Provence to the batter. Traditionally savory crêpes are made with buckwheat flour, sadly I did not have any available so I substituted whole wheat flour. The result was a delicious crêpe.

Ingredients

2 large eggs

3/4 cup milk

1/2 cup water

1 cup flour (whole wheat or buckwheat)

3 tablespoons melted butter

2 teaspoons Herbs of Provence (Rosemary, thyme, dried basil, sage)

¼ teaspoon salt

Butter or oil, for coating the pan

Toppings

One slice of Swiss cheese

Two slices of turkey

Sautéed asparagus

Fresh baby spinach

Summer cherry tomatoes 

Pesto

Method

In a mixing bowl whisk together all the ingredients until completely smooth without any lumps.

Heat a medium/large sauce pan and grease with butter or oil. Pour in half a cup to three fourths a cup of batter (depending on the size of your pan). Use the handle to rotate the pan in a circular motion, evenly distributing the batter to leave a thin pancake for the crêpe.  On a medium heat cook the crêpe until bubbles begin to rise, at this point you will need to flip the crêpe by using a spatula. Once the crêpe is flipped you may add your desired toppings and let cook for a minute or so more.

Enjoy!

Spiced carrot and leek soup

It may be summer, but I am a soup fanatic!  So, even though soup is commonly thought of as a winter dish in my opinion there is no wrong or right season to serve it, because it is good all the time! One of the things that I am known for is my love for spices, my friends and family joke that I can make any dish spicy, but don’t be afraid. The good news for you is that this soup is not spicy, just spiced with a creamy yogurt base. 

Ingredients

One pound of carrots (peeled and washed)

Half a turnip (peeled)

One small potato (peeled)

Two leeks

One white onion

Three cloves of garlic

One Tablespoon cilantro

Two teaspoons fresh cut ginger root

Two tablespoons Olive oil

One vegetable bouillon cube

Two teaspoons Cumin

½ teaspoon salt

Pinch of black pepper

4 cups water

One cup Greek yogurt

Garnish

Toasted pine nuts

Method

Begin by sautéing the onion and garlic in olive oil in a large cooking pot. After about 2-3 minutes add in the chopped up carrots, turnips, potatoes and leeks. Continue to cook over a medium heat for another ten or so minute. Pour in two cups of water and a bouillon cube along with the cilantro, ginger root and spices. Cook for a half hour and then add in the rest of the water (two cups). Lower the heat slightly and continue to cook for another hour. After one hour set the heat on a simmer, cover and let it cook for at least another hour. The secret to a good soup is to give all the ingredients plenty of time to mix their flavors. Before serving, use a hand blender and blend the soup into a purée, stir in a cup of Greek yogurt and garnish with toasted pine nuts.

Enjoy!

Blueberry and Peach lemon tart

The original recipe calls for a 9 inch pie pan but I used a cheesecake pan.

• ·         From the Silver Palate cook book

A few months ago I got the idea to make a tart with a filling similar to a lemon bar but covered with fruit. While I was looking through one of my cook books I found a recipe that fit exactly that description.

This recipe has the perfect amount of tang and sweetness. The lemon gives it a delightfully refreshing taste yet does not over power the sweet buttery crust and fruit topping.

• ·         Make sure you give yourself enough preparation time for the crust since it takes 2-3 hours.

Crust

1 2/3 cups bleached all-purpose flour

¼ granulated sugar

½ teaspoon salt

10 Tablespoons unsalted butter (chilled)

2 egg yolks

1 Teaspoon vanilla extract

2 teaspoons ice water

Method

Sift the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl (flour, sugar, salt). Cut the chilled butter into small cubes and using your fingertips blend together with the dry ingredients. The result should be a coarse meal. In a separate bowl mix the egg yolks, vanilla and ice water together. Add to the dry ingredients and mix with a fork. Shape the dough into a ball. Using the palm of your hand, on a flat surface smear the dough away from you, reform into a ball and repeat 3 or 4 times. Wrap in wax paper and let chill in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours.

When you are about ready to start of the filling, fit the crust into a 9 inch tart pan. Cover with foil and fill the inside of the pan with dried rice or beans, bake for 8 minutes then remove and set aside.

Filling

One cup lemon juice

5 tablespoons grated lemon zest

½ cup butter (one stick)  

6 eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

One cup fresh blueberries (washed)

2 Peaches

Method

Preheat Oven to 400 F.  Whisk together the lemon juice, grated zest and melted butter in a medium bowl. Beat in the eggs and sugar. Pour into the partially baked tart crust and bake for 20 minutes. When the tart has come out of the oven arrange the fruit while the filling is still warm, pressing slightly. When cool dust with confectioner’s sugar. 

bon appétit!

Sweet spinach and Goat cheese Salad

French love their cheese, over 400 different types of it and after spending this past year in the south of France it was difficult to come back to the cheese available here in the states. When I originally thought of this salad I could not find the type of goat cheese I had had in mind. The closest I got to what I would buy in France came from Whole Foods Market, a slightly aged goat cheese with a rind. Regardless of my new found cheese dilemma this salad still turned out great and I am sure many different types of goat cheese would work just fine.  

Ingredients

Baby Spinach

Half a cup Fresh goat cheese

Two tablespoons toasted pine nuts

One Tablespoon Honey

Balsamic vinegar

Olive Oil

Salt and black pepper

Method

Wash the baby spinach and put it in a salad bowl, then cut the goat cheese and crumble on top. Meanwhile toast the pine nuts in a pan on a low heat, when they are golden brown add to the top of the salad.  Dress the salad with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. After adding the dressing, sprinkle the salad with a spoonful of honey and add salt and pepper to taste.