creative jewish mom

Moroccan-Style Baked Chicken And Potatoes: Simple & Delicious!

Like my chicken recipe, these lanterns, originally available at zgallerie.com, are "Moroccan style, how's that for creative photo selection? If you see something like these, stock up on a few to use as great Succah decorations next year or for instant indoor style anytime!

I have been making this recipe for at least three years, and it's always delicious! I served this with confidence to guests in our Succah today, and my kids loved it too! It's simple and a really great for serving a crowd since there are really very few steps involved.

Ingredients:

• 1 whole chicken cut into pieces, or the chicken pieces/quantity of your choice
• potatoes
• turmeric
• chicken soup powder, msg free (and yes I usually turn my nose up at chicken soup powder in recipes, but in this case it's really the secret ingredient.....)
• fresh coriander, (can substitute fresh parsley)olive oil or vegetable oil
• ginger (optional, I didn't use any today......)
• seasoning: our kosher chickens are very salty as is, so no additional salt is necessary. Use your own judgement based on your experience with the chickens you use.

Directions:

Peel and thickly slice enough potato rounds or half rounds to generously cover the bottom of the baking dish you'll be using...I use a large pyrex dish, but have certainly used very large disposable aluminum trays as well (you can save them for crafting ya know!) when preparing a large quantity.

Make a thick sauce by combining about 1 tablespoon turmeric, 1/2 tablespoon soup powder and enough oil to achieve a maple syrup-like consistency. Add a teaspoon or so of ginger if desired. Add chopped coriander, at least 1/2 cup or so.

Dunk the chicken pieces in the sauce to coat the top of each piece, and place top side up on the bed of potatoes. Bake covered for about 1 hour and bake for another 15 minutes or so uncovered until chicken is nicely browned. Enjoy! I served this dish with a platter of whole-wheat couscous embellished with a mix of boiled zucchini, pumpkin (dlat), carrots and onion, cut in long strips. A refreshing lettuce salad would be a great compliment as well.

 

Moroccan Olives In Red Sauce—Delicious!

The other day my funny four year old happened to be in the kitchen alone with a can of olives. I heard him say "look what happened to my nails!" And then interestingly enough, Moroccan olives came to mind and I thought "what a perfect recipe for Tu B'Shevat this year" (since it falls on Shabbat.) Thanks to my  little one for the inspiration and the photo opportunity. I'll definitely be making this myself, but now I can get the recipe to you just a bit sooner. (And I'll try to take a photo of the actual dish, but no promises!)

Oh, and in case you are not familiar with this traditional Moroccan dish, it is generally served with the main course (of meat or chicken) as a small side dish together with rice.

Ingredients:

• 1 can of green pitted olives
• 2 large soft tomatoes, skinned
• 1/4 cup olive oil (or a bit less)
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 5-6 eyes of garlic, cut in slices or chopped
• fresh lemon juice of 1/2 lemon

Preparation and Cooking:

1. Peel tomatoes by soaking in boiling water until skin peels of by hand easily.
2. Cook tomatoes on a low flame in the oil, stirring often, until they become a sauce. (If you are pressed for time so cut up the tomatoes to speed up the cooking time, which for whole tomatoes might take as long as 1 hour.)
3. Add spices and garlic and stir and then add olives. (Olives in a can should be rinsed and well drained before using them for this dish.)
4. Cook on a low flame for about 1 hour. Watch the pot to make sure there's always enough liquid.
5. Add juice of 1/2 lemon, salt to taste,  and stir.
6. Serve warm.
7. Keep this recipe you'll need it again!

 

Moroccan Salad: Fresh Fennel Bulb!

I'm taking a bit of a break from crafting today as I need to be in the kitchen cooking up a storm, but first I wanted to tell you about this very delicious and simple Moroccan salad that's a big hit over at my house. In Israel, fennel is largely a winter vegetable (we mostly eat vegetables in season) so now is the time that you'll find us enjoying this one, as an accompaniment to something warm and hearty.

Now if you're wondering "how does she get her kids to eat that?" Well let me explain one thing, if you and your husband, and any other caregivers or adults in your children's lives eat lots of vegetables and rave about them to no one in particular, then four out of five children will also follow in your footsteps! I can't guarantee anything, but I don't think overcooked peas and carrots are a way to get kids to love vegetables— serve them fresh and let them watch you enjoy eating them! If you don't love vegetables yourself, well then you've definitely got a problem on your hands!

Ingredients:

• fennel bulbs, trimmed to just the bulb, no stalks
• fresh lemon juice
• olive oil
• fresh parsley
• salt and pepper

Preparation:

1. Wash fennel well. For those concerned about bugs, separate layers and wash and check. Alternatively, remove all tiny green areas, cut slices as described below and  soak in salt water.
2. The traditional Moroccan way to prepare this salad is to cut  whole slices of the bulb, namely you cut half-moon slices through the bulb vertically, and each slice includes a number of layers and a piece of the heart which holds the layers together.
3. Dress salad with lots of fresh lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.
4. Add some fresh parsley for added visual appeal, though it's not necessary as far as the taste of the salad is concerned.
5. Enjoy!

Moroccan Roasted Eggplant Salad

Looking for something just a bit exotic to serve the guests this holiday season? Why not try this traditional Moroccan salad! It's spicy and tart at the same time, and would be great served with Middle Eastern flat-bread crackers, or pita bread. And while you're at it, serve it with the roasted red pepper salad here, they work well together and you can roast them at the same time as well. Other serving ideas include Chummous (Chick Pea Spread) and some really good olives, like Calamata or green Syrian olives. If you'll be hosting a large gathering, so you can plan ahead and roast the eggplants, remove the flesh from the skin and then freeze until the day of the event. Once the eggplant has thawed you can add the rest of the ingredients and you're all set! 

Ingredients:

• 2 large eggplants
• 5 cloves of garlic
• 1 heaping tblsp cumin
• fresh lemon juice from one large lemon
• fresh flat leaf parsley
• 1 tblsp olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• option 1: toss in some chopped green onions for an extra kick
• option 2: make a salad by mixing this one with a smaller quantity of chopped roasted peppers, looks lovely!

Instructions:

First of all, let me start by telling you that there are two ways to roast eggplants, resulting in a different taste.
If you are preparing a quantity, you can do both methods and then mix the two for a slightly smoky taste.

1. Traditional flame roasted method: Eggplants are set right onto the grill on the stove top, over an open gas flame. Requires moving the eggplants around quite a bit and though one prepares the area with aluminum foil, it can get a bit messy. The result is a smoky taste
2. Oven roasted on an aluminum covered tray: This is what I do, much easier and mess free, though no smoky taste. My family prefers the salad with eggplant roasted this way, but it may just be that's what they're used too! I roast the eggplants under the grill for about 45 minutes, turning several times, though you may be able to actually bake them together with other items in the oven with a similar result.

Preparation Steps:

1. Poke holes in eggplant with a fork and roast according to one of the methods above
2. Eggplants should be very soft, and if you let the skins burn a bit that's fine too.
3. After eggplants have cooled cut off tops and cut open (see photo above)
4. Remove flesh with a spoon and place in a mixing bowl or in the storage container you'll be using.
5. Viogorously chop up the eggplant with a fork to break up stringy pieces and cut any large pieces with a knife if necessary
6. Add finely chopped garlic, cumin, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
7. Chop some parsley and mix into salad, a must for an appetizing presentation!.
8. Taste to make sure you've added enough salt, this is crucial!
9. To serve, garnish with sprigs of parsely, and enjoy!

Spicy Moroccan Style Meatballs With Whole Wheat Spaghetti!

This is one of my favorite recipes, my interpretation of something I once saw in a Moroccan cookbook. It's one of those recipes that turns out great regardless of whether you have exactly all the ingredients. So give it a try, and it just might become a favorite in your house too!

Ingredients:

Serves 8-10 (3 meatballs each)

For meat balls:

• 500g ground meat
• 500g ground chicken or turkey
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup (or more) instant oatmeal (or breadcrumbs)
• 1 large onion
• 1 tblsp of each of the following: paprika,cumin, turmeric, ginger, cinnamon
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro or parsley finely chopped(optional)
• optional: you can easily hide a cup of grated zucchini in these meatballs if needed!
• optional: stretch the quantity by adding some grated potato and more oatmeal with another egg.

For Sauce:

• 1 cup tomato paste, or less paste and more tomatoes
• 5-6 cloves garlic chopped
• 1 peeled tomato
• 1 red pepper chopped
• 1 tblsp of each of following: paprika, turmeric, cinnamon
• a dash of salt and pepper

Directions:

Make sauce first, so it has time to cook while you assemble the meatball mixture. Saute garlic and add additional ingredients to pot. Add water to make slightly thick sauce. Bring to boil and simmer, adding more water if necessary

For meat balls, assemble all the ingredients and mix thoroughly, it's easiest to mix with clean hands! You can make this mixture ahead of time and refrigerate for a few hours if necessary. Once sauce has cooked for at least 15-20 minutes start rolling meat balls and placing them into boiling sauce. Cook for one hour, turning if necessary. I recommend using a very wide low pot for this such that the meatballs cook in the pot in one layer. This prevents meatballs from falling apart if for some reason the mixture isn't dense enough, and you'll have a nice thick sauce to serve with the meatballs, rather than having to cook them in a soup like liquid.

These meatballs freeze wonderfully, and this recipe might be enough for two meals depending on the size of your family, and how much of these they gobble up. Plus, they are delicious cold in a sandwich!

A note about whole wheat spaghetti: It's really quite delicious! Get rid of the white altogether and your kids will adjust, believe me, especially when you serve it with something with lots of sauce.  And Mom,  you'll feel so much better knowing that they're eating something much healthier, especially for those picky eaters who only want plain spaghetti!

Moroccan Roasted Red Pepper Salad

You may associate roasted red peppers with Italian Cuisine, but guess what? Moroccans recognize their great taste as well, and infact roasted red pepper salad is a classic Moroccan dish. No array of Moroccan salads would be complete without this one! It's simple to make, and served in small quantities, so while four or so peppers doesn't yield a great deal of salad, that's okay, it's not meant to be eaten in quantity! One thing is certain, once these peppers find their way onto your table, you'll want to make them every week!

Ingredients:

• red peppers (called gamba in Moroccan)
• olive oil
• garlic
• salt
• parsley (optional)

Preparation:

1. Pre-heat oven to grill on highest temperature possible
2. Wash and dry peppers
3. Place peppers on oven tray, and grill, turning several times, when necessary
4. When skin has bubbled and peppers are slightly black (I overdid it a bit in this photo, but you get the idea?) remove peppers from oven.
5. Place in paper bag to cool for easier peeling.
6. Peel peppers of all outside skin, cut open and remove seeds
7. Cut peppers in strips
8. Chop garlic, about 1 clove per pepper, into tiny pieces. I prefer not to use a garlic press, as I prefer the tiny hard pieces of garlic, but that's just me, feel free to press away!
9. Add just enough olive oil to lightly coat the peppers, and salt to taste.
10. For an even more beautiful presentation, add a small amount of chopped parsley for color.
11. Note: This salad can be made using a mixture of red and green peppers, and even yellow ones if you wish, but I think the all red salad looks the most delicious.
12. Serve with some good crisp bread as an appetizer, or together with an array of Moroccan salads before the fish course. Enjoy!

Note: Many cooks roast red peppers directly over the flame on the stove top. This will impart a smokier taste to the peppers, but makes quite a mess, so I prefer to do it in the oven. You decide what works for you!

Moroccan Carrot Salad & Moroccan Beet Salad: Great For Your Rosh HaShana Table!

Carrots and beets are traditional foods that we eat each Rosh HaShana, so why not try something a little bit exotic this year? These recipes are classic Moroccan salads that are traditionally served as a salad appetizer course for any festive meal. Moroccans are famous for their salads, so these are just two of many types of salads that appear even on my own table! And don't you just love these small Moroccan covered dishes? They'll make any table look like it's set for a King, perfect for ushering in the New Year!

Moroccan Carrot Salad:

Ingrediants

• 1 kilo carrots (this is for a large group)
• a few sprigs of fresh parsley chopped
• 4 or 5 garlic cloves, chopped very finely
• 1 tblsp olive oil
• 1 1/2 tsp sweet Moroccan paprika
• lemon juice from one large lemon
• a dash of pepper
• salt to taste, roughly 1 tsp

Preparation:

1. Peel and trim carrots, place in pot of water and bring to a boil.
2. Cook until a fork is inserted easily but don't overcook as carrots will be too soft.
3. Slice carrots in thin rounds, or use a corrugated vegetable knife to cut rippled carrots (very professional looking!)
4. Add olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, paprika, a dash of pepper, and salt.
5. Stir well and add chopped parsley.
6. Taste salad, it should have a slightly tart garlic, lemony taste with a slight touch of paprika.  Make sure there's enough salt to bring out the flavor, this is sometimes the difference between a good salad and a perfect one! Add more lemon juice if needed, and refrigerate before serving to allow the carrots to marinate a bit.

Note: In hot summer months this salad does not keep well, so be sure to return it to the refrigerator as soon as possible. Corrogated vegetable knives are available in Israel for 10 shekels at your local souk (shuk).

Moroccan Beet Salad

Ingrediants:

• 4 large beets
• a few sprigs of fresh parsley chopped
  
• 4 or 5 garlic cloves, chopped very finely
  
• 1 tblsp olive oil
• 1 tblsp or more (yes really!) Cumin
• lemon juice from one large lemon
  
• a dash of pepper
• salt to taste, roughly 1 tsp
  

Preparation:

1. Wash beets, but do not remove skin. Cut large beets in half for shorter cooking time.
2. Place in pot, fill pot with water and bring to boil. Simmer until a fork inserts easily into beet.
3. Peel beats by placing in your hand, the skin slips off easily!
4. Cut beets in half moon pieces (our tradition) or small strips, or use a corrugated vegetable knife for professional looking results.
5. Season with oil and lemon juice, add cumin, salt and pepper and stir.
6. Add chopped parsley and stir again.
7. Taste to make sure it's delicious!

Note: The taste of this salad varies greatly depending on the beets. When beets are in season they can be so delicious, and other times of year they can be tasteless. If you happen upon a really tasteless beet, you can improve the taste of your salad by adding a tiny bit of sugar, or even juice concentrate.

Try Moroccan Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans) In Red Sauce!

This Moroccan dish is one of those foods that tastes delicious, (comfort food at its best), but just isn't so photogenic. But don't be fooled by looks — this is the number one recipe that guests request after having eaten Shabbat meals in our home! We eat it hot at the night meal and cold together with salads, by day.

One of the important ingrediants— I wouldn't think of cooking chickpeas without these sweet dried peppers!

This chickpea dish is traditionally served together with Moroccan fish but cooked separately. And in my husband's family this is the dish that is eaten on Friday afternoon, instead of the traditional Friday couscous. Though I'm not certain whether this is infact the case, rumour has it that this recipe is unique to the town of Meknes, Morocco (where my husband was born). Any insights readers?

Recipe:

• 500g dried chickpeas, soaked overnight in water with 2tblsp baking soda
• 2 sweet dried peppers (see photo)
• 1/2 fresh red pepper
• 2 heads garlic
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 tblsp sweet Moroccan paprika (preferably in oil)
• salt to taste

Cooking Instructions:
Paying attention? Here are the secrets you absolutely must follow in order to get authentic results!

Step 1: THE secret to cooking chickpeas without all the fuss is to soak them overnight in plenty of water and a few tablespoons of baking soda! With this information, your life will never be the same, trust me!  And if you forgot to soak them overnight, no problem, soak them in boiling water and baking soda for a few hours.

Step 2: Rinse beans and check for black spots or possible bug infestation. Remove any questionable beans.

Step 3: In the bottom of the pot place the peeled yet whole garlic teeth, the sliced fresh red pepper, and the dried red pepper, cut into 2" pieces.

Step 4: Place chickpeas in pot. In a glass or small bowl mix together oil,paprika and about 1tsp salt, to form a thick sauce. Gently pour the sauce over the chickpeas, distributing over the entire surface as much as possible.

Step 5: Add water to just to cover beans and bring to a boil. The liquid will foam a bit as seen here, but this is normal! Note: Be careful not to add too much water, you can always add more if you need too.

Step 6: Cook on low for about 1 1/2 hours or until almost allof the liquid has evaporated. Check during cooking to make sure the water level doesn't cook off too fast, if so you may need to add a little more water.
Beans are ready when they are totally soft, and look golden reddish brown. (See top photo) Don't forget about them, overcooking results in brown mush!

Serving suggestions: As a main dish these chickpeas are delicious over a bed of rice or couscous accompanied by crunchy fresh salads and some good hearty bread. Left overs could be used as a pita filling for a satisfying sandwich.

Tips: If your family likes spicy food, use dried spicy peppers, or replace some of the sweet paprika with hot paprika. To liven up the looks of this dish,you can add a handful of fresh coriander to the pot at the end, or use as a garnish.

Enjoy, and if you decide to try a different chickpea recipe, be sure to remember the secret you learned here!

Moroccan Lettuce Salad: THE Family Delicacy!

There is one sure-fire way to get my family to the table, and it's quite simple really! Whip up a nice big bowl of the salad my husband can't live without, place the bowl of salad on the table, and stand back and watch as athletic feats are performed by almost all in order to get to the table first and dig into that pile of greenery! And if you think I'm joking, well then stop by some time around cholent/hamin time and you can witness it for yourself!

Ingredients:

• 1 large head of lettuce, inner lighter green leafs only + stalk if there is one
• olive or canola oil
• 1 large juicy lemon
• 1 red onion
• salt and pepper

1. Wash/rinse lettuce, check (even gush katif lettuce needs checking these days!) and dry in a towel
2. Cut leaves into 1" sections, quarter stalk piece, leaving the tiny baby leaves at the top intact
3. Peel and slice red onion into half moon slices, Moroccans slice the onion by holding 1/2 an onion in your hand and cutting the layers together with a piece of the core, such that a piece consisting of several layers results (if that makes any sense! need a photo of that I think)
4. Add about 1tblsp oil (sorry don't exact amount), squeeze lemon over salad and mix
5. Season with salt and pepper, go heavy on the salt, light on the pepper
6. Serve immediately

This salad makes a really refreshing accompaniement to any main course, but especially to something heavy like meat. I make a large assortment of Moroccan salads, (more on that later) which we eat together as a first course, but this salad is always served alone later in the meal.

(Note: If you don't eat raw onions for health or spiritual reasons, you can marinate the slices in a mixture of vinegar and olive oil a day in advance.)

The Definative Morrocan Fish In Red Sauce Recipe

Step 3: Before Cooking

When I married my husband and was in the process of learning to cook his favorite family dishes, the big joke was that every recipe his mother ever told me included 1 cup of oil. I used to shriek at the idea, and with some trial and error I learned that the same dishes can be cooked with a third that amount of oil and they are even more delicious. However, it took me 7 years to finally realize that Morrocan fish won't be Morrocan fish without the oil. It might be good, but it won't be the fish my husband knows and loves! So bite the bullet, get out the olive oil and eat small portions of the delicious results.

Morrocan Fish in Red Sauce Recipe

Ingredients:

• Fish Steaks: I use nile perch (nilos) or halibut. A meaty fish gives the best results, but you can also use fillet of sole, or probably just about any fish as long as it's not a fishy tasting one
• One large bunch of fresh coriander (cusbara)
• 2 sweet dried red peppers (sold at the spice store in bulk, or possibly at a fish and/or vegetable shop) The peppers come as hot or sweet, you can use some combination of the two. (will add a photo soon, since this is one ingrediant many are not familiar with)
• 1/2 medium sized red pepper (gamba)
• 2 heads of garlic or even more depending on the quantity of fish
• 4 Tblsp sweet paprika (preferably in oil)
• 1/2 cup olive or canola oil
• salt to taste

Step 2: Before cooking

Step 1: Wash fish, cut into serving sized pieces, and if you are using Nile perch soak fish in salted water for several hours (this is a must!)
Step 2: Place in a shallow fish pot:  peeled garlic, 1/2 of the cusbara chopped into 2" sections, 2 Tblsp paprika, two dried peppers cut into a few pieces, slices of red pepper. Add about 1/4 cup of oil and cook on low heat for about 10 minutes, checking often and stirring so mixture does not burn.
Step 3: Place the fish steaks on top of the vegetable mixture. Mix 2 Tblspns of paprika into 1/4 cup of oil and add about 1tsp salt (if you did not soak fish in salt water) Pour oil mixture over fish and add rest of coriander. (see first photo of this post)
Step 4: If you are using Nile perch add only enough water such that the level is no higher than half the height of the fish. This is really important. If you are using halibut no water is added!
Step 5: If water was added bring to a boil and cook on very low for roughly 30 minutes. If no water was added, cook on very low for about 40 minutes and baste with liquid which results as fish is cooked.
Step 6: Taste and add salt if necessary. Yummmm.

Note: Fish is best if cooked the same day as it will be served. You can cook it in the morning, refrigerate  and re-heat for serving

Step 3 before addition of spiced oil and coriander

When served as a Shabbos dish, this fish is usually served hot Friday night and cold on Shabbos day.
This recipe is for a first course, if you want to make fish as a main course with larger servings, go lighter on the oil and you can add chopped tomatoes to the pot after the fish is half cooked.

I'm not a professional recipe writer, so let me know if you have any questions! Bon Appetite!