Moroccan Feast for Eight

It started so innocently. My sis, Jules, is on bedrest until her due date at the end of May, so her house has become the social hub for family and friends. Last week, we realized that we were going to have a full house on Sunday, so I decided to make dinner. Something easy. Chicken is easy. We started thumbing through Jules' cookbooks, but didn't find anything we liked by Jamie Oliver or Donna Hay. Then Jules found a recipe in a Moroccan cookbook for classic Moroccan chicken. "This one sounds good," she said. It sounded so-so to me, but I didn't say so. When a pregnant lady on bedrest finds something appetizing, you make it for her!

Back at my apartment, I got out my copy of Claudia Roden's Arabesque to see if I could find any good side dishes. First thing I found was that same chicken recipe. This seemed like a good sign. Then I stuck Post-it notes on more than a dozen delicious sounding recipes and narrowed it down to two: Orange, Olive and Onion Salad and Roast Pepper, Tomato and Apple Salad. I was starting to get excited. It had been a while since I'd made a big meal, and ages since I'd tried anything new and really different.

Sunday morning came around, and I hit the city for ingredients. The most unusual on my list was preserved lemon---lemon that has been preserved in salt. First I went to Jon's, a low-budget chain that I'd heard had a good ethnic section. Indeed, they had an entire aisle labeled "international." There I found pomegranate syrup and orange blossom water, but no preserved lemons. I bought the syrup and water because they had both showed up in recipes I wanted to try at a later date, and then headed for the Farmer's Market at Third and Fairfax, where I bought my veggies, popped into Cost Plus for some spices, and tried the little French specialty shop for the elusive lemon. There I found a jar of preserved lemon in olive oil. It just looked too oily, but the nice clerk suggested I try Whole Foods across the street. Lo and behold, there in the olive bar was a little bin of preserved whole lemons, not to mention the olives. It was one of those lucky days where I found every single ingredient that I needed.

A few hours later my friend Jenny picked me up and we headed over to Jules and Clive's, where we spent a pleasant afternoon cooking. Jenny took on the Roast Pepper, Tomato and Apple Salad, as well as a phyllo dessert she found on good ole reliable Epicurious. Because Jules can't even sit up at the table right now, we ate around the living room, plates propped on knees, along with our friend Sarah, my cousin Jeanne, and her son Connor.

The meal was gasp-worthy. My brother-in-law even mentioned it in an email to me ... Sunday's meal was the best you have ever done and is the best meal I can remember. I take that as high praise (though I am well aware that kudos also go to Claudia Roden, as well as my partner-in-cooking crime, Jenny). The chicken was tender and vibrant with the lemon, olives, and spices. The orange salad was astounding. I have never tasted anything like it, and plan to make it over and over all summer long. And the peppers with apple (such a subtle combination) were the perfect straight man for the other two more flavorful dishes. As for dessert, it was stickily sweet and cool and refreshing all at the same time.

Another great thing about this meal is that I made it right in the middle of doing a cleanse: no sugar, no wheat, no dairy, no alcohol, no nothing! And other than the dessert, I could eat all three dishes. In fact, altogether they have only 9 tablespoons of olive oil, and the rest is all chicken, veggies, herbs, and spices.

To keep this post from being overly long, I have put each recipe in its own post, with the link below.


Moroccan Feast for 8:

Tagine of Chicken with Preserved Lemon and Olives

Orange, Olive and Onion Salad

Roast Pepper, Tomato and Apple Salad

Date and Walnut Phyllo Rolls with Greek Yogurt and Honey

SERVE IT FORTH: INDEX OF RECIPES

Tagine of Chicken with Preserved Lemon and Olives

Tagine of Chicken with Preserved Lemon and Olives
adapted from Arabesque, by Claudia Roden

Ingredients:

- 3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 2 yellow onions, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1/2 tsp. crushed saffron threads or saffron powder
- 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
- 8 boneless chicken breasts
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- 2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
- 2 Tbsp. chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1 cinnamon stick
- peel of 1 large or 2 small preserved lemons, peel only, cut into slices
- 12-16 green or violet olives, without pits

Directions:

1) In a wide casserole or heavy-bottomed pan that will fit the chicken pieces in one layer, heat the oil and add the onions. Sauté, stirring over a low heat, until softened, then stir in the garlic, saffron, cinnamon stick, and ginger.

2) Add the chicken pieces and pour in 1-1/4 cup water. Simmer, covered, turning the pieces over a few times and adding a little more water if it becomes too dry.

3) After 15 minutes, add lemon juice, cilantro, parsley, preserved lemon peel, olives

4) Continue cooking for 10-15 more minutes. Chicken. When it is almost done, remove from the pan and let the sauce continue to simmer until it thickens.

5) Once the sauce has thickened, return the chicken to pan and finish cooking. My chicken was perfectly done at 35 minutes.

6) Serve with the olives and lemon peel on top of the meat.

Note on salt:
Because the lemon and olives are salty, I do not add any extra salt.

For recipes for a full Moroccan meal, click here.

SERVE IT FORTH: INDEX OF RECIPES

Orange, Olive and Onion Salad

Orange, Olive and Onion Salad
from Arabesque, by Claudia Roden

Ingredients:

- 4 oranges
- 16 black olives
- 1 large red onion, finely chopped
- juice of 1/2 to 1 lemon
- 3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp. paprika
- pinch of ground chile pepper (cayenne is okay)
- 2 Tbsp. chopped flat-leaf parsley

Directions:

1) Peel the oranges, removing the pith. Cut them into thick slices and then into quarters. Put in a bowl.

2) Mix in chopped onion and olives.

3) Make a dressing of lemon juice, olive oil, salt, cumin, paprika, chili pepper and chopped parsley, and mix into the salad.

Serve at room temperature.

For recipes for a full Moroccan meal, click here.

SERVE IT FORTH: INDEX OF RECIPES

Roast Pepper, Tomato and Apple Salad

Roast Pepper, Tomato and Apple Salad
from Arabesque, by Claudia Roden

Ingredients:

- 3 fleshy red bell peppers
- 1 large yellow onion, sliced
- 3-4 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 lb. tomatoes, peeled and chopped
- 1 or 2 chili peppers, left whole
- salt and pepper
- 2 sweet apples (such as Golden Delicious)

Directions:

1) Place the peppers on a sheet of foil on an oven tray under a preheated broiler, 2-1/2 to 3-1/2 inches from the broiler. Turn them until their skins are black and blistered all over. When the peppers are cool enough to handle, peel them and remove and discard the stems and seeds. Now cut the peppers lengthwise into ribbons.

2) In a wide pan, fry the onions in 2 tablespoons of olive oil over a medium heat, stirring until they are lightly colored. Add the garlic and stir until it just begins to color, then add the tomatoes and chili peppers. Season with salt and pepper and cook gently for about 15-20 minutes.

3) Leaving the peel on, quarter and core the apples. (Our apples were big, so we cut them into eighths.) Stir the red pepper ribbons into the onion mixture. Then put in the apple quarters, cut side down. Cook gently until the apples are tender, adding a little water if the pan becomes too dry. Turn the apples skin side down toward the end.

Serve cold, drizzled with the remaining olive oil.

For recipes for a full Moroccan meal, click here.

SERVE IT FORTH: INDEX OF RECIPES

Date and Walnut Phyllo Rolls with Greek Yogurt and Honey

(My camera battery died before Jenny finished making dessert,
so here is Jenny working on our Moroccan meal, instead)

Date and Walnut Phyllo Rolls with Greek Yogurt and Honey
from Bon Appetit (Epicurious)

Ingredients:

- 14 ounces Medjool dates (about 1 1/2 cups), pitted
- 1/2 cup walnuts, toasted
- 3 Tbsp. plus 1/4 cup Greek honey or other honey
- 1 teaspoon finely grated orange peel
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 8 17 1/2x12 1/2-inch or sixteen 13 1/2x8 1/2-inch sheets fresh phyllo pastry or frozen, thawed
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup Greek whole-milk yogurt

Directions:

1) Combine dates, walnuts, 3 tablespoons honey, orange peel, and cardamom in food processor. Blend until paste forms.

2) Preheat oven to 375°F. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment. If using 17 1/2x12 1/2-inch phyllo sheets, place stack of 8 phyllo sheets on work surface. Halve stack crosswise, forming 16 sheets, each 12 1/2x8 3/4 inches; arrange in 1 stack. Or if using 13 1/2x8 1/2-inch phyllo sheets, stack 16 sheets on work surface. Cover phyllo stack with plastic wrap, then damp kitchen towel.

3) Remove 1 phyllo sheet from stack and place on work surface; brush with melted butter. Top with second sheet; brush with butter.

4) Starting 1 inch from edge at short end of phyllo, spoon 3 tablespoons date mixture in dollops in row parallel to edge. Mold date mixture into log, leaving 1/2-inch border at edges of phyllo.

5) Roll up date log in phyllo, enclosing filling and forming roll (filling will be exposed at ends). Transfer to baking sheet; brush with butter.

6) Repeat with remaining phyllo, butter, and date mixture.

7) Bake until golden, about 23 minutes. Cool on baking sheet.

8) Spoon yogurt into small bowl (or 8 individual bowls); drizzle remaining 1/4 cup honey over yogurt. Place 1 phyllo roll on each of 8 plates. Serve with honey-yogurt for dipping.

Note on rolling:
Basically, you roll the date mixture into a log shape and then roll the phyllo around it like a cigar. Makes 8.

For recipes for a full Moroccan meal, click here.

SERVE IT FORTH: INDEX OF RECIPES

Rainy Nights & Turkey Soup

I always keep a couple packages of ground turkey in my freezer. It’s one of my go-to foods. But there are times when I just can’t take another meatloaf or crock pot full of meatballs. So there I was the other night staring at some just-thawed turkey when my sweet little Le Creuset French oven beckoned me … yet again!

It was raining. I needed a break from too much work. I needed sustenance. So I foraged through my cupboards and discovered that mustard and balsamic vinegar are keys to an ambrosial broth. I savored the smell of soup simmering for a few hours, then ate a bowl while watching “Elevator to the Gallows,” which I had rented because its improv Miles Davis soundtrack is my favorite CD of all times ... and who doesn't love a brooding Louis Malle film on a brooding stormy night?

Turkey Soup with Mustard and Balsamic Vinegar

Ingredients

- 4 stalks celery, diced
- 1/2 yellow pepper, diced
- 6 shitake mushrooms, diced
- 1 lb. ground turkey
- 32 oz. vegetable broth
- 1 soup spoon whole grain Dijon mustard
- A few splashes of sherry
- A few big splashes of balsamic vinegar
- 1 can S&W white beans
- Garlic powder
- Herbs de Provence

Directions:

1) In the French oven (soup pot), heat vegetable broth, mustard, sherry, and vinegar

2) Saute celery, pepper, and mushrooms in olive oil. Add to broth.

3) Saute ground turkey in olive oil, keeping it in big chunks. Sprinkle with garlic powder. Add to broth.

4) Add white beans to broth.

5) Add Herbs de Provence, salt, and pepper to taste.

SERVE IT FORTH: INDEX OF RECIPES