Fragrant veal tagine with raisins and onions...

The first time I went to Morocco and was served a savory tagine topped with dried stewed fruits I was nauseated by the thought of just putting that in my mouth. Little did I know the dish would become one of my all time favorites. I usually top this tagine with at least 1 cup of stewed raising but being that my Mother in law is diabetic, I top it with 1/2 cup and use less sugar/honey (if any) when stewing the raisins.

ingredients
1 1/2lbs veal (may also use lamb or beef), bone in cut into large pieces.
2 large onions, thinly sliced
5 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup finely chopped coriander
1 tablespoon finely grated, fresh ginger
1 teaspoon dry ginger
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon "Ras al hanout"
2 two inch pieces, cinnamon bark
1/4 teaspoon crumbled saffron threads
1/3 to 1/2 teaspoon pepper (white or black)
salt to taste
3 to 4 tablespoons oil

Topping
1/2 cup raisins
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup water
1/3 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions
Place the tagine on a diffuser over medium low heat. Add 3 tablespoons of oil into the tagine, salt the meat and place in the tagine, cook for 5 minutes. Add the onions, garlic, and coriander and salt to taste. Toss the onions around with a wooden spoon until they become translucent, add the spices and cinnamon bark and mix to combine. Move the meat to the center of the tagine, making sure no onions are beneath the meat. slowly pour in 1/2 cup of hot water, evenly around the tagine (never over the meat)and cover until it reaches a simmering point. Lower the heat to low and cook cook for approximately 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until the meat is tender and the sauce has reduced. Cook the raisins separately in a small heavy duty pan by adding at least 1 tablespoon sugar per 1/2 cup of raisins and enough water to plump up the raisins (I used approximately 1/4 cup for 1/2 cup raisins) and 1/3 teaspoon per 1/2 cup raisins. Top the tagine with the cooked raisins and cover for 15 minutes or while the sauce is thickening. Serve with crusty bread...

South Indian prawn curry...

Here's an amazing Indian dish, perfect when served over traditional Indian basmati rice. This dish was prepared by a dear neighbor of mine, the recipe below is one I have previously used and loved. The difference between the two is that her's is much spicier, if you can see she adds whole green chili's. So if you like your food on the spicy side, feel free to add more spice by adding a few Thai green chili's, seeded and cut lengthwise.


ingredients
2lb raw prawns
1 tablespoon desiccated coconut
1 tablespoon ground rice
2 cups coconut milk
2 tablespoons ghee or oil
12 curry leaves
2 medium onions finely chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
3 teaspoons finely grated ginger (fresh)
2 tablespoons "Madras curry powder" (recipe follows)
1 teaspoon chili powder (optional)
2 teaspoons paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons salt (or to taste)
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Directions
Shell and de-vein prawns. Put desiccated coconut into a dry pan and toast over medium heat, shaking pan or stirring constantly until coconut is golden brown. Remove from the pan and do the same with the ground rice. Put both in a blender container with about half cup coconut milk, and blend until smooth. Heat ghee in a saucepan and fry curry leaves for 1 minute. Add onions, garlic, and ginger and fry until golden brown, stirring with a wooden spoon. Add curry powder, chili powder and paprika and fry on low heat, stir and do not let the spices burn. Add blended mixture, coconut milk, and salt, stir while bringing to a simmering point. Do not cover. Simmer gently for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add prawns, stir to mix, simmer a further 10 to 15 minutes or until prawns are cooked and gravy thick. Stir in lemon juice and serve over rice.

Madras style curry paste
ingredients
1 cup ground coriander
1/2 cup ground cumin
1 tablespoon each ground black pepper, turmeric powder, black mustard, chili powder, and salt
2 tablespoons each crush garlic and finely grated fresh ginger
vinegar for mixing and 3/4 cup of oil

Directions
combine ground spices and salt in a bowl. Add garlic and ginger and sufficient vinegar to mix to a smooth thick puree. Heat oil in a saucepan and when very hot turn in the spice mixture and reduce the heat. Stir constantly until spices are cooked and oil separates from spices. Cool and place in a glass jar until needed.

North Indian, chicken curry...

Living in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia where Indian spice blends are sold in almost every corner store you would wonder why I'm creating a blend of spices of my own? Well I have a group of friends that find themselves missing the lovely fragrant Indian food sold almost everywhere in the UK but now living in countries such as Morocco were you find loads of spices sold "separately" but will almost never find a spice blend such as curry. The 1 teaspoon of curry blend is optional and can be replaced with a couple of cloves, chili powder to taste, and an extra half teaspoon of coriander powder. You can find the easy "Garam masala" recipe here.




Ingredients
4 large chicken breast cut into cubes
1 medium large onion, finely diced
5 garlic cloves minced
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons finely grated ginger
1/4 cup finely chopped coriander
4 large roma tomatoes, grated or puréed
1 two inch piece cinnamon bark
4 cardamom pods
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon ground curry mix (optional)
3 tablespoons oil

Directions
In a large heavy duty pan heat the oil under medium heat, add the onion and cook for approximately 10 minutes or until golden brown, stirring occasionally to prevent from sticking to the pan. Add the chicken cubes and cook until light golden brown. Add the garlic, ginger, coriander, and spices (whole and powder)and stir for about 5 minutes or until you can smell the spices (if the mixture is too dry, add an extra tablespoon of oil). Add the tomato purée and cook for 10 minutes or until the tomato liquid has slightly reduced. Add 1 1/2 cups hot water and cover the pan and cook under a low simmer for approximately 35 minutes or until the chicken is tender and the sauce has thickened. Check the chicken with a fork after 20 minutes cooking time.

Sopa de fideo (Mexican noodle soup)

Sopa de fideo is an extremely easy to make soup packed with warm Mexican flavors. Serve hot with a splash of lime juice and a cheesecrisp and you have yourself and stress free meal. The fresh ingredients used for this soup really make all the difference, sure you can make it with canned tomatoes, garlic powder, etc. but the taste wont be the same. Trust me on this one.

Ingredients
1 medium onion (roughly chopped)
1 large tomato (roughly chopped)
1 large garlic clove
1 small bunch of cilantro
1/2 pack goya seasoning
1/3 teaspoon cumin powder
1 cup vermicelli pasta
1.5 liters chicken broth/stock
1 heaping tablespoon tomato paste
1 to 2 tablespoons oil
limes to serve

Place the tomato, onion, garlic, and cilantro into your food processor and pulse until fine. In a large pan over medium heat add the oil and saute the vermicelli until light golden brown. Add the prepared tomato sauce and cook for 2 minutes, add 1 heaping tablespoon of tomato paste, cumin powder, salt, pepper, and goya seasoning cook for an additional 2 minutes before adding the chicken broth. Once the chicken broth has been added cook the soup for approximately 20 minutes or until the pasta is cooked. Serve hot with lime juice.

Moroccan veal tagine with vegetables...

Earthy and substantial this Moroccan dish is the perfect one pot meal for a family of four. Meat in Morocco is almost never the main attraction in a dish, it's more of the nice surprise hidden beneath a medley of vegetables. Cooking a simple meat and vegetable dinner in an Earthy clay pot really makes all the difference, my favorite part of the meal is when a piece of meat gets slighly browned and stuck on the bottom of the pot. The chilis are placed whole over the vegetables for those who prefer a little spice in their meal. Curry powder is not traditionally Moroccan as most of you may already know but it is a favorite of mine. When buying curry powder try buying an Indian brand such as "Shams", Indian brands really have more of an Authentic taste and the curry is not as powderized as the ones in American brands. The vegetables in this recipe will work well with as much as 1 kilo of meat, adjust the spices accordianly. Another unorthodox Moroccan methon I use is slighly browning the meat on both sides on a seperate pan, it may not be traditional but it will cut the cooking time in half and the end results will still be the same.

Ingredients
1lb veal steaks or chump chops with bone
2 large onions, thinly sliced
2 to 3 large potatoes
2 large carrots
3 zucchinis
4 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
3/4 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon tumaric powder
3/4 teaspoon ginger powder
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
2 1inch pieces cinnamon bark
2 green chilis (optional)
3 tablespoon oil
1 to 2 cups water as needed


Directions
Place the tagine over a diffuser under medium low heat. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a non stick pan and lightly brown the meat on both sides. Add 1 tablespoon of oil into the tagine and place the meat in the center.

Saute the onions in the oil remaining in the pan until they are translucent. Add the chopped garlic and cilantro and cook for 2 minutes. Add the ginger, tumeric, curry power, salt, and pepper and saute to combine. Add approximately 1/3 cup of water and raise the heat to high, cook the spiced onions for 2 to 4 minutes. Pour the onion mixture over the meat adding an additional 1/3 to 1/2 cup of water. Place 1 piece of cinnamon stick on top of the onions and the other in the broth, sprinkle the saffron over the onions and cover the tagine.

Lower the heat to a low simmer.On a stove from 1 to 10, 10 being the highest cook the tagine in number 4 to 5 heat. Cook the tagine for 30 minutes, then remove the top to check the level of broth and tenderness of the meat. At this point if the meat is not yet tender, add 1/3 cup of water and cook for 20 extra minutes.

Meanwhile peel 2 to 3 large potatoes and cut into 6 to 8 pieces depending on the size of your potatoes. Cut the zucchini in half then cut each piece in 4 (8 piece total per zucchini). Peel the carrots and cut them into small sticks or about the size of small fries. Cut the stems off of the chilis. Set aside.

After 20 minutes remove the top from the tagine and check the meat, the meat should be almost tender. Place the potatoes and zucchinis around the meat. Place the matchstick carrots over the meat and place the chilis on top. Sprinkle the vegetables with a little salt a pinch of curry powder and saffron if desired.

Add 1/3 cup of water around the rim of the tagine and not directly over the meat or vegetables. Cover and cook until the vegetables are tender, approximately 20 minutes. Remove the tagine for the heat and serve with crusty bread.

Note, the tagine method is one that never fails me. It may not be "as" traditional but it works for me.

Chicken tajine...

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 that 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 condensation to the bottom. With the cover removed, the base can be taken to the table for serving. Now a days with Moroccan cuisine being so popular amongst international chefs you see tajine dishes being made on popular tv shows and in well know cookbooks, however most of the time the dish is not exactly made in a "Tajine" but made in regular kitchen pots. A Moroccan would not call this a tajine, since it is not cooked in a tajine. Tajines are slow cooked under low heat, making the meat extremely tender with a light sauce and vegetables cooked to perfection. In a classic Moroccan tagine the meat would only take up 1/4 of the tagine while the rest is made out of a medley of vegetables of your choice or whatever is in season. Making something in a clay pot that takes a few hours to cook may seem like a hard job but it really makes a housewive day a whole lot easier, put the tagine together, cover, and go about your cleaning, after 2 hours (give or take) you will have the best stress free meal on your table ready to be scooped up with crusty wheat bread.

The tajine above consist of whole free range chicken, onions, garlic, coriander, potatoes, carrots, topped with fresh figs. The combination may seem a bit unusual for those not familiar with the the North African cuisine where the mixing of fruit with savory dishes is very common. The spices used in the dish vary but the ones in this particular tajine are curry, ginger, tumaric, pepper, and saffron making the already fragrant dish just that more appealing to your smell senses.

Puff pastry, potato samosas.

These savory pastries always seem to dazzle people and are a favorite in everyones Ramadan dinner table. Some popular fillings are minced meat, vegetable, leaks, and potato, the options for savory filling are endless. The puff pastry in this recipe really takes "Samosas" to another level. Flaky crust on the outside with a warm lightly spicy potato filling in the inside. The puff pastry found here in the Middle East is sold in different size's, the one used in this recipe is approximately 5 by 5 inches.

My apologies for the poor pictures, I was hesitating to post this recipe for that reason but rest asure the recipe itself is worth it.

Ingredients
5 to 6 cups boiled cubed potatoes
1 cup frozen peas
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons, finely chopped cilantro
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons, grated fresh ginger
1 green chili, finely chopped
2 large roma tomatoes, grated
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/3 teaspoon tumaric powder
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon butter
20 to 25, 5x5 squares of puff pastry
Heavy cream or 1 egg to brush the samosas

Directions
Heat the oil and butter in a large non stick pan, over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until light golden brown, add the garlic, ginger, green pepper, spices, and cook for approximately 3 minutes. Add the grated tomatoes and cilantro and cook until most of the tomato juices have evaporated, adding an extra tablespoon of oil if dry. Add 1 tablespoon of tomato paste along with 1/4 cup of water and cook for 2 minutes, add the peas and potatoes and cook until the water in the curry has evaporated. If the potatoes or peas are still a bit undercooked, add 2 to 4 tablespoons of water and cook until that water has evaporated and the potatoes are soft to the touch. Allow the dry curry to cook before filling the puff pastry. Make 4 samosas at a time to prevent the puff pastry from warming up, leave the remainder of puff pastry squares refrigerated at all times. Brush the edge of the pastry with egg wash and place a heaping tablespoon of filling in the center of each square, fold the pastry over to make a triangle, press the edges to seal with your fingers or with a fork. Repeat with the remaining puff pastry squares, but make sure to place each samosa back into the refrigerator to keep the puff pastry cool. Cool the samosas for approximately 15 minutes before baking. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 420* F. Place the samosas 1 inch apart in a non stick pan, brush with egg wash or cream and bake for approximately 15 to 20 minutes or until nicely puffed and golden brown in color.

Red Chilaquiles

The sauce used in this recipe is one that I created using some of the most common Mexican chile sauce ingrediets. If you're not familiar with the ingredients, please visit the attachments below. Mexican oregano is one of the most fragrant herbs I have ever came across and a favorite of mine. Frying the onion separately from the sauce really makes all the difference, when I think Mexican food I think of the smoky flavors that linger in your tongue with every bite and this technique really does it for this very simple dish. The type of cheese and amount is entirely up to you, some of my favorites are Manchego, Monster, and Monterey Jack cheese all which go very well with any spicy Mexican dish.



Ingredients
2 large New Mexico dried, Red Chilis
6 dried, Chile Piquin peppers
1 1/2 teaspoons dried "Mexican" oregano
4 garlic cloves
1/4 cup cilantro
1 heaping tablespoon, tomato paste
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 medium onion
1 teaspoon cumin powder
salt and pepper to taste

1 8oz pack white corn tortillas
1 to 2 cups grated cheese of your choice (Manchego, Monterey Jack)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
3/4 cup oil


Directions
Soak the large chilis in hot water and cover for approximately 5 minutes or until they plump up and soften up a bit. Cut a slit in each chili and remove the seeds and stem. In a medium heavy duty pan add your seeded chilis, oregano, chile piquin, tomato paste, garlic, salt, pepper, and chicken stock. Simmer for approximately 15 minutes or until all the ingredients soften up. In a seperate pan fry the chopped onion with 1 to 2 tablespoons of oil until golden brown, add the cumin powder and toss for a few seconds. Remove from heat and set aside. Allow the ingredients to cool down for a few minutes. Combine all of the ingredients in your blender and blend until smooth. Strain the chile sauce into a pan and set aside.

Stack the tortillas and cut into 8 triangles.
Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat until it shimmers, then fry tortillas in 6 batches, turning once, until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes per batch. Drain on layers of paper towel.

Bring 1/3 of the sauce to a low simmer in a non stick pan, add the tortillas and give it a light toss. Sprinkle the chilaquiles with cheese and allow it to melt. Top the Chilaquiles with chile sauce to taste on each serving plate, sprinkle cheese, chopped onions, and cilantro to taste. Serve hot with Spanish rice.





Capsicum (chile piquin).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capsicum

Types of dried chilis used in Mexican cooking. The small chilis used in this recipe can be replaced with Chile de Arbol, Dried Thai Chilis, or Dried Puya Chilis.
http://www.marxfoods.com/products/Bulk-Dried-Peppers

Brittish style Naan

To be honest with you all I'm not sure if this is Brittish style Naan what I do know is that after living in London and now here in the Kindom of Saudi Arabia this Naan is more like Naan you would find at an Indian restaurant in London but nothing like the Naan you would find in an Indian restaurant here in Saudi Arabia. Naan sold in the UK is thick like this one while the one sold here is more like a lavash bread with a softer thicker center.


Ingredients
4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon yeast
10 tablespoons lukewarm milk
2 tablespoons oil
4 tablespoons plain yogurt
2 eggs
5 to 6 tablespoons melted butter or ghee, for brusing

Directions
Sift the flour, salt, and yeast into a large bowl. Set aside. In your stand mixer cream the yeast with the milk, set aside for 5 minutes. In a separate bowl whisk the egg, oil, and yogurt until well combined and lump free. Add ½ cup of your flour mix to the yeasted milk and whisk until smooth. Set aside for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, add the yogurt mix and turn the stand mixer on to medium speed with the hook attachment, beat until combines. Gradually add the dry ingredients into the mixture until a soft dough is formed. You may or may not need the entire amount of flour. Kneed the dough in your stand mixer for approximately 7 to 10 minutes to build up the gluten. Remove the dough from the mixer and kneed by hand over a lightly oiled surface, kneed for an additional 5 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and allow it to rise for 45 minutes or until doubled in bulk.

Preheat the oven to 450* F. Place 2 to 3 large heavy baking sheets in the oven to heat. Turn the dough out to a lightly floured surface and punch down. Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces and shape into balls. Cover the dough balls with a towel to prevent them from drying while you work on your first naan. Roll out the first ball of dough into a teardrop shape about 8 to 10 inches long and 5 to 6 inches wide and with a thickness of 1/4 - 1/3 inch. Due the same to the remainder of dough balls. Brush heavily with melted butter on both sides.

Preheat the broiler to high. Place the Naan’s on the hot baking sheets and bake for 3 to 5 minutes or until puffed up and golden in color. If the bottom of the Naan isn’t as golden as the top, flip over brush with more butter and place under the broiler until golden in color. Remove the Naan from the oven, brush with butter or ghee and serve warm.

Gulf style fava beans...

This is a favorite of mine here in the Kindom of Saudi Arabia, sold in almost every corner. This recipe was created by me, I ain't no Saudi girl but let me tell you it turned out amazing. The tahina is made using very simple ingredients but it makes all the difference when drizzled over the warm beans. Make the salta as hot or mild as you like, I love the flavor of fresh cilantro in mine, so you can see it's a bit green. Serve with pita bread or naan.

2 cans fava beans (450grams)
1 large tomato (peeled and cut into small pieces)
1 large onion (finely diced)
4 garlic cloves (minced)
1 bunch of cilantro (chopped)
2 teaspoons cumin powder
2 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Tahina and Salta recipe follows.

Directions
Heat the olive oil under low heat, add the onion and cook until light and golden in color. Add the minced garlic, cumin powder, and cook for 2 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes and cilantro and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Drain and rinse your beans and stir into your sauce, add 1/2 cup ofwater and cook the beans under medium heat until the water has reduced down into a thick sauce. Remove the beans from the heat and cool slightly. Transfer the beans into a food processor or blender and process the beans to your liking. I personally like a creamy texture to my beans. Serve hot, drizzle with tahina sauce, top with salta, olive oil, and cumin powder.

Tahina
2 heaping tablespoons tahini sauce
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/3 cup water
1/4 teaspoon cumin powder
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Whisk all of the ingredients in a medium bowl until light in color and creamy.

Salta
2 large tomatoes peeled and chopped
1 garlic clove minced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 small onion chopped
3 dried red chilis or 2 fresh jalapeno peppers
2 teaspoons lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Process all of the ingredients in a food processor until a fine salsa like sauce is formed.

Queso Fundido (Mexican cheese fondu).

Ariba! There's no doubt I'm a cheese lover, I love all cheese's but yellow cheese. My grandmother always said "Milk is white, why eat a cheese that's been dyed" so I try to stick to that rule. This Mexican classic is made using none Mexican cheese and that's only because it will be nearly impossible for me to get my hands on Mexican cheese, being that I live in the Middle East.

Ingredients
1 cup whole milk
2 1/2 teaspoons corn starch (can be replaced with flour)
2 garlic cloves (minced)
1/2 teaspoon, Mexican oregano
1 teaspoon butter plus 1 teaspoon oil
2 roasted jalapeno peppers, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup parmesan cheese (grated)
1/4 cup mozarella cheese (grated)
125 grams, brie cheese, skinned removed and choped in 1inch pieces

Directions
Heat your oil and butter in a heavy duty sauce pan over medium low heat. Add your minced garlic and cook for a few seconds to infuse the oil. Add the oregano, salt and pepper to taste. Add your milk and and cook for 2 minutes, add the cornstarch and stir constantly for 5 minutes or until the milk begins to thicken. Once the milk lightly covers the back of a spoon, add the cheese's and stir until melted. Serve hot with crusty bread or corn chips. If you're replacing the cornstarch with flour, add the flour to your oil, butter, and garlic and cook until light golden in color.