Your Cooking Coach
Show MenuHide Menu

Category Archives: Moroccan Inspired

Memorial Day Recipes: Spicy Grilled Potatoes

Grilled Potato Salad2

  • 5 to 6 medium red skinned potatoes, peeled and sliced thin
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt
  • Pepper

Place the potatoes on a grill pan and drizzle the olive oil and sprinkle salt and pepper. Mix well and grill on medium till the potatoes are golden brown and tender- about half an hour. In case the potatoes are brown but not cooked, place them in an aluminum foil pouch and grill till soft.
Take off the grill and keep aside.

Dressing

  • 1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • Salt
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • Juice of half a lemon

Mix the cilantro, parsley, cumin, paprika, salt, oil and lemon juice in a small bowl. Add to the cooked potatoes. Mix well and check for seasonings. Keep for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Grilled Potato Salad

Memorial Day Recipes: Grilled Carrots with Orange Dressing

Grilled Carrot Salad with Orange Dressing1

  • 1 pound baby carrots, sliced (along the long side)
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt
  • Pepper

Place the carrots on a grill tray and drizzle the olive oil and sprinkle salt and pepper. Grill till the carrots get grill marks and begin to get soft- about 15 minutes. Take off the grill and place into a salad bowl.

Dressing

  • ¾ cup fresh orange juice, reduced to ¼ cup
  • Juice of one lemon
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • Salt
  • ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Mix the orange juice, lemon juice, honey, cumin, salt and cilantro in a small bowl. Drizzle the olive oil slowly, emulsifying the dressing. Pour onto the carrots and keep for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Grilled Carrot Salad with Orange Dressing

Memorial Day Recipes: Moroccan Style Lamb Burgers with Harissa Sauce

Lamb Burgers2

  • 1½ pounds ground lean lamb
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon cumin powder
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 large shallot, grated
  • 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
  • 4 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons harissa sauce

Put the lamb in a mixing bowl and add the paprika, salt, cumin, garlic, shallot, parsley, cilantro and harissa. Mix well and divide into 8 patties. Keep aside.

Grill the patties on high for 4 to 5 minutes on each side.

Lamb Burgers

Sun Dried Tomatoes Mayonnaise

  • ¼ cup sun dried tomatoes (in oil), chopped
  • ½ cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • Juice of half a lemon

Mix the sun dried tomatoes, mayonnaise, cilantro, parsley, salt and lemon juice into a small bowl. Mix well and refrigerate till serving.

Sundried Tomatoes and Herb Mayo

To Assemble

  • 2 large tomatoes, sliced
  • 1 medium onion, sliced
  • Baby arugula
  • 2 baguettes, sliced and cut into 4 pieces each

Place a burger into a sliced piece of baguette. Spread some mayonnaise and add a tomato, some onion and arugula.

Lamb Burgers1

Moroccan Vegetable Tagine

Vegetable Tagine

Great healthy way to start off the new year!

Spice Mix

  • 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
  • 2 teaspoons coriander seeds
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Roast the cumin and coriander seeds in a cast iron skillet on a medium high heat for 3 to 4 minutes or till the seeds become aromatic. Take off the heat and grind smooth in a coffee grinder. Take out in a small bowl and add the turmeric and cayenne pepper. Keep aside.

  • 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion, chopped
  • 3 to 4 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon harissa
  • 3 to 4 medium yellow potatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 2 medium turnips, cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 3 to 4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
  • Salt
  • 1 cup green olives, sliced
  • ½ cup dried apricots, sliced
  • ½ cup slivered almonds
  • ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons dried mint, crushed

Heat a heavy saucepan with the olive oil. Add the onions and garlic and sauté on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomato paste, harissa and the spice mix. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the potatoes, turnips, carrots, chickpeas, chicken stock and salt. Bring to a boil and lower the heat to a simmer. Cover with lid and cook for 30 minutes. Take the lid off and check to see if the root vegetables are tender. Mash some potatoes with the back of a wooden spoon to slightly thicken the liquid. Add the olives and apricots. Turn the heat up to cook off some of the excess liquid to get the desired consistency- it should be like a thick soup. Add the almonds, cilantro, parsley and dried mint. Check for seasonings and serve with couscous.

Moroccan Style Chicken with Couscous with Harissa Yogurt

1 pound chicken breast

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon groud cumin

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons extra light olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, grated

1 14 ounces chopped tomatoes

½ cup dried apricots, sliced

1 14 ounces can chickpeas, washed and drained

1 to 2 tablespoons honey

1 cup chicken stock

Salt

1/3 cup cilantro, chopped

1/3 cup parsley, chopped

Mix the cinnamon, ground cumin, ground ginger and salt in a small bowl. Sprinkle the chicken breasts with the spice mixture and let stand for 2 hours.

Heat a wide saucepan with olive oil and brown the chicken breasts on high heat for 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Take out of the pan and keep aside. Reheat the pan and add the onion and garlic. Saute on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and continue to cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Add apricots, chickpeas, honey and chicken stock. Bring to a boil and lower heat to a simmer and cover with lid and cook for 45 minutes, checking every 15 minutes. In the meantime, slice the browned, uncooked chicken into slices. Take the lid off and add the chicken. Cook on medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes till the chicken is cooked through. Check for seasonings and add salt as needed. Garnish with cilantro and parsley. Serve with couscous and yogurt sauce.

Pine Nut Couscous

  • 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/3 cup pine nuts
  • 1 teaspoons salt
  • 1½ cup chicken stock
  • 1½ cup couscous
  • 1/3 cup parsley, chopped
  • 1/3 cup cilantro, chopped

Heat a medium saucepan with the oil. Add the ground cinnamon, cumin, pine nuts and salt. Saute on medium heat for 30 seconds. Add the chicken stock and cover with lid and bring to a boil. Add the couscous, turn heat off and cover with lid. Cook for 5 minutes.  Fluff with fork, check seasonings and garnish with parsley and cilantro.

Harissa Yogurt Sauce

  • ½ cup plain yogurt
  • 2 teaspoons harissa sauce
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • Juice of half a lemon

Mix all the ingredients and serve with the chicken and couscous.

 

Roast Chicken Breast and Potatoes with Harissa

  • 2 split chicken breast with skin on

Marinade

  • ½ cup full fat yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons harissa
  • 1 teaspoon dried mint
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 4 to 5 small new potatoes, peeled and cut in half

Mix all the marinade ingredients in a small bowl, mix well and marinate the chicken with most of the marinade- save 2 tablespoons for the potatoes. Marinate the chicken for at least 2 to 3 hours.

Place the chicken pieces into an oven proof tray. Sprinkle some extra salt under the skin of the chicken pieces. Poke the skin with a fork. Add the potatoes and mix the remaining marinade, mix well and roast in oven on a 325 degrees F for 40 minutes. Brown the chicken and potatoes under the broiler at the very end… it makes the skin super crispy. Take the chicken out of the pan and let it sit for 10 minutes. Slice and serve with the potatoes and the roasted asparagus.

  • 2 bunches asparagus
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Salt

Transfer the asparagus to a cookie sheet. Add the oil and salt. Mix well and roast in a 400 degree F oven for 20 minutes.

Moroccan Style Chicken with Vegetable Couscous

I love, love harissa- it is a Moroccan style sauce with lots of flavor including some spice and sweet red peppers. It is a great way to infuse loads of flavor if roasting or grilling meats, poultry or seafood…

  • 4 to 6 chicken thighs, bone in with skin on
  • 2 tablespoons harissa
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 preserved lemon, chopped fine
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Mix the harissa, oil, preserved lemon and salt in a small bowl and marinate the chicken with the mixture for 2 to 3 hours.

  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion, chopped into 1 inch squares
  • 1 large red pepper, chopped into 1 inch squares
  • Salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Heat a large frying pan with the butter and olive oil. Brown the chicken pieces on high heat with skin side down- approximately 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Take the chicken out and add the chopped vegetables and 1 teaspoon salt. Mix well and turn the heat off. Place the chicken pieces on top of the vegetables and roast in oven for 30 to 35 minutes or till chicken is cooked through. Take the chicken pieces out onto a platter and cover to keep warm. Take the vegetables out and chop roughly and keep aside. Take all the liquid out of the frying pan and separate the fat and keep aside. Use the remaining liquid for the chicken before serving- it’s full of yummy flavor!

Couscous

  • 2 remaining fat from the frying pan
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon harissa
  • 1 ½ cups whole wheat couscous
  • Salt
  • 1 ½ cups chicken broth
  • ½ cup cilantro, chopped
  • ¼ cup fresh mint, chopped

Reheat the same frying pan with the fat and olive oil. Add the chopped vegetables and the harissa. Saute on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the broth and a teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil and add the couscous. Cover with lid and turn heat off and let the pan sit for 10 minutes. Take lid off and fluff couscous with fork. Garnish with cilantro and mint. Serve warm with chicken on top and a drizzle of the chicken liquid!