Tag: green olives

Moroccan Style Vegetable Stew with Olive Gremolata

This is a great vegetarian stew to make for company or through the week- and a great recipe to post for meatless Monday!! It does have a whole lot of ingredients but most of them are very common and are usually in a pantry. Harissa is a Moroccan style condiment that is made with red peppers and can have some heat as well… it is commonly found in super markets…

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 dates, pitted and chopped
1 tablespoon harissa paste
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 large carrots, chopped
1 large yellow pepper, chopped
1 14 ounces can of tomatoes (I used fire roasted with green chilies)
1 cauliflower head, cut into small florets
1 14 ounces can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
3 to 4 cups water or vegetable broth
Salt

Heat a large saucepan with the olive oil. Add the onion and cook on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the cinnamon, coriander, cumin and cayenne pepper. Saute for 2 minutes on medium heat. Add the garlic and dates and sauté for another 2 minutes. Add the harissa paste, tomato paste and flour. Saute for another 2 minutes. Add the carrots and pepper. Saute on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes, cauliflower and chickpeas. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes and add the water or broth. Bring to a boil and add 2 teaspoons salt. Lower the heat and cover with lid and cook for 20 minutes. Take the lid off and continue cooking till the consistency is of a thick stew. Check for seasonings and keep aside.

Gremolata

½ cup green olives, chopped (I used olives stuffed with garlic)
½ cup parsley, chopped
¼ cup golden raisins, chopped
Zest of one large lemon

Mix the olives, parsley, raisins and lemon zest in a small bowl. Top the stew and serve.

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.

Seared Cod with Blood Orange Reduction

Blood oranges are in season right now- do take advantage of them. They are most delicious oranges you will ever taste and the color is fascinating!! I have been using them for salad dressings, sauces, desserts.. the list goes on…

4 wild caught cod fillets
Salt
Pepper
2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
1 cup blood orange juice
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons honey
½ cup blood orange segments
3 to 4 green onions, chopped
½ cup green and black olives, chopped

Sprinkle salt and pepper on to the fillets on both side. Keep aside. Heat a non stick pan with the olive oil. Sear the fillets on both sides for about 2 to 3 minutes each. Take out of the pan and transfer to a lined cookie sheet and finish off in a 350 degrees oven. The time will depend on how thick the fillets are. Careful not to overcook the fish.

In the meantime add the orange juice, vinegar, honey, orange segments, green onions and olives. Simmer on a medium heat and reduce by half. The sauce should be thickened and taste tangy and sweet. Pour over the fillets and serve.

Cauliflower & Chickpea Stew with Olive, Raisin and Cilantro Gremolata

This is a fabulous dish to impress your vegetarian friends. I made this Moroccan style stew with delicious quinoa. I also topped the goodness with a mixture of green olives, raisins and cilantro.

1 cauliflower head, cut into florets
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons roasted cumin seeds, crushed
1 cookie sheet, lined with aluminum foil

Preheat oven to broil.

Place the cauliflower florets onto the cookie sheet. Add the oil, salt and cumin. Mix well and roast for 30 minutes till the florets are golden brown. Keep aside.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onions, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 cup tomato sauce
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup chicken broth
Salt
2 cans chickpeas, washed and drained

Heat a large saucepan with olive oil. Add the onion and garlic. Saute on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the tomato paste and sauté for a minute. Add the tomato sauce and bring to a boil. Add the flour and sauté for a minute. Add the chicken broth and chickpeas. Bring to a boil. Add the cauliflower and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Check for seasonings and add salt as necessary. Garnish with gremolata and serve with quinoa.

Olive Gremolata

½ cup green olive (I used the ones that are stuffed with garlic), chopped
¼ cup golden raisin, chopped
½ cup cilantro, chopped

Mix the olives, raisins and cilantro in a small bowl. Sprinkle on the stew and serve.

Easy Chicken Recipe: Moroccan Chicken with Apricots

moroccan-chicken Sometimes I get into a rut and make the same chicken dishes time and time again. I had chicken thighs in the fridge and I wanted to make a different preparation for a change. Nothing was coming to mind until I was flipping through a William Sonoma catalog. They were featuring a tagine and had a recipe for a chicken cooked in the contraption. I noticed the recipe included olives and apricots- I had both in the fridge- so I started cooking.

I sprinkled salt and pepper on chicken thighs- my favorite part of the chicken. Thighs are great to use in such dishes- they can be cooked for a long time and not get tough on you, plus they have great flavor. I made a simple spice mix with cinnamon and coated the chicken. I then browned the pieces and sauteed them with garlic and onions. I decided to add some grated carrots- to add some veggies- no one was able to detect anything healthy!

The olives and apricots really gave the chicken an incredible flavor and texture. I love the two ingredients together… The sweetness and chewiness of the apricots complimented the saltiness of the olives really well. I went to a few local stores to find preserved lemons (often used in Moroccan dishes) but was not able to. The olives I had were marinated with lemons- so that is what I used. It worked really well but I am sure using the actual preserved lemons would have been delicous too.

The dish was yum- I made cumin couscous with it. My daughter until recently didn’t care of couscous, but once I told her it is pasta in another form- she was a little more receptive. I made a green salad with our dinner and opened a bottle of red wine. Delicious!