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Tag: moroccan dishes

Moroccan Spiced Roast Turkey Breast

Spice Rub

  • 1 tablespoon orange zest
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • Mix the spices, divide in half and keep aside.

Compound Butter

  • 4 tablespoons butter, softened
  • ½ of the spice rub
  • 1 tablespoon honey

Mix all the ingredients in a small bowl and keep aside.

  • 1 7 to 10 pound turkey breast
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • 1 orange, cut into eight pieces
  • 1 lemon, cut into eight pieces
  • 1 cup turkey or chicken broth
  • ½ cup orange juice
  • ½ cup dry sherry
  • 1 medium onion, chopped roughly
  • 2 carrots, chopped roughly
  • 2 celery stalks, chopped roughly

Have your gravy ready either the day before or the morning of. Transfer it to a large saucepan and keep aside.

Preheat convection oven to 325 degreed F.

Place the turkey onto a rack in a roasting pan. Turn the turkey over and place the cut up orange and lemon inside the cavity. Sprinkle salt and pepper liberally and turn it breast side facing up. Loosen the skin and carefully spread half the compound butter. Spread the rest all over the skin. Sprinkle the spice rub all over the top. Pour the broth, juice and sherry to the bottom of the roasting pan. Add the onion, carrots and celery. Keep aside.

Roast till internal temperature reaches 158 to 160 degrees F. Take out of the oven and place onto a platter and cover with foil to rest for at least 20 minutes. While the turkey is resting, take the drippings from the bottom of the pan and pour them into a small glass bowl. Let the fat separate, remove from top and pour the liquid into the prepared gravy and bring to a boil. Check for seasonings and heat the gravy through. Serve with the turkey.

 

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

Bulgur Pilaf with Red Pepper and Eggplant

This is a perfect accompaniment for the kebabs from yesterday’s post. I added delicious red pepper and eggplant to the grain and included harissa which is a Moroccan spicy condiment. It was a delicious dish!

  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 1 tablespoon harissa
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 large red pepper, diced
  • 1 small eggplant, diced
  • 1 jalapeno, diced
  • 1 cup tomatoes, diced
  • 1½ cups bulgur wheat, washed and drained
  • 2 cups hot water
  • 2 to 3 teaspoons salt
  • 1 tablespoon dried mint

Heat a large saucepan with the olive oil. Add the onion and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes on medium heat. Add the harissa and tomato paste. Saute for another 2 to 3 minutes.  Add the red pepper, eggplant and jalapeno. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes, mix well and simmer on a medium low heat, covered for about 5 minutes. Take the lid off and add the bulgur and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the hot water, bring to a boil and simmer, covered for 15 minutes. Turn the heat off and let the bulgur rest for 20 minutes. Take the lid off, fluff with a fork. Add salt and dried mint. Check for seasonings. Serve warm.

Harissa Chicken with Cilantro

I made a Moroccan inspired meal and it was delicious.. I served with a yummy red pepper rice.. stay tuned..

  • 1 pound chicken thighs, boneless and cut into 2 inch pieces
  • ¼ cup harissa
  • Juice of one lemon
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup cilantro, chopped
  • Drizzle of olive oil
  • Juice of half a lemon

Marinate the chicken pieces in the harissa, lemon juice, salt and cilantro. Refrigerate over night or for at least 2 to 3 hours. Take out of the fridge half an hour before cooking. Skewer the chicken pieces, drizzle with olive oil and broil in the oven till golden brown and cooked through. Add the lemon juice on top. Serve with rice and a salad.

Harissa Chicken with Cilantro

Moroccan Style Chicken with Spinach Cilantro Couscous

Moroccan Style Chicken This dish takes the mundane chicken dinner to a whole new level. We had our usual Friday get together with Sia’s friend, her sisters and their Mom. It started off as a pizza party and as far as the kids are concerned, that is what we should serve every week. Most times I don’t feel like ordering pizza and would rather cook something at home.

So when the day came, I decided to make a chicken dish- something different (I usually say that in my mind- I really do). I was either watching  or reading something- I can’t remember, but Moroccan chicken came up. That was it- I couldn’t think of anything else. I bought the chicken and – everything else was in the house. Couscous comes to mind when I think Moroccan food. Instead of making a salad on the side, I decided to make a spinach and cilantro sauce and cooked the couscous in it. The colors were amazing- the orangish red chicken against the light green couscous was beautiful. The taste wasn’t so shabby either.

We all enjoyed the chicken with the couscous and some red wine- yes I am drinking wine- just on the weekends for now and Friday is part of the weekend. I do plan to incorporate wine back into the week but since I am doing a cleanse, I feel I should detox and stay away from it for a while. I digress- the evening was very enjoyable and delicious!

  • 2 tablespoons white whole-wheat flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1½ pounds skinless boneless chicken thighs
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 large white onion, sliced thin
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon schug (hot red pepper mix)
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 (16 ounce) can tomato sauce
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • ½ cup golden raisins
  • 1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
  • 1/3 cup slivered almonds
  • ½ cup cilantro, chopped

Toss the flour and salt with the chicken in a bag to coat. Heat a non-stick skillet with the olive oil and brown the chicken on both sides, about 4 minutes each. Transfer to a plate.
Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 5 to 6 minutes on medium heat. Add cinnamon, ginger, cumin, schug and salt. Add the tomato, honey, raisins, chickpeas and chicken. Simmer for about 20 minutes, until the chicken is tender. Sprinkle the almonds and cilantro. Serve with couscous.

Moroccan Style Chicken 1

Spinach Cilantro Couscous

  • 1 cup baby spinach
  • 1/2 cup cilantro
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1 green onion

Blend the spinach, cilantro, garlic and onion with some water until a smooth paste is formed. Keep aside.

  • 1 cup whole wheat couscous
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup spinach paste
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

Heat a medium sized saucepan and add the oil. Add the spinach paste and saute for a minutes on medium high heat. Add the chicken broth and salt. Bring to a boil and add the couscous and place the lid and turn the heat off. Fluff the couscous in 5 minutes once it is cooked.