Baba Ghanoush (or Moutabel)

We lived in the Middle East for three years towards the beginning of our marriage, and we absolutely fell in love with the food there.  I already liked hummus, but I had never heard of what the locals called Moutabel. It is essentially the same thing as hummus, but made of roasted eggplant instead of chickpeas.  The rest of the recipe is nearly identical.  In India they call this Baba Ghanoush, which is what most people probably know it by.  

Because it's made with roasted eggplant, it has a smokey depth that is very different from hummus.  The tahini flavor of hummus is muted a lot in the Baba Ghanoush, and instead it's creamier and richer.  I love love love this, which is why I was so happy to get some eggplants in my CSA delivery this week. I immediately knew what to make!

You can eat Baba Ghanoush the same way you eat hummus, namely with pita, crackers,
veggies, or with grilled meat or veggies.  Tonight we ate it with Arabic-seasoned beef kabobs, grilled mini sweet peppers, grilled grape tomatoes, and grilled onions.  Oh, and some homemade pita, recipe courtesy of this website.

As a note, tahini is also known as tahina or sesame paste.  Every grocery store seems to put it in a different location.  Sometimes it's with the peanut butter and other nut butters, sometimes it's with the foreign food, sometimes it's in the "health food" section.  Ask someone at customer service to look it up for you before you search the whole store.  It will save you time!

Baba Ghanoush

Ingredients:
2 large purple eggplants (not the Japenese variety)
1/4 cup tahini (sesame paste)
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tsp)
1 1/2 tsp salt
Olive oil for garnish
Sumac for garnish (optional)

First you need to roast the eggplant.  Cut away the green leafy bits around the stem of the eggplants, but leave the stem itself on, as it makes a handy place to hold.  Spray the skin of the eggplants with cooking spray, and then place them under the broiler (on a baking sheet) or on a grill.  If you have adjustable heat settings, keep it on high.  Turn them every 5-10 minutes, and cook until the skins are black and cracking, about 20-25 minutes.  Then set them aside for at least 20 minutes to cool, or until they're cool enough to handle with your bare hands.

Once the eggplant is cool, peel away the skin.  It should come off fairly easily if you've cooked it enough.  Then slice the eggplant all the way around from top to bottom, like you're cutting open an avocado.  Using a spoon, scrape out all the seeds, leaving only the firm pulpy part of the eggplant.  Remove the stem end, and toss whatever you have left (the pulpy part of the eggplant) into a food processor or blender. 

Puree the eggplant until fairly smooth.  Add in the tahini, lemon juice, garlic, and salt and process until well combined.  If it's way too thick to mix you can add a little water.  JUST A LITTLE!  When finished blending, pour the Baba Ghanoush into a serving bowl, swirl a little olive oil on top, sprinkle a bit of sumac over it, and serve!

Will keep for about a week in the refrigerator.  Can be served warm, room temperature, or cool, but I prefer slightly warm. 

Makes about 3 cups.

Moroccan Chicken and Carrot Tagine

If you've never heard of a tagine, you need to first read my post about the Kefta Tagine.  If you don't have a tagine, you can easily use a stock pot.

This tagine is great for those who like to keep their flavors more like that at home in America.  There are some Middle Eastern spices in there, but the flavor is by no means overwhelming.  My mother really doesn't like most Middle Eastern food, or Asian or Indian food for that matter, and I am confident that she would love this.

The recipe specifically calls for carrots, but you can also add in peas, green beans, potatoes, or other vegetables as you desire.  Additionally, if you would rather not use a whole chicken, you can use whatever parts of a chicken you prefer, but they're better if you have them bone-in and skinless.


Moroccan Chicken and Carrot Tagine
Recipe by Norma Bergaust

Ingredients:
1 whole roaster chicken, cut into pieces (bone-in, skin removed if you desire)
1 medium onion, finely minced or grated (I used my food processor)
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 clove garlic, minced (or more)
1 small bunch parsley, chopped
1/2 cup water
1 bay leaf
2 T cooking oil
1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into finger-sized pieces
1 small wedge of lemon
1/4 tsp salt (to taste)

Combine chicken, minced onion, ginger, pepper, garlic, parsley, 1/2 cup water, and bay leaf in a tagine or stock pot set on the stove over medium heat.  Cover and cook for 10 minutes.  Add cooking oil and enough water to cover the chicken.  Cover and cook for 15 minutes.
Add carrots, lemon, salt, and any other vegetables you'd like to add.  Push the vegetables under the chicken so they are in the liquid.  Cover and cook until vegetables are tender, about 15-20 minutes.
Serve with artisan bread.

Serves 6.

Moroccan Cucumber Salad

This is a very basic and easy salad, but with the addition of the Moroccan spices it turns into a tasty and healthy side dish for Moroccan food.

Moroccan Cucumber Salad
Recipe by Norma Bergaust

Ingredients:
2-3 cucumbers, diced
4-5 tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/2 medium red onion, minced
Juice of one lemon
2 T olive oil
Small bunch of cilantro, chopped
Small bunch of parsley, chopped
Salt to taste
1 1/2 tsp cumin

Combine all in a serving bowl and toss well.  Serve immediately.

Makes 6 side-dish servings.

Moroccan Kefta Tagine

A couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure to attend a Moroccan cooking class taught by my friend Norma.  Norma is not Moroccan but lived there for several years, and the food she made was amazing!  Since my husband and I had lived in the Middle East I had randomly picked up the special cooking pot called a tagine that is used in Moroccan cooking.  I had found some recipe online for a tagine recipe, but was sorely disappointed in the result.  So when I tasted Norma's food I was so excited to finally be able to use that pot! 

A very basic tagine, or Moroccan cooking pot.

I made two tagines (the pots and the dishes you make with them are both called tagines) the following week, and my kids and husband could not get enough.  I had expected leftovers, and was left with none.  It was wonderful (except that I didn't get to eat that amazing food again for lunch the next day).  This one was our favorite, but I'll post the Chicken and Carrot one later on this week, which was also very good.

Of course, not everyone has a tagine pot.  If you'd like to buy one without traveling to Morocco, you can get them at Sur La Table or World Market.  Or if not, you can always use a standard American stock pot.  That will work just fine. 

Kefta is the Arabic word for ground meat.  In this case it means meatballs.  I used ground beef for the meatballs but you could also use ground lamb or goat meat.

As a side note, Norma said that generally these dishes are served with an artisan-style bread.  You can quite easily make the one I used.  The recipe is here.  It was delicious with this tagine. 

Kefta (Meatball) Tagine
Recipe by Norma Bergaust

Meatballs:
1 lb hamburger
1 medium onion, minced (you will use 1/4 of it for the meatballs and the rest in the sauce)
1 egg yolk or whole egg
1 clove garlic (or more--I used about 3 cloves)
1 T minced parcley
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cumin

Remaining Ingredients:
Minced onion (the remainder from the meatballs above)
2 cloves garlic (or more)
4 oz can tomato paste
1/4 cup water
1 T olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
Ground pepper to taste
1/2 tsp cumin
Small bunch parsley, chopped
Small bunch cilantro, chopped
1-2 eggs

For the meatballs, combine all ingredients in a medium bowl, being sure to only use 1/4 of the minced onion.  Form into small meatballs, about 1/2"-1" in diameter.  Place on waxed paper on a baking sheet and refrigerate until needed.  You can also make the meatballs ahead of time, place them on the baking sheet in the freezer and freeze them overnight, then remove them to a plastic bag to store in the freezer.

Place the tagine or a stock pot on the stovetop at medium heat.  In a food processor place the remaining onion, garlic, tomato paste and water.  Process until well combined, then pour into tagine.  Heat for several minutes until hot, then add olive oil, salt, pepper, and cumin.  Stir to combine, then drop in the meatballs.  They should cover the entire tagine.  Add enough water to just cover the meatballs, then add the parsley and cilantro, reserving some cilantro to use as garnish.  Cover with lid and cook over medium or medium low heat until the sauce is a nice consistency and the meatballs are cooked, about 15-20 minutes. 
Uncover the pot, crack eggs onto the top of the meatballs, and cover and continue to cook until they're set, about 10-15 more minutes. 
Serve with artisan-style bread.
Makes 5-6 servings.

Kofta

Kofta is something we had a lot in the middle east.  It is, for lack of a better comparison, kind of like an Arabic version of hamburgers.  It's traditionally made with spiced lamb meat, but you can substitute ground beef if you can't find lamb.  Also, you can press the meat around skewers and grill it into kabobs instead of patties if you'd like.  Either way, it's delicious!

Kofta

Ingredients:
1 lb ground lamb (or beef)
1/2 medium onion, grated or finely chopped
3 T chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
4 pitas
Hummus
1/2 a cucumber, diced
1 tomato, diced

Grilled Kofta patties.  You can see the onion and parsley.

In a medium bowl combine lamb, onion, parsley, cumin, salt, and pepper.  Use your hands to mix it well.  Form into 6-8 oval-shaped patties.  Grill over medium-high heat about 4 minutes per side, or pan fry for the same amount of time, or until meat is cooked through (lamb can be a little undercooked and still fine, so don't overcook it!).

While the lamb is cooking, wrap pitas in damp paper towels and microwave for 1 minute.  This will make them soft and pliable.
To serve, slice pita in half to create pocket bread.  Place one piece of lamb in each pita half, add a spoonful of hummus, and top with cucumbers and tomatoes.
Serves 4.

Moroccan Chicken

This recipe belongs to my friend Gwen, who is not Moroccan but who is a great cook.  It's perfect because it has just the right amount of all the spices; it isn't heavy on the cinnamon like a lot of Moroccan dishes, but has just enough to blend with everything else into a delicious and healthy stew.  Serve it alone or with a side of couscous or rice.

Moroccan Chicken

Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into large pieces
3 carrots, cut into 1 1/2" chunks
3 onions, thinly sliced
1 can (14.5 oz) whole or diced tomatoes, drained
1 can (15 oz) garbanzo beans (chick peas), drained
1 3/4 cup chicken broth
3/4 cup water
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 zucchini, quartered and chopped

In a large stock pot, combine everything BUT the zucchini. Use a spoon to break up the tomatoes if they're whole. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cover and cook for 15 minutes. Add zucchini and cook an additional 15 minutes.
Serves 6.

Arabian Wraps

I don't really know what to call this, so I made up that name.  The meat and veggies is definitely like the stuff we had in the Middle East, and it is in a pita so the name fits.  But if you think of a better name, please use it!

Arabian Wraps

Ingredients:
1 flank steak
1 T garam masala spice (can buy at Indian or Middle Eastern markets)
1 T garlic, minced
1/4 tsp chili powder
2 bell peppers, cut into 1" chunks
2 medium onions, cut in half and then quartered (so eighths?)
Pita bread or pita wraps (I prefer whole wheat)
Hummus
Plain yogurt or sour cream

Mix together the garam masala, garlic, and chili powder in a small bowl, then rub onto both sides of meat.  Thread cut up peppers and onions onto skewers.  Heat a grill over medium-high heat.  Grill meat and skewers for 6 minutes, rotating half-way.  Remove skewers.  Continue to cook meat over medium-low heat for an additional 6 minutes, rotating half-way.  Let meat sit for 5 minutes, then slice cross-grain and at an angle to create very thin slices.
On a pita or pita wrap, spread a thin layer of hummus.  Add some meat, grilled peppers and onions, and a dollop of sour cream or yogurt.  Wrap and eat!
Serves 6.

Hummus

So good.  So easy.  I think this recipe was originally from Barefoot Contessa.  I've been using it for years, and had many a Middle-Easterner raving about it.  You can find Tahina (or Sesame Paste) in the same aisle as the peanut butter.

 

Hummus

Ingredients:

2 cups (one can) chickpeas

1 ¼ teaspoons salt

4 small cloves garlic, minced

½ cup tahina (sesame seed butter)

Juice of 1 lemon

2 tablespoons liquid from the chickpeas (or water)

8 dashes pepper sauce (Tabasco) or 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

Olive oil, for garnish

Paprika, for garnish

Instructions:

Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender.  Puree until smooth.  Taste for seasoning and add salt, liquid, or lemon juice as needed. 

Pour mixture into a serving dish.  Garnish with a swirl of olive oil and a sprinkling of paprika.  Makes about 2 cups.

Saffron Basmati Rice

This goes great with anything Middle-Eastern or Indian in flavor.  Yum!

Saffron Basmati Rice

Ingredients:
5 cups water
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp saffron threads
6 whole cloves
3 cups basmati rice

Stovetop Directions:
In a large saute pan, bring the water, salt, saffron, and cloves to a boil. Add rice, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.  Remove from heat, let stand (covered) for 5 minutes.  Remove cloves before serving.
Makes 10 cups.

Rice Cooker Directions:
In 1 cup of hot water, stir saffron and cloves; let sit 15 minutes.  Pour rice into rice cooker, then saffron water, salt, and additional 4 cups water.  Cook.  Remove cloves before serving.
Makes 10 cups.

Red Lentil Soup

When we lived in the Persian Gulf our church group put together a cookbook (thanks, Kristin!), and one of my favorite recipes from it is Red Lentil Soup, submitted by Michelle Jordan.  It's easy to make, only takes an hour to cook, and is delicious!  I especially love it on a snowy day, like we're having today.  We serve it with a dollop of plain yogurt on top (you could also use sour cream) and corn bread on the side. 

Red Lentil Soup

Ingredients:  
2 T olive oil  
15-oz can crushed tomatoes
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 tsp cumin
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp coriander
6 cups broth (chicken, beef, or veggie)
1 T lemon juice
1 lb red lentils (about 2 1/4 cups)
1/2 lb bacon, cooked and crumbled (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Combine everything in a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low.  Cover and simmer for 50-60 minutes.  Serves 6.