Moroccan Recipes

Khedija kindly sent me these vegetarian recipes...but, she forgot one, hopefully I can snag it from her :)

She said to make these vegetarian you start with onions instead of meat.

Moroccan Couscous

• 2 1/2 pounds boneless chicken breasts
• 4 cups canned chicken broth, reconstituted
• 3 1/2 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, cut into wedges
• 1/2 pound plum tomatoes, quartered
• 1 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon crushed saffron threads or bouillon of suffron
• 5 medium turnips
• 4 large carrots, peeled, quartered lengthwise then crosswise
• 1 small acorn squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 3 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise then crosswise
• 1 19-oz. can chick peas
• Couscous
Combine chicken and broth in a large Dutch oven. Simmer until chicken is cooked through, turning occasionally (about 20 minutes). Using tongs, remove chicken from cooking liquid; reserve cooking liquid. Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces.
Melt 2 tablespoons butter with oil in a heavy, large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté until tender (about 10 minutes). Add tomatoes and next 8 ingredients and stir for 1 mn. Mix in reserved chicken cooking liquid, turnips, carrots, squash, zucchini, chick peas with their liquid. Cover and simmer until vegetables are almost (about 15 minutes). Uncover and cook until vegetables are tender (not mushy), about 5 minutes. Add chicken pieces to sauce and cook just until heated through (about 3 minutes).
Cook couscous according to package directions and arrange on a serving platter. Drizzle with 3/4 cup of sauce. Spoon chicken and vegetables on top. Serve, passing remaining sauce separately.

These doughnuts are AMAZING!

Moroccan Doughnuts

Ingredients:
•1 kg flour
•4 table spoons sugar
•1/2teaspoon salt
•1 tablespoon yeast
•1 cup plus 2 tablespoons warm milk
•1/4 cup butter, very soft
•1 egg, lightly beaten
•1 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoons baking soda
•1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest (optional)
•vegetable oil, for frying
•granulated sugar or powdered sugar, for dusting the beignets

Preparation:
Make the Dough
Mix the flour, sugar and salt in a mixing bowl. Sprinkle the yeast on top, and add the warm milk. Leave a minute or two for the yeast to soften, and then add the butter, egg, baking soda and lemon zest. Mix well to form a soft, sticky dough that is barely firm enough to knead. If necessary, work in a little more flour or milk to achieve this.

Knead the dough in a mixer by hand on a lightly floured surface, for five to 10 minutes or until the dough is very smooth. The dough should still be a bit sticky, but it will become easier to handle after it rises.

Allow the Dough to Rise Twice
Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl, turning once to coat the dough with oil. Cover with a towel, and leave to rise until doubled, 45 min.

Punch down the dough and turn it over. Cover, and leave to rise a second time. When the dough is almost doubled, about 45 minutes, it is ready to shape.

Cut Out Circles
Roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Cut out rounds (a glass is fine to use), and transfer the rounds to a lightly floured towel. Cover, and let rise until puffy, 30 minutes.

Fry the Beignets
Heat two or three inches of oil in a pot over medium heat to 360° to 370° F (183° to 187° C). If you don't have a thermometer, test a scrap of dough – if it rises to the top without colouring and the oil bubbles around it, the oil is ready.

Fry the beignets in a frying pan for two to three minutes each, turning several times, until the dough is golden in color. Don't crowd the pot, and monitor the temperature of the oil carefully. If it is too hot, the beignets will brown too quickly and the insides will be undercooked. If the oil is too cold, the beignets will become heavy and greasy.

Allow the cooked beignets to drain on paper towels or in a strainer for several minutes before rolling in granulated sugar or dusting with powdered sugar.

Sweet potato and Raisins Salad

Ingredients:
5 Sweet Potatoes
½ cup Raisins soaked in water
1 Tbsp. of Honey
Pinch each of Saffron
1/4 tsp. each of Salt and Pepper
1/2 tsp. of Cinnamon
Note: Adjust seasonings to taste as you are cooking.
1 cup of water
2 TS of Olive Oil
Directions
1. Peel the Sweet Potatoes, and cut into 4 large pieces
2. Cook on medium heat; put the Olive Oil in the pan.
3. Add the Sweet Potatoes and along with all the Spices.
4. Cover with Water, and cover the pan; cook for 20 minutes - making sure there is always enough water in the pan.
5. Drain the Raisins from their Water and add to the Sweet Potatoes.
6. Add the Honey and stir, adding a little bit more of Water.
7. Taste the Sauce in the pan and see if it need any adjustment to the flavor.
8. Cover the pan, and let it cook for 10 minutes more to carmelized the sauce.
9. To make sure the Sweet Potatoes are ready, poke them with a fork - they should be soft.
10. This Moroccan salad can be served either hot or cold.

Peas and artichoke/potatoes


• 1 Cup of pealed peas
• 2 artichokes// or 2 potatoes
• 1 potato
• ½ preserved lemon
• 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder (optionnal)
• ½ tea spoon ginger
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• Pinch saffron (or bouillon of saffron if you have)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ cup of chopped green olives

Directions:

In a medium size pot, cut the artichoke, potatoes into squared pieces. Add peas and then spices and the preserved lemon after you cut it into small pieces. Then add 2 cups of water and cover. Let boil for 40 minutes in a low heat until the sauce thickened, then add olives . Then it is done.


Enjoy...I know I will :)