Moroccan Sweet Potato, Carrot and Chickpea Soup

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large brown onion, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon chilli powder
600g orange sweet potato, peeled, diced
500g carrots, peeled, sliced
6 cups reduced-salt chicken stock
300g can chickpeas, drained, rinsed
1/2 small lemon, juiced
Turkish bread croutons (see note), to serve

METHOD
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook, stirring often, for 3 minutes. Stir in coriander, cumin and chilli powder. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add sweet potato and carrot. Cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes. Add stock. Cover. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes.
Add chickpeas to soup and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes or until chickpeas are tender.
Blend soup, in batches, until smooth. Return to saucepan over medium-low heat. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Heat, stirring, until hot (do not boil).
Ladle into bowls. Top with croutons. Sprinkle with pepper. Serve.

COMMENTS
Cut Turkish bread loaf in half lengthways and chop into 2cm cubes. Spray lightly all over with olive oil cooking spray. Place on a tray and bake in a 200°C oven for 10 minutes or until golden.

SERVINGS
4

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
(per serve)
1407kJ
1.60g saturated fat

SOURCE
www.taste.com.au Super Food Ideas - August 2005 , Page 66

Honey-dipped Briouats with Almond Paste

INGREDIENTS
Almond Filling
200g ground almonds
90g unsalted butter
60g icing sugar
¼ teaspoon almond extract
1 tablespoon orange flower water

6 sheets filo pastry
125g smen (see note below), melted

Honey Syrup
260g honey
3 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon orange flower water

METHOD
Under a medium heat, add the ground almonds to a heavy-based saucepan and stir constantly until lightly browned - about 3-4 minutes.
Tip out into a bowl when done.
Add the butter to the pan and stir until melted.
Let this cool before adding it to the toasted ground almonds along with the icing sugar, almond extract and 1 tablespoon of the orange flower water.
Mix thoroughly - set aside while you prepare the filo.
Stack the sheets on a cutting board with the longer side toward you and cut into strips 11cm (4½ inches) wide and 28-30 cm (11½ - 12 inches) long.
Stack the sheets in the folds of a tea towel to prevent them from drying out.
Take a sheet and place in on your board, brush half of it lengthways with smen, then fold in half to give a strip 5.5cm/2¼ inches wide.
Brush over the top with smen then place a heaped tablespoon of the filling towards the end of the strip.
Fold the end diagonally across the filling so that the base lines up with the side of the strip, forming a triangle.
Continue folding in the same manner to the end of the strip - trim any excess pastry with a knife.
Repeat with the remaining sheets and filling and when completed, brush the tops lightly with smen.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Do this after the triangles have all been made to ensure the kitchen is cool and doesn't dry out the pastry.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until puffed and lightly golden.
Meanwhile, place the honey, water and orange flower water in a 1.5 litre saucepan.
Just before removing pastries from oven, bring this mixture to the boil before reducing to a low heat.
Put two hot pastries into the honey, leave for 20 seconds then remove with two forks to a baking paper lined tray. Be careful as the honey will bubble and rise when you place the pastries in.
Repeat with the remaining pastries.
Let the pastries cool before serving them - they are best eaten on the day they are made.

A note on Smen
Smen is a clarified butter with milk solids that have been allowed to brown slightly, giving it a nutty flavour. You can make this yourself. Cut 250g (9 oz) of salted or unsalted butter into pieces and place them in a heavy based saucepan over a low heat. Simmer on the lowest flame possible for 25 minutes. Pour through a sieve lined with muslin - the clear oil collected is the smen and this can be stored in the fridge in a sealed jar. It should keep for a few months.

COMMENTS
A more delicate sweet than baklava, everyone loved it at the Moroccan party!

SERVINGS
18

SOURCE
"A little taste of Morocco"

Pistachio Ice-Cream Pastries with Orange & Date Salad

INGREDIENTS
1L bought pistachio (or any good-quality) ice-cream
10 sheets filo pastry
30g unsalted butter, melted
200g caster sugar
1/3 cup honey
2 cinnamon sticks
1 tbs orange flower water
1/2 cup water

Orange and Date Salad
1 orange, peeled, segmented
4 fresh dates, seeds removed, slivered
2 tbs chopped pistachios

METHOD
Allow the ice-cream to soften slightly, then pack into a lamington pan lined with plastic wrap.
Refreeze until firm.
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Lightly grease 2 large baking trays, then place a sheet of pastry on each tray, brush with a little butter, then place another sheet of pastry on top.
Continue layering and brushing until you have two 5-sheet stacks.
Bake for 15 minutes until golden brown.
Meanwhile, place the sugar, honey, cinnamon and orange flower water in a pan with water.
Stir over low heat to dissolve the sugar, then increase heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes, then set aside.
Remove the pastries from the oven and pour the syrup over each stack, reserving a little syrup to drizzle.
Set the pastries aside to cool.
Use a pastry cutter to cut out eight 6cm rounds from each pile of pastry and eight 6cm rounds from the ice-cream.
Return the ice-cream rounds to the freezer.
To make the salad, combine all ingredients in a small bowl, add a little of the reserved syrup.
Place a pastry stack on each plate, top with a round of ice-cream, then another pastry stack.
Drizzle with the reserved syrup and top with the salad.

SERVINGS
8

COMMENTS
Very sweet!

SOURCE
Delicious Let's Entertain

Lamb Tagine

INGREDIENTS
40g butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 large brown onion, chopped finely

4 cloves garlic, crushed

1.2kg diced lamb shoulder

1 stick cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground allspice

½ teaspoon white pepper

¼ teaspoon saffron threads

3 cups water

1 cup dried apricots

1 cup almonds

½ cup prunes

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons lime juice, or lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

lots of fresh, roughly chopped coriander to garnish

Moroccan couscous to serve

METHOD
Preheat oven to 165°C or 145°C fan-forced.

Heat a large ovenproof casserole pot with a lid, on stovetop.

Add butter, olive oil and onion.

Cook until onion softens.

Add garlic and cook for 1-2 more minutes.

Turn up heat and add the lamb, brown all sides, stirring with a wooden spoon.

Add cinnamon stick and spices. Stir to coat and distribute evenly.

Soak saffron in water, and then add water to pot. A little extra water may be necessary, to cover the lamb.

Place lid on casserole dish, transfer to pre-heated oven.

Cook 2 hours.

After 2 hours, remove pot from oven.

Add apricots, almonds, prunes, honey, juice and season.

Return pot to oven or to a low heat on stovetop.

Simmer 15-20 minutes.

Lamb should be very tender. If not, simmer a little longer.

Add coriander.

Serve with couscous.

COMMENTS

Many dried fruits can be used, including dates and preserved lemon. Olives can also be used.

SERVINGS

6

SOURCE

AWW Website

Chickpea Tomato Stew with Moroccan Flavours

INGREDIENTS
1 pound dried chick-peas (about 2 1/3 cups), picked over
2 cinnamon sticks, broken in half
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/4 cup olive oil
3 large onions, sliced thin (about 7 cups)
two 28- to 32-ounce cans whole tomatoes, drained, reserving juice, and chopped
1 cup raisins
1/3 cup chopped peel of preserved lemons
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 1/2 pounds fresh spinach, stems trimmed and leaves washed well and drained (about 10 cups packed)
Accompaniment: couscous and crusty bread

METHOD
In a bowl soak chick-peas in water in cover by 2 inches overnight and drain (or use canned chickpeas).
In a 3-quart saucepan combine chick-peas, cinnamon, cumin seeds, and water to cover, by 2 inches and simmer, covered partially, adding more water if necessary, 1 to 1 1/4 hours, or until chick-peas are just tender.
Discard cinnamon.
Chick-peas may be made 1 day ahead, cooled completely, and chilled in their cooking liquid, covered. In a large heavy kettle heat oil over moderate heat and cook onions, stirring occasionally, until deep golden brown, about 15 minutes.
Stir in tomatoes with reserved juice, chick-peas with cooking liquid, raisins, preserved lemon peel, ground cumin, and coriander and bring to a simmer.
Cook stew about 45 minutes, or until chick-peas are tender and liquid is thickened slightly.
Stir in spinach, a heaping handful at a time, and cook until wilted and just tender.
Season stew with salt and pepper and serve with couscous and bread.

SERVINGS
8

SOURCE
Epicurious Website (GourmetJanuary 1996)

Parsley, Rocket and Olive Salad

INGREDIENTS
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 crushed garlic clove
1 cup baby rocket leaves
1/2 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
1/2 cup chopped fresh coriander
1/4 chopped preserved lemon rind (discard the pulp)
1/4 cup pitted, sliced green olives
salt and pepper

METHOD
Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice and garlic in a large bowl.
Add rocket, parsley and coriander.
Season with salt and pepper.
Add preserved lemon and olives.
Toss well.

SERVINGS
8

SOURCE
Delicious Let's Entertain

Moroccan Couscous

INGREDIENTS
200g instant couscous
375mL chicken stock
2 tbs unsalted butter
1/2 cup green olives, pitted, sliced
1/4 preserved lemon,chopped (discard the pulp)
2 tbs flat leaf parsley, chopped
pistachios, slivered

METHOD
Place couscous in a large bowl.
Bring chicken stock to the boil then pour over couscous.
Add butter and stir until melted.
Set aside for 15 minutes.
Add olives, preserved lemon, and parsley.
Season well and serve with slivered pistachios.

COMMENTS
Lemon juice can be added if preserved lemon is unavailable.

SERVINGS
8

SOURCE
Delicious Let's Entertain

Lamb Tagine

INGREDIENTS
1.5kg shoulder lamb, diced
1 large red onion, grated
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 bunch coriander, leaves chopped
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp saffron threads
6 tbs (120mL) olive oil
1 large piece orange peel
810g can diced tomoatoes
2 tbs tomato paste
1 1/2 cups (375mL) beef stock
1 bay leaf
30g butter, diced
2 tbs honey
240g can chickpeas, drained, rinsed
1/2 cup green olives
Chopped mint, to garnish

METHOD
Combine the lamb, onion, garlic, coriander, spices, oil and 1 teasponn salt in a bowl.
Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Preheat oven to 160C.
Heat a non-stick frypan over high heat.
Add the lamb in batches and fry until lightly browned all over.
As the meat is cooked, place in a tagine or casserole dish.
Add the orange peel.
Drain the tomatoes, reserving the juice.
Set the tomatoes aside.
Combine the juice and tomato paste.
Add to the meat with the stock and bay leaf.
Cover and bake in oven for 1.5 hours.
Use a slotted spoon to transfer meat to a plate.
Place the dish over high heat (if you are using a tagine, you will need to transfer the liquid to a frypan).
Add the tomatoes and butter and reduce for 2 minutes.
Add the honey, chickpeas, olives and meat.
Cook, stirring for 1-2 minutes.
Garnish with mint.

COMMENTS
Dried apricots and prunes can also be added before baking for some extra flavour.

SERVINGS
8

SOURCE
Delicious Let's Entertain