Pumpkin & Pomegranate

Welcome to Morocco!

I clearly have a thing for theme nights. Since I cannot travel right now, and to be honest it is a tad difficult to travel in most foreign countries when you have dietary restrictions, I choose to bring the country to me. last night was a whirlwind through Morocco! I have been fascinated with Morocco ever since I was a little girl and my father took us to a Moroccan restaurant in Portland. I must have been 8 because I remember I just had become “vegetarian” (Texan for pescetarian, remember in Texas fish is a vegetable), and I was eating some fantastic bastilla. It was only after that I found out that the bastilla had chicken in it (that was my last chicken dish). The beauty of washing your hands with rose water, and the sensuality of eating with your fingers mesmerized me. The colors or the food and the decor, the fabric, the patterns, the sheer artistry of it all was incredibly intoxicating. I have been a bit in love with Morocco ever since.

A Hammam

I have dreams of having a house designed in Moroccan style, then again I also dream of a Paris apartment, an Irish Cottage, and  pf course a French Palace…and I don’t really want to live in a house that looks like it is one of those themed hotels.

Matt wouldn’t let me wash his hands in rose water, and yes I tried! But he did wash his hands before helping me prepare dinner. Have I mentioned I am dating an excellent sous chef? he is way more precise than I am, I am usually a tad too rushed to do anything precisely, and so my food in general is more “rustic”. I can be precise when given the time, but I am usually hungry and trying to feed someone else so I just get to it. It did take a bit of time to prepare. I tend to overdo it a bit sometimes, and pick too many dishes to make in an evening. I do have to say that it was worth it, even if it did take us about 2 hours from start to finish. Most was definitely in the prpe, so if you do it ahead of time the cooking isn’t difficult at all. You could even make the stew and the beets a day in advance, and just heat up the stew before serving.  The traditional way would be to eat all of this with your fingers and to sit on the floor while eating. We ended up using forks, but next time I would push for the fingers. I just wish I had some night blooming Jasmine outside my window ;-)

I couldn’t get a decent photo of it all put together, and we were so hungry our patience was a little thin, but here’s the stew in the pot!

Incredibly Aromatic!

Moroccan Winter Squash Stew with Quinoa

Stew:
Ingredients:

• 1 T. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 Large Onion, chopped
• 3 Garlic Cloves, chopped
• 2.5 tsp. Hungarian Sweet Paprika
• 1 tsp. Sea Salt
• 3/4 tsp. Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 3/4 tsp. Ground Coriander
• 1 tsp. Ground Cumin Seed
• 1 tsp. Turmeric
• 1 tsp. Ground Ginger
• 1/2 tsp. Cayenne Pepper
• Pinch of Saffron
• 1/2 C. Water
• 1 28 oz. Can Diced Tomatoes
• 2 T Preserved Lemon, chopped
• 3 cups Kabocha Squash (or other Winter Squash), peeled and chopped into 1 inch cubes
• 1 Small Cauliflower, chopped
• 2 C. Carrot, chopped
• 1 Red Bell Pepper, chopped
• 1/4 C. Dried Apricots, chopped

Method:

1. Heat oil in large heavy bottomed pot over medium heat.
2. Add onion and sautée until soft, stirring often.
3. Add garlic to onion and continue to sautée
4. Mix in paprika, salt, pepper, coriander, cumin, turmeric, ginger, cayenne, and saffron.
5. Add water, tomatoes, preserved lemon and bring to boil.
6. Add squash, cauliflower, carrots, bell pepper, and apricots. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes.

Quinoa:

Ingredients:

• 1 C. Quinoa, rinsed and drained
• 2 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/2 C. Onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 C. Carrot, finely chopped
• 2 Garlic Cloves, minced
• 1/2 tsp. Sea Salt
• 1/2 tsp. Turmeric
• 2 C. Water
• 1/2 C.  Fresh Cilantro, chopped
• 2 tsp. Fresh Mint, chopped

Method:

1. In large saucepan over medium heat heat the olive oil.
2. Add onion and carrot. Cover and sautée until vegetables begin to caramelize, stirring often.
3. Add garlic, salt, and turmeric. Continue to sautée.
4. Add quinoa and stir to coat, sautée for 1 minute
5. Add water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover. Simmer for about 15 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed and quinoa is fluffy.
6. Stir in half of cilantro and half of mint.
7. Serve on a platter with stew on top.  Garnish with the remaining cilantro and mint.

Traditionally this next dish would be served as an appetizer, but we just had it with the meal.

I need a smaller plate for pretty photos

Roasted Beets with Cumin and Mint

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp. Cumin Seeds, lightly toasted
• 1 T Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
• 1/2 tsp. Sea Salt
• 1/4 tsp. Freshly Ground Black pepper
• 2 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 3 Medium Beets, sliced into wedges for steaming, or roast whole.
• 1/3 C. Fresh Mint, coarsely chopped

Method:

1. Steam beets in steamer for 20-30 minutes or until tender, or roast in the oven. Let cool.
2. lightly crush the toasted cumin seeds to release their flavor.
3. In a medium sized bowl, combine the lemon juice, cumin seeds, salt, pepper, and olive oil.
4. Toss the cooled beets with the oil mixture.
5. Mix in the fresh mint right before serving.

I served this with some rainbow chard with Moroccan flair as we needed some greens to round out our meal. I sautéed a shallot in some extra virgin olive oil, then added a bunch of chard. I then tossed in about 1/4 cup of sultanas that I had plumped up with some boiling water. Once all that was cooked I sprinkled some chopped almonds on top. Yum!