*All recipes*

We’ve had two to three good consecutive weeks of very nice weather and it finally feels like summer in London. I have to admit that some days were very briefly interrupted by a few hours of rain but nothing that lasted too long to bother us. I am so excited about this summer! We’ve planned a few trips and I am going to spend quite a lot of time in Morocco. I really miss those school days when my mom and I would spend two months in Morocco every year. By the end of the summer I was so sad to go back to Brussels, every single time! This year between travelling and work, I will be spending about three weeks in Rabat and Marrakech in July and August. I haven't spent that much time in Morocco in the summertime for years, so it’s safe to say that I am beyond excited.

What’s a Buddha bowl? Because I have been seeing many of them on the Internet these past 2 years and I still can’t figure out what it essentially is. I got the basic concept behind it: compartmenting your salad but then, is that it? Is there no other requirement to achieve a Buddha bowl? I really want to know.

Happy Friday and happy first day of the last month of the year! Can you believe it’s already December? How do you feel about 2018? I have a good feeling about it, but it’s probably because I have this weird habit of thinking that years which end with even numbers will always be better… So let’s see how 2018 turns out. Rendez-vous next year!

Hello from Tokyo where we’ve just spent the craziest few days. We arrived in Japan a week ago and it feels like we’ve been here for a whole month. It’s been so condensed and memorable, I wouldn’t even know where to start if had to describe our whole trip, I guess unforgettable is the word. 

Never start a new TV show before going to bed, it’s the worst! When the show is good, you can’t help but press play for the next episode and the next thing you know, it’s 3 am and your brain is navigating somewhere between auto-pilot sleepiness and excitement for “who is the murderer?”

So I am back in London and after two weeks of sun, fun and comfort food, it’s hard to go back to reality. But the good news is, summer is not over and seafood salad bowls are naturally on the menu!

But first, how have you been?

This past weekend was the sunniest of all weekends in London, it really felt like summer. We went to the park and had a picnic with Laelia for the first time. She was very intrigued by the ducks and the baby swans but she was also very scared of the grass. Do all babies get scared of the grass?  We ate chocolate chip cookies and stuffed batbouts with chicken, preserved lemons and olive tagine. I can’t wait for the weather to be sunny again and prepare more picnic friendly recipes. It was so much fun.

Spring is here, yay! It makes me unreasonably happy. I am so grateful for spring this year because last year, I didn’t really get to make the best out of the “spring” weather and food. This time last year, I was almost 9 months pregnant and pretty much stuck in bed. Then, our w o n d e r f u l Laelia arrived but you know what followed: sleepless nights and no time to cook or shower. Our situation is very different this year and I’ve got so many exciting food related plans for spring. My belly cannot wait.

When you’re hungry on a weeknight, don’t have time to cook and still don’t feel like ordering, what do you do? You make loubia! All you need is one pot, 10 ingredients and less then 1 hour! The result is a creamy and flavourful stew that is packed with earthy Moroccan flavours. My mom used to make loubia and add pieces of khlii in the stew while it was still simmering. Khlii is a kind of Moroccan-ized meat jerky, it’s incredibly tasty. It is not on the blog yet but it should make its appearance at some point!

Last week, temperatures went seriously down in London and the only way we could fight the cold and warm ourselves up was with a wholesome bowl of chorba. 

January is almost over! Can you believe this? And how are you feeling about the beginning of the year? I am feeling good but I can’t believe we’re almost done with January. Where did all this time go? Where was I?

Kalinte, kalentica, karane, etc., so many ways to call this dish! All these appellations refer to the Spanish word “caliente” - which means warm - for the simple reason that this silky and smooth chickpea pie is meant to be enjoyed warm. In a way, we could all save time and just agree to call it "caliente", what do you think? I should petition to make this happen.

This year, I really don’t feel like roasting my turkey. Do you?

I am not saying that because my secret mission is to “tagine” everything, I am saying that because sometimes it’s nice to do things differently and also because surprising your guests with unexpected meals always makes you feel *cool*.

Whoa. Temperatures are going down in London. But it’s all fine because holiday season is around the corner and we will soon be able to snuggle up in front of the TV with a warm blanket and our stretchy pants! Because that’s what bank holidays are for, don’t you think?

Merguez is a kind of spicy North African sausage.

When I moved out of my parents place, one of the things I had to accept was the sad fact that merguez won’t be part of my life anymore. I have to say that I was also sad about other things like daily cooked meals and clean laundry, but merguez was a bigger deal because a good merguez is a serious thing. It’s not just cased minced meat mixed with North African spices. It’s a real treat. Merguez is so good, you can basically enjoy it with nothing else but good bread and be the happiest person on earth.

We all have a go-to weeknight recipe, rather it’s something simple such as pasta or a quick stir fry, we always go back to it because it’s easy and satisfying. My typical go-to midweek meal is this quick fish tagine served with vegetables and couscous.

A traditional Moroccan fish tagine is usually prepared with a large whole fish - a sea bream - cooked under sliced potatoes and vegetables. This means that the cooking time is quite long which makes this traditional dish pretty challenging to cook on a weekday after work and between FaceTime sessions and laundry chores.

It's been a while! A few things have happened since my last post.

• I discovered that I could survive without my laptop and phone for 2 days. Next challenge: 3 days.
• Other discovery: Westonbirt arboretum in the Cotswolds. This place is magnificent, it will make you fall in love with autumn all over again. I’ve seen the prettiest trees with bright golden and neon red leafs while I was there. 
• The US elections! (!!!)
• I had a brownie made out of cricket flour. I think it tasted nice but I couldn’t stop picturing tiny crickets everywhere while I was chewing it. I had about 4 spoons, not bad no? Maybe insect flour is just not my thing.

As a child I used to hate quince, my parents loved it and every time of the year quince would make its appearance, it would magically end up in my mom’s tagine. As a result I never showed any interest in quince and made sure I stayed away from them. Urgh.

When you have an addiction to a specific food you keep adding it to everything even when it doesn’t make sense, right? Well in my case it always makes sense because my addiction of the moment (aka amlou) is so versatile, it literally works with everything. Yes! And it’s not only uber delicious, it’s also super healthy and easy to make because all you need are these 3 ingredients:

• Argan oil
• Almonds
• Honey

I just came back from Marrakech where I had the best time! I was there as a guest chef to launch Salt Marrakech’s autumn menu. How cool is that?

The restaurant is based in this magnificent riad called Dar Les Cigognes. Everything about this place is charming and makes you feel so special. The menu is a 6 course-meal focusing on Moroccan seasonal food and modern cuisine.

So??? Are your streets fully covered with beautiful golden leaves yet? I can’t wait!

I made these krachel a few weeks ago and all I’ve been trying to do lately is find the time to bake them again! Krachel are Moroccan aniseed and sesame seed sweet buns. They are prefect in the sense that they are not too sweet to be enjoyed with savoury things but fragrant and rich enough to be enjoyed on their own. I love my krachel warm with butter, salted butter ideally. But I also love them with cheese! Cheese + krachel is really a match made in heaven, believe me.

Happy first day of fall my friends! Or is it the last day of summer? Anyway, it’s a happy day because fall is happening whether we like or not!

You know I love Moroccan food but for me Moroccan food means much more than the recipes I share, all the tagines and even more than the tastiest bastilas! Moroccan food, for me is also the food I ate while growing up. I spent a good two weeks in Morocco this summer and while I was so happy to be reunited with my family, I was also very pleased to be reunited with the sweetest tomatoes, freshest seafood and juiciest fruits!

My basbousa is finally online! Let’s all celebrate by making basbousa?!

I am back to London where the weather is kind of “moody” which made me very nostalgic of my trips to Morocco and Ibiza. Summer is officially over for me! Being home also meant I had to deal with my least favourite back-from-holiday task: sorting out all the pictures. It took a while this time. I needed 3 folders! A regular one, a food one and a baby one!

Who doesn't love beetroot? And who would say no to beetroot + avocado?

Hello from Rabat! I would love to say sunny Rabat, but the weather has been so inconsistent these pas days, I don’t think it would be fair to make such a statement. That said, it’s been sunny and breezy today so hopefully the heavy, sticky, sand stormy and cloudy days are behind us. Fingers crossed!

Summer is almost over! Well, depends if you consider September is an acceptable extension of summer. And this really depends on where you live. I like to think that September is not summer. September still means for me: “holidays are over and we’re going back to school (or reality!)”.

I know I know, I’ve missed #popsicleweek2016!!! How did this happen? And also, where was I? I think I was still on “full-time” mama duty or something like that. By “full-time” I mean that phase when washing your hair requires days ahead of planning, babies get better after a while, they really do and it is so much fun and LOVE!

Remember when I posted my rose harissa recipe? Ever since, many of you have been asking me for a basic harissa recipe so I thought I would make a special post just for it!

Last year I made a delicious minced meat version of the stuffed msemen but now (a year later!!!) I realize that I should have started with the plain version. Just because it makes more sense and it’s less confusing for you guys. So better late than never! Here it is.

You guys are all familiar with shakshuka right? Well, let me introduce you to taktouka ! Shakshuka and taktouka both sound funny and taste amazingly delicious but they are two different dishes! In Morocco, taktouka refers to a very common salad/dip (such as zaalouk, bakoula, etc.) made mainly of very simple ingredients: green bell peppers, tomatoes, garlic and olive oil.

Do you know the feeling when you discover that you’ve just made your actual favourite-most delicious-cookie-in the entire world taste a zillion times better? That’s a very special feeling and it doesn’t happen everyday. That’s how I felt the first time I tasted my pistachio and hazelnut briouates. It made me feel like dancing and jumping around. Seriously. 

Happy national donut day North America! Until last year, I didn’t know there was such a thing as national donut day. I had to start blogging and become a devoted instagrammer to find out about national donut day’s existence. Then I realised donut comes from dough-nut, and I didn’t how to feel about that. Because when you think about it, many donuts should be called but ring donuts but that’s another story!

If you leave in the States you can get actual free donuts today in many shops and stores. How cool is that? But the best thing about today is that many foodies such as chefs and bloggers will share their favourite/customized donut recipe!  And, that is even cooler!

Chebakia, also known as mkharka, griwech or rose des sables is one of Moroccan cuisine’s most delightful pleasures. It is a chewy, yet crunchy sesame, honey and turmeric wonderfully fragrant cookie. It has so many levels, you really have to try it to understand how amazing it tastes!

Chebakia is commonly prepared in Morocco during the month of Ramadan and is usually served next to a velvelty harira to break the fast. I don’t really know why these delicious cookies are not prepared through the whole year in Morocco. I think it is related to the fact that chebakia requires long hours of preparation and Moroccans tend to keep it as a treat for Ramadan. Just a thought!

Let’s have a batbout party!! Batbout is a type of flatbread Moroccans fill with pretty much everything yummy! Batbout is like an improved version of the pitta bread; it’s fluffier and richer but it is also very airy and tasty!

Batbouts comes in different sizes, but the most common ones are the small ones (aka my favourite ones). Moroccans usually fill batbout with anything savoury or sweet and serve them as a snack or an appetizer. That said keep in mind that batbout is like any type of bread: you can enjoy it anytime; breakfast, lunch or dinner. Also, batbout is very easy to prepare and a lot of fun to bake! It cooks and puffs in seconds in a simple pan.

The streets of London are starting to look all pretty and cute again! As spring approaches, beautiful flowers are blossoming on the trees.

I don’t know about you, but this weather puts me in such a good mood! And in my book, good mood always calls for good food! So let’s all have a ras el hanout pulled beef sandwich to celebrate!

We like anything as long as it contains matcha. Right? So I thought it was time to introduce matcha to Moroccan baking. And what else than the most versatile cookie, aka “ghriba” to use as a first matcha-tizing/Moroccan baking experiment?

Bakoula is a typical Moroccan salad usually served as a side dish next to tagines or grilled foods.

Bakoula is traditionally made with mallow (bakoula means mallow in Moroccan Arabic) but since it’s a bit challenging to find fresh mallow in London/abroad, people usually use spinach as a substitute to mallow to make bakoula at home and even in restaurants.

Harcha is a type of pan fried semolina cake and like baghrir or msemen, harcha is famous for being one of the moroccan breakfast essentials. Usually served for breakfast they are also enjoyed in Morocco during tea time with jam or honey and butter syrup.

It’s that time of the year again (already ?), yay!

Supermarkets and stores are filled with gigantic pumpkins and all you can do is give in to their appealing and cheerful orange hue and pick your favourite one.  

There are so many things we can do with pumpkin such as vegetarian hamburgers, pumpkin pie, pumpkin jam (we do that a lot in Morocco!) and of course a scary jack o’lantern.

Last weekend was great, the sun was out all over London and the weather was slightly crisp. I love these February days in London when I still have to wear layers of clothes but somehow I can’t leave the house without my sunglasses. This put me in such a good mood that I decided to cook something summery and by that I mean, light and colourful!

Do you guys know bissara?

Bissara is a crisscross between a dip and a soup, I wasn’t sure if I should call it a soup or a dip. I ended up calling it a dip because we eat it exclusively with bread (and nothing else!), but anyway it doesn’t really matter, doesn’t? Cause we’re all here after one specific thing: deliciousness. And this my friends, is deliciousness on a plate.

Hi hat cupcakes are on the blog, yay! I discovered them last year while I browsing the web and reading one of my favourite blogs. Molly made these supper cute hi hat strawberry cupcakes and ever since I’ve been thinking; one day I will make a chocolate and amlou version of these beauties and attempt to make them just as cute as hers!

Happy pancake day United Kingdom!! How are you guys celebrating?! I thought the best way would be with a gorgeous baghrir layer cake. Because why have one pancake when you can stake them all up and make every single bite magical?

Yay! The legendary Moroccan meat tagine with caramelised prunes is finally on the blog. What took me so long!?

Winter has finally arrived in London! Not that I am ecstatic about it but somehow it feels right to finally dig my winter coat, gloves and ear muffles out of my wardrobe. I had missed them, had you not?

The weather forecasts are predicting very cold and rainy days ahead of us. Weeelllll, more precisely they are predicting a storm, the Jonas storm. You know the one that hit NYC a few days ago. But unlike our dear Big Apple we won’t get any snow, just rain. So it will be a Jonas storm, the British way, or at least for London.

Berkoukech is a simple and earthy soup, it's full of flavours and perfect for the current chilly winter evenings.

This soup is a traditional North African berber dish. It is commonly prepared with giant couscous grains similar to pearl pasta, it also contains vegetables, pulses and meat. Berkoukech refers to the name of the giant couscous grains used in the soup in the berber language.

Who would say no to super gooey and moist chocolate brownies? Especially when they’re filled with healthy ingredients such as beetroots and olive oil?

Here’s a list of things that inspired me to make these super yummy little babies.

It’s the weekend and we’re all very busy or just recovering from a busy week, right? So I decided to share with you some of the quick recipes I have posted on instagram last year without actually posting the recipes on the blog. It was about time, I know!

Now, you have no excuse: you can keep on being busy this weekend while enjoying yummy Moroccan homemade foods.

Happy weekending everyone! 

Do you know Maakouda? Maakouda is a kind of Moroccan potato beignet usually eaten as an appetizer, a side or as a filling in a crusty sandwich.

I don’t usually go for deep fried foods, I always try to find an alternative to avoid deep frying because health,

This recipe is the first deep fried recipe on the blog because let's face it, sometimes even fried foods are worth it.

Happy New Year!!! I hope you had wonderful holiday celebrations surrounded by your loved ones.

How was your first week of the year? Any resolutions?

I don’t really believe in New Year resolutions but for those who decided to kick off the New Year with a healthier eating lifestyle, I’ve got a great recipe for you! This salad is not only super healthy but it’s very tasty and incredibly easy to prepare.

Do you remember when I made bastila? It was about 9 months ago AND it was my first post, can you believe this?! 2015 is practically over.

I chose to launch my blog with bastila because; first, of all the Moroccan dishes, it is one of my favourite and I think generally speaking literally everyone LOVES bastila. Second, because bastila usually requires a fairly long preparation time and doing it for the blog felt like a big deal back then. So I chose it mainly to challenge myself.

Bastila is the most famous Moroccan dish and it has been adapted by many chefs internationally; chefs very often choose to substitute chicken with duck and also add their own magical twist to this Moroccan classic.

What could possibly taste better than mac and cheese?

Like pretty much everyone I loooove mac and cheese and almost every time I make some I try to spice up my classic recipe by adding vegetables, proteins and/or spices.

My love affair with mac and cheese started a few years ago in Camden town. Camden town is a very cool place in London with lots of food stalls, vintage treasures and many unique other things.

I am sure you all know biscotti! Well, who doesn’t!?

In Morocco we also have biscottis, they’re usually made with almonds and raisins but the rule is, really, there are no rules! Right?

The coming weeks call for celebrations and this dish is kind of the Moroccan emblem for festivities! So because of that, you have to make it very soon, whether you use chicken or turkey, it doesn’t really matter.

It’s the last pumpkin recipe of the year, I promise!

Pumpkin/squash is one of my favourite veggie, along with aubergine and courgette. Well pumpkin and courgette come from the same family so no surprise here… I am not sure about aubergine though (?).

I wasn’t sure how to call this recipe; pumpkin pie or pumpkin spice cupcake? I went for the second one because when you bite this cupcake it really feels like a soft speculoos spread with an aromatic pumpkin jam!

This cake!

I love layer cakes, but it’s been hard to include a layer cake recipe on the blog since layer cakes are not Morocco’s most basic foods…

A few weeks ago I made amlou and ever since I couldn’t stop spreading and/or pouring it on everything ( e.g., my cereals, bread, toasts, etc.). 

Another traditional recipe this week!

This stew reminds me of my childhood. My mom used to make it every other week for lunch on Wednesdays. Because on Wednesdays school finished early and we used to have lunch at home.

Do you like roasted almonds and almond butter? Do you like argan oil? Do you like honey?

If you’ve answered yes to all the above, you should take a few minutes and learn how to make your new favourite spread in no time! 

Looks as good as a beef patty and tastes even better!!

This post has been long overdue, I know. Sorry guys! I have been under the weather lately and had a hard time catching up with my blog posts but I am practically back in shape and I can’t wait to share more recipes with you.

An all time classic.

This recipe illustrates perfectly how the simplest things are often the best. It requires no more than 7 ingredients and its preparation is very straightforward. Easy, tasty, quick and healthy.

This post is very special; it’s my first bread post on the blog!

I grow up in home where we don’t buy bread, we make it, okay for the exception of the almighty baguette (because all you need with cheese  is a baguette!). I think the main reason why my parents - as well as the majority of Moroccans - have a special relationship with bread is because in Morocco, tagines are enjoyed exclusively with bread. Yes. And since the tagine is the most fundamental dish in Morocco, bread is eaten very often: on a daily basis and a couple of times a day

I barely had squid this summer, maybe once or twice. So I felt like making something fancy with it but also:

• easy

• tasty

• and healthy *

If you like squid and are interested in all the above this recipe is definitely for you!

We were in Greece last week and we loved every single thing about our trip. The breath-taking views, the turquoise sea, the captivating landscapes, the cheerful hospitality, the perfectly warm but not too hot weather and of course the food!

Today I am sharing my favourite combination of Moroccan grilled foods: beef kebab and grilled tomato and green pepper salad, also known in Morocco as chlada mechouia.  And if you don’t have a barbecue, it doesn’t mean you can’t have grilled food. You can just do like me and use a chargrilled pan, because we love grilled foods.

These beef kebab recipe is very simple and easy to prepare, the longer you will let the meat marinate, the softer and tastier the meat will get. The onions are mainly present in this recipe so the meat can absorb their taste. It’s one of those recipes that requires just a few ingredients but still comes out packed with flavour.

For those who didn’t know, English isn’t my first language, but you probably guessed since my English might sounds odd sometime. It’s ok, I am over it... I stopped harassing my husband when he comes back from work to read my blog posts a long time ago. So apologies for my English and the (hopefully) occasional awkwardness.

French is my first language and I always assumed that gallette is a French word, it definitely sounds more French (Latin?) than any other language. However, galette in the francophone world means something a bit different than in the Anglophone one. The galette I used to know is covered and looks more like a crusty cake. One of my favourite ones is the legendary galette des rois, I can’t remember the last time I had one. But lets get back to what galette means in London, because that’s what we are making today.

Spring rolls because I had to expand my summer food edition, although there is no more sun in London, well it’s there but it’s kind of playing hide and seek… I am sure you see what I mean. It will come back… Hopefully.

I love spring rolls, I usually prefer the fresh ones (wrapped in moistened rice paper) as opposed to the cooked/fried for several reasons. 

Do you know ghriba bahla? It’s a type of ghriba (Moroccan kind of macaroons) we make in Morocco. There are plenty of different types of ghriba such as coconut, walnut, almond and even chocolate.

Bahla means silly in Moroccan Arabic (or dumb? this word is kind of hard to translate!) and I don’t know why they call it that way. I guess it’s due to the fact that the cookie ridiculously cracks while baking and gloriously melts in your mouth while eating it, pretty much like a shortbread cookie. Usually ghriba bahla contains only sesame seeds (on top of butter, flour, sugar, etc.) but I added some peanut butter, just because. 

Msemen, also known as rghaeif is a squared flatbread usually eaten in Morocco for breakfast and teatime. You can have them plain or stuffed, sweet or savoury, their texture is very soft and very different to the Middle Eastern flat bread. It’s richer, but also fluffier and super comforting.

It’s still sunny and warm in London, yes, lemonade for everyone!

I love lemonade. It’s refreshing, sweet, comforting, citrusy and tangy.

In Morocco the majority of the houses that have a backyard, all have one thing in common. They all have a lemon tree. Really, and I have been to many homes. My parents love to grow stuff, I mean fruits, vegetables and herbs so I’d expect them to have a lemon tree, but why almost everyone does? Maybe it’s just a coincidence. I should investigate this anyway.

Happy chocolate day!!

Like an extremely large portion of the world population I am a big chocolate lover, so when I found out there was such a thing as “World Chocolate Day” I decided it was time to share with you one of my favourite chocolate deserts, the chocolaty-est of them all: the molten cake.

I don’t know what’s the weather like in your part of the world, but in London it’s super hot and feels great. Its finally summer and I hope it’s going to last for a while.

This balmy type of weather calls for barbecues, salads and popsicles, ahh popsicles! It also calls for delicious seasonal foods, swimming pools, sandals, and three showers a day, but today let’s discuss salad and radishes.

You know I hadn’t tried scones before I moved to London? I didn’t even know what scones were.

What do you do when life hands you an orange and a fennel bulb?

Preserved lemons are pickled lemon in water and salt. They are beautifully fragrant and their flavour is unique which makes them irreplaceable in Moroccan cuisine, where they are usually added to tagines and salads. 

They are special cause they have the ability to add a citrusy and fragrant scent to all your dishes. Chop and add them to your salad, couscous, rice and meats, you won’t be disappointed.

Briouates are small stuffed pastries that are filled with savoury or sweet fillings such as meat, cheese or almond paste.

Almond briouates are very popular in Morocco, they are mainly made of almonds and honey and gently seasoned with orange blossom water and cinnamon. 

The pastry we use the envelope them in Morocco is warka, unfortunately there is no warka in London. The best substitute to warka is filo pastry, which I also used to make bastila.

Traditionally the almond paste (the filling) is made of ground fried almonds and then the whole pastry is fried. Yes, double frying. Sounds a bit like too much frying, right?

Harira is a velvety and chunky Moroccan soup made usually with tomatoes, herbs, pulses and meat, but like all the classics of Moroccan cuisine, every region and every family have their own version of harira. Some regions add fish or vermicelli while others add carrots and rice. 

Moroccan taco, really?

Why?

This salad is the most common and basic salad in Moroccan cuisine.

The simplicity of the ingredients allows the salad to go with many dishes. In Morocco, it is usually served as a side salad next to tagines or grilled food.  

Ras el hanout, is a versatile and beautifully fragrant Moroccan spice blend commonly used in Moroccan cuisine.

“Ras el Hanout” means “top of the shop” in Arabic, which suggests that the spices used for the blend are the finest spices available in the merchant's shop.  

I am pretty sure you all know about harissa. Harissa is the next sriracha sauce. By that, I mean the chili sauce you’re going to want to splatter on all your foods.

I agree, fava beans - also known as broad beans or "foul" in Morocco- aren’t the most glamorous vegetables but their taste is definitely appealing. Fava beans don’t taste like any other beans. Cooked, they are smooth on the inside and have a very distinctive earthy and nutty flavor.

Isn’t a one year wedding anniversary a good excuse to make cake?

And yes, I know what you’re going to say; tahini is strictly Middle Eastern, not North African. I know. 

Yes, we also have macaroons in Morocco! Moroccan macaroons are prepared slightly differently but taste just as nice as the ‘regular’ ones. Actually, they taste even better!

Finally a fish recipe on the blog and what a tasty one!

I love this tagine, it’s so fragrant, lemony, vibrant, healthy and super easy to prepare. Get your veggies and your fish, take 3 minutes to make chermoula and let it do the job for you.

Really, chermoula works like a flavour bomb! It is a type of paste or marinade that is very common in North Africa and goes very well with fish, meat, poultry and vegetables. Pretty much with everything savoury.

Today I am sharing a slightly ‘jazzed up’ version of the classic Moroccan fish tagine.

Chermoula is a North African marinade and the next thing you should try! It's extremely easy to prepare, full of flavours and doesn't require hours of cooking. I love it with white fish, but it goes with all sorts of fishes, meats, poultry and vegetables.

Have you ever tried a tagine that was fragrant, spicy, smoky and fruity at the same time? Well, if you haven't, take a look at this recipe because this tagine will seriously tingle your senses! 

Everyone knows goat cheese and beetroot go perfectly together. In London, I have tried at least a dozen versions of the famous goat cheese and beetroot salad and loved all of them.

One day I just thought, why not give a Moroccan twist to this great combination of ingredients? 

All around the world, Moroccan mint tea is probably the most famous emblem of Morocco. Everyone knows about it and loves it, but making it remains a mystery. 

Baghrir is most commonly known as the “thousand holes pancake”, sounds like an exotic 1001 nights desserts, no? Well I think baghrir is just the coolest of the pancakes.  

Couscous is originally a Berber dish and for this reason couscous is served nowadays in all North African countries. In Morocco, we have different types and versions of couscous but if you mention “couscous” in Morocco, people will usually assume that you are referring to the most basic version of the famous dish: the 7 vegetables couscous. 

The majority of the couscous that is sold in supermarkets has been pre-steamed and dried. The instructions that come with the couscous are very easy and quick but most of the time the couscous doesn’t come out fluffy and the grains stick to each other.

It’s simply one of my favourite. Really and not just because I am posting it today. 

A while ago, when I was still a student, every time I would go back home to visit my parents my mum would welcome me with this tagine. I couldn’t possibly leave my home country without having had had this tagine at least once. 

A few months ago some our friends came over for an evening of fun, dance moves and of course… Moroccan food! I was so excited about this dinner, I literally wanted to cook all my favourites dishes until I remembered that one of my friends is on a special gluten and dairy free diet. 

If you can’t remember Zaalouk, then maybe you can remember Moroccan ratatouille? Because that’s what Zaalouk kind of is. 

Shakshuka is a very common dish in North Africa and Middle East and is originally from a country that has had a persistent passion for eggs and tomatoes. Tunisia.

The Moroccan version of the shakshuka includes kefta meatballs and in Morocco we don’t call it shakshuka but simply "kefta and eggs tagine", but isn’t shakshuka just too cute?

I am pretty sure you all know about the Middle Eastern kefta or kofta and you probably love it. Well, at least I do. But you have to try the Moroccan version, because yes, they taste different. 

In Morocco, kefta is like an institution, every single family knows where to buy and eat the best kefta and whole families usually go over and over to the same spot to find it.  

Served traditionally on special events, like our wedding – really! – bastila is the ultimate Moroccan meal. I have so many memories of my younger self inquisitively watching my mum and my aunts making gigantic bastilas large enough to feed 20 people. For some reason, I always thought that making bastila was a very complex process, designed only for grown ups.