VEGETARIAN DISHES AND GRAINS
Book publication countdown is starting soon, by soon, I mean NEXT WEEK. Is it too early? When is it socially acceptable to start counting down the days to “an important event”? Casablanca will be out in the world in 10 weeks (but who’s counting?) and I will NOT stay calm. Did you know that you can now preview the book on amazon? There are about 10 recipes for you to see so you can have a feel of the book! If you live in the UK, please, please don’t forget to preorder your copy. And for my friends in the US, Canada, Australia, Germany, Holland and Spain, hang on with me, I will announce the publication dates for your countries ASAP.
It’s mid-May so we can officially say summer is around the cauliflower, ugh I mean the corner! Ok, not funny.
It's been a while since I've last posted a tagine recipe! Well, this mainly proves one thing: Moroccan cuisine is not only about tagines, don’t you think? Not that I don't love love love our yummy stews but Moroccan food has so many other treasures to offer, like bastila, almond briouates or maakouda!
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.
I know it’s been a very long time friends and I had genuine intentions to post this recipe a few weeks ago but as you probably noticed, summer happened and it made me postpone a few blog posts on my editorial calendar #sorrynotsorry.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.