Ras el Hanout-Spiced Berber Lemon Chicken Tagine with Almond-Stuffed Green Olives

Dave DeWitt Recipes Leave a Comment

This recipe and others can be found in the following article:

Moroccan Tagines

by Nancy Gerlach 

 

Tagines or tajines are wonderfully aromatic North African stews that combine meats, poultry, chicken, or fish with fruits, vegetables and a large variety of spices. The centerpiece of Moroccan meals, there are literally hundreds of traditional tagines as well as many regional variations 

Ingredients

4 chicken thighs, skin attached, or substitute chicken breasts
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, sliced thin
1 tablespoon grated ginger
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoon ras el hanout, store-bought or see recipe here
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken broth
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon honey
1 cup cooked chickpeas
1/3 cup green olives stuffed with almonds
2 cups cooked couscous or rice

Sliced lemon peel and chopped fresh flat leaf parsley for garnish

Instructions

Rinse off the chicken, pat dry, and season with salt and pepper.

Heat a heavy saucepan over moderately high heat, add the oil and when hot, place the chicken pieces, skin side down, in the skillet and fry for 5 minutes or until browned. Turn the pieces and brown on the other side. Remove the chicken and keep warm. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat from the skillet.

Add the onion to the pan and saute until it is softened. Add the ginger and garlic and cook for an additional couple of minutes. Stir in the ras el hanout, lemon zest, and flour. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly to cook the flour. Whisk in the broth, raise the heat, and scrape all the bits and pieces from the bottom of the pan into the sauce. Add the lemon juice and honey.

Reduce the heat, return the chicken pieces to the pan, and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 30 to 40 minutes or until the chicken is just done. Add the chickpeas and olives and simmer for 5 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings.

To serve, create bed of couscous or rice on a large platter, place the chicken pieces on top, and pour the sauce over the chicken. Garnish with the parsley and lemon peel.

Beef Tagine with Green Olives

Dave DeWitt Recipes Leave a Comment

This recipe and others can be found in the following article:

Moroccan Tagines

by Nancy Gerlach 

 

Tagines or tajines are wonderfully aromatic North African stews that combine meats, poultry, chicken, or fish with fruits, vegetables and a large variety of spices. The centerpiece of Moroccan meals, there are literally hundreds of traditional tagines as well as many regional variations 

 
Beef Tagine with Green Olives 

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds stewing beef, cut in 1-inch pieces
1 teaspoon ground paprika
1 teaspoon ground cayenne chile
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons tomato puree
4 shallots, quartered
1 large potato, cubed
2 large carrots, diced
1 can chopped tomatoes
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
Salt
1/2 cup pitted green olives

Instructions

Mix the paprika, cayenne, cinnamon, ginger, and garlic in two tablespoons of the olive oil and tomato in a large bowl. Add the beef and toss to coat. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator overnight,

Heat the remaining oil in the bottom of the tagine or skillet and fry the shallots, potaotes, and carrots until they begin to color. Remove.

Add the beef and brown on all sides. Return the vegetables to the tagine along with the chopped tomatoes and any remaining marinade. Cover and cook over a low heat for 3 to 4 hours or until the beef is tender.

Add the parsley, season with salt, and stir in the olives. Continue cooking for 15 minutes.

Serve this tagine with plain couscous.

Harissa and Seven-Vegetable Couscous

Dave DeWitt Recipes Leave a Comment

This recipe and others can be found in the following article:

Moroccan Tagines

by Nancy Gerlach 

 

Tagines or tajines are wonderfully aromatic North African stews that combine meats, poultry, chicken, or fish with fruits, vegetables and a large variety of spices. The centerpiece of Moroccan meals, there are literally hundreds of traditional tagines as well as many regional variations 

 

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup harissa, store-bought or see recipe here
4 dried piquin chiles
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 quart vegetable broth
1/2 teaspoon saffron or substitute ground turmeric
1 large potato, peeled and diced
4 medium canned tomatoes, chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and julienne-cut
1 cup canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 small zucchini, julienne-cut
1 small eggplant, peeled and cubed
1 cup frozen peas
4 cups couscous
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup lemon juice, preferably fresh
Chopped flat leaf parsley for garnish
 
Harissa and Seven-Vegetable Coucous 

Instructions

Heat a Dutch oven or stockpot over high heat and add the oil; when hot, reduce the heat, add the onion and garlic and saute until soft. Add the harissa, chiles, cumin, ginger, cinnamon, and allspice and continue to cook for 5 minutes.

Add the broth, saffron, and potato and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer the stew for an hour, adding water if necessary to thin if it becomes too thick.

Add the tomatoes, carrots, and chickpeas and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the zucchini, eggplant, and peas, and simmer until the vegetables are done. Taste and adjust the seasonings.

Put the couscous in a bowl and add an equal amount of boiling water; cover and let stand for 5 minutes.

Stir the lemon juice into the stew, taste and adjust the seasonings.

To serve: mound the couscous on a platter, top with the stew and garnish with the parsley. Serve with additional harissa sauce on the side.

Lamb Tagine with Prunes and Honey

Dave DeWitt Recipes Leave a Comment

This recipe and others can be found in the following article:

Moroccan Tagines

by Nancy Gerlach 

 

Tagines or tajines are wonderfully aromatic North African stews that combine meats, poultry, chicken, or fish with fruits, vegetables and a large variety of spices. The centerpiece of Moroccan meals, there are literally hundreds of traditional tagines as well as many regional variations 

Ingredients

2 tablespoons Ras el Hanout, either store-bought or see recipe here
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne chile
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds boneless lamb, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
1 cup coarsely grated onion
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 4-inch stick cinnamon
3 small tomatoes, chopped
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 cups beef broth
1 1/2 cups dried prunes
1 1/2 cups whole blanched almonds, sauteed in butter
2 to 3 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

In a tagine, large stockpot, or Dutch oven, whisk the ras el hanout, ginger, cayenne, saffron, salt and pepper into half of the broth. Add the lamb, onion, garlic, cinnamon stick, tomatoes, and butter. Add the remaining broth and place over a high heat. When the liquid is almost boiling, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer until the lamb is tender about 1 1/2 hours.

Stir in the prunes, almonds, honey, and cinnamon. Cover and simmer until the meat is very tender, an additional 30 minutes.

Uncover the pot, raise the heat and cook over a medium high heat, and stirring occasionally, until the stew has slightly thick, about 20 more minutes.

Chap Chee (Korean Mixed Vegetables with Beef and Vermicelli Noodles)

Dave DeWitt Recipes Leave a Comment

This recipe and others can be found in the following article:

 Oodles and Oodles of Asian Noodles

by Nancy Gerlach, Fiery-Foods.com Food Editor Emeritus 

Ingredients

  • 3/4 pound flank or sirloin steak, trimmed and thinly sliced against the grain in strips 2-inches wide

  • 1/4 cup dried wood ear mushrooms

  • 4 ounces vermicelli noodles

  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

  • 4 cloves garlic, sliced

  • 1 tablespoon grated ginger

  • 4 green onions, finely chopped including some of the greens

  • 4 Thai chiles, stems removed, minced or substitute serrano or jalapeño chiles

  • 1 small carrot, julienne cut in 3-inch long pieces

  • 1 small red bell pepper, julienne cut in 3-inch long pieces

  • 1 1/2 cups chopped fresh spinach

  • 1/2 cup straw mushrooms

  • 1/2 cup bean sprouts

  • Garnish: Chopped fresh cilantro

  • Toasted sesame seeds

     

    Kimchi

    Sauce:

    • 1/4 cup soy sauce

    • 2 tablespoons sugar

    • 1 tablespoon sesame seed oil

    • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

    Marinade:

    • 1 tablespoon soy sauce

    • 1 tablespoon sugar

    • 1 green onion, chopped

    • 1 teaspoon minced garlic

    • 1 teaspoon sesame seed oil

     

    • Instructions

    Combine all the ingredients for the marinade in a bowl and add the beef. Toss to coat and marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes.

    Place the wood ears in a bowl and cover with warm water. Allow the mushrooms to steep for 30 minutes to soften. Drain the mushrooms and discard the water.

    Cook the noodles according to the directions on the package, drain and keep warm.

    Combine all the sauce ingredients in a bowl and stir to mix.

    Heat a wok or heavy skillet over medium-high heat, add the oil and when hot, add the meat and quickly stir-fry until browned, about 2 minutes. Remove and keep warm.

    Add the garlic and ginger to the wok and stir-fry until fragrant. Add the onions and chiles and stir-fry for an additional 2 minutes. Next add the carrots, bell peppers, and spinach and stir-fry for 2 more minutes.

    Stir the sauce into the wok and add the noodles. Continue to stir-fry until the noodles absorb the sauce. Return the beef and cook until all ingredients are hot.

    To serve, place the Chap Chee on a large serving platter, garnish with the cilantro and sesame seeds and serve with the kimchi on the side.