Beet Hummus w/ Ras El Hanout

Last weekend, I saw Jeff Mauro make mint and beet hummus on The Sandwich King.  At first it seemed odd, then it seemed like a really good idea!  I have a huge jar of beets from my aunt's garden, and I am always on the lookout for different ways to use them.  Well, the grocery store was out of mint, which forced me to redirect 3 of my planned recipes.  While staring at my overly crowded spice/condiment cabinet, I realized I had ras el hanout.  The earthy blend sounded like the perfect compliment to beets.  I was right, beets and ras el hanout are an utterly dreamy pairing!

Beet Hummus w/ Ras el Hanout
1 14oz can drained and rinsed chick peas
1/2 14oz can drained and rinsed white beans (optional, I added them for extra creaminess)
1 C roughly chopped roasted (and peeled) beets (~2 med beets)
1/3 C extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp tahini
2 tsp ras el hanout
zest of 1/2 a large lemon
juice of 1 large lemon (~2 Tbsp)
1 large clove garlic
salt to taste

   Blend everything together:  food processor, good blender, immersion blender.  Salt to taste, the amount will you need to add with vary depending on your spice blend.  I need about 1/4 tsp.  (Add extra olive oil if you prefer a thinner hummus.)
   Makes about 3 C.

Moroccan Spiced Chicken Fried Tofu

We've been cooking more and more tofu over the last few months.  I've gotten pretty good at cooking it, and it is cheap (less than $2/lb for organic.)  The most difficult thing is giving it enough time to press/drain.

A few weeks ago after a late night Muay Thai class (not where we usually go), we stopped at Whole Foods for dinner.  The nearest Whole Foods is 45 minutes away from us, so it was kind of a treat.  I saw chicken fried tofu at the hot bar and clearly had to try it.  Funny thing, I also had some simmered beef thing that was really good.  The sauce from the beef on the tofu was deeeelicious.  They should consider making it a new dish.

I became mildly obsessed with the idea of chicken fried tofu.  I had to make it.  And honestly, I think my version is better.  If only because mine wasn't sitting on the hot bar so it was still freshly crispy.  But the spice blend I used to season it is really good, so that helps too.  I do think their version is vegan, whereas mine is vegetarian.  Maybe I will come up with a vegan variation next time.

Moroccan Spiced Chicken Fried Tofu

1-1 lb block extra firm tofu

Moroccan Spice Blend

1 large egg

1/2 C buttermilk

about 3/4 C flour

about 1/2 C coarse ground cornmeal

salt and pepper

oil for frying (I used vegetable)

   Portion tofu into 4-6 slices, depending on how thick you want them.  I think 4 is best, cut from the long side of the block.  Place tofu between paper towels in a clean dish cloth.  Put a cutting board and something to weigh it down on top, a 28oz can of something works well.  Let press/drain for at least 45 minutes.*

   Liberally season with Moroccan spice blend.  The blend I have doesn't have a lot of salt, so I can coat things pretty well.  Just be careful with different brands.

   Combine egg and buttermilk.

   Combine flour and cornmeal.  Salt and pepper the flour mixture (about 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper).

   Coat tofu slices with flour, then egg mixture, then flour, egg, flour.

   Fry in a shallow pan w/ about 1/3 inch of oil heated over med/med-high heat for about 3 minutes on the first side and 2 on the second.  Drain on paper towels.

   Serves 4-6.

*Some people say it is better to press/drain the tofu, freeze it, then drain it again by placing it between paper towels while it is thawing.  I tried this technique and it did dry out well, but I think just pressing/draining it well the first time is good enough.

    

  

Roasted Chick Pea and Artichoke Salad

Roasted chick peas have become one of our favorite things.  Slow roasting them makes them a little crunchy and they become the perfect satisfying snack or side.  In what may have been a mini stroke of genius, I threw them on a top of a salad.  Such a great alternative to croutons!  I made these to go with our chicken shawarma, so they have a Middle Eastern/North African twist with ras el hanout.  I used Al'fez, which you can find at World Market.  It is earthy, smokey, a little spicy, with just a touch of sweetness.

Ras el Hanout Roasted Chick Peas
2 cans organic (or no salt added) chick peas, drained and rinsed
1-1 1/2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp ras el hanout*
1/2 tsp sweet paprika (use a high quality Hungarian paprika if you want flavor and not just color)

   Toss chick peas with oil and spices.  Spread into a single layer on a baking sheet.
   375 deg F for 25-30 minutes, until they reach the desired texture.
   Serves 4.  6-8 if you are putting them on a salad.
*The blend I used had enough salt for the dish, but if your blend does not have much, adjust salt to taste.

Roasted Chick Pea and Artichoke Salad
(per salad)
2 C mixed greens (I used spinach and green leaf lettuce)
~1/3 C roasted chick peas
~1/3 C sliced marinated artichokes
a sprinkle of crumbled feta
tangy dressing (like Greek, a lemon vinaigrette, or my obvious old stand by.)
*Kalamata olives were supposed to go on the salad, but I didn't realize I was out of them.

Chicken Shawarma w/ Zahtar Flatbread & Tahini Sauce

So, The Avengers comes out on DVD today.  I know many of my friends will be picking it up after work (if they have not already done so) and indulging in a movie night.  In honor of this, I figure I would do a shawarma recipe.  (Also, the hubs has been wanting me to make Middle Eastern food like two weeks now.) This is a variation on a spice blend recipe my husband found on some unknown website.  I was surprised that I had everything to make a good Middle Eastern spice blend; it just goes to show what a well stocked spice cabinet can do!

Chicken Shawarma
~1 lb chicken breast (2 breasts), very thinly sliced or cubed
1 med onion, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp cumin
1 1/2 tsp coriander
1 1/2 tsp cardamom
1 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion poweder
1/8 tsp cayenne
1/8 tsp ground clove
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp lemon juice

   Combine all spices.  Add oil and lemon juice to create a paste.  Marinate chicken in spice blend for 30 min at room temp, or up to overnight in the fridge.
   Heat a little oil in a large skillet over med heat.  Saute onion and bell pepper for about 5 minutes, until starting to soften.  Add chicken and all the extra spice blend.  Cook until chicken is done, about 7-8 minutes.
   Serves 2.

Tahini Sauce
3/4 C plain Greek yogurt
1/4 C tahini
1 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 med garlic clove, pasted
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
salt

   Combine all ingredients.
   Makes ~1 C sauce.
   Serves ~6.

Flat Bread w/ Zahtar
store bought flat bread (I used Kangaroo)
~1 tsp ghee for each flat bread
~1/2 tsp zahtar spice blend per flat bread

   Brush ghee on flat bread.  Sprinkle with spice blend.  Bake at 375 deg F for 5-7 min.

Egg Curry with Artichokes and Zucchini

   I almost posted my summer berry clafouti recipe but another food blogger has chosen cherry clafouti as her post for the day.  So out of respect, I guess I need to hold off on that one for a bit.  No problem, I remembered my promise from yesterday and I must stick to that.

   Oh, and this curry is fabulous so I really want to share it with you!  It sounds really strange and not entirely Indian, but it is uncommonly good.  It is kind of more on the Moroccan side because of the vegetables I used, but it doesn't really have enough of the "sweet" spices to be considered totally Moroccan.  Maybe very Northern Indian?  Northwestern Indian?  Half Indian, half Moroccan?  Whatever.  I'm not going to try to figure it out;  I am just going to tell you to make it.  Please don't be turned off by the long ingredient list;  it is super easy to make!

Egg Curry with Artichokes and Zucchini
8 hard boiled eggs, halved and lightly salted
1 lb zucchini, cut into bite sized chunks
1 can artichoke hearts, drained and halved
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tsp grated ginger
1 tsp cracked fenugreek seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 Tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp ground cardamon
1 14 oz can crushed tomatoes (~2 C)
2 bay leaves
1 star anise
1 cinnamon stick (2-3 inches)
oil
salt and pepper
(you made need about 1 tsp sugar)

   Saute onions in a little bit of oil over medium heat until they just start to turn brown at the edges.  Add a little bit more oil and garlic, ginger, fenugreek, cumin, and red pepper flake.  Saute for about 2 minutes until fragrant.  Add tomato paste, melt into pan (1-2 min). 
   Add crushed tomatoes, zucchini, chili powder, cardamon, coriander, bay leaves, cinnamon, and star anise.  Cover, turn to med-low, simmer for 10-15 minutes.
   Salt and pepper to taste.  If tomatoes taste too tinny or acidic, add a little bit of sugar.  Add a touch of water if tomatoes seem really thick, about 1/4 C.
   Nestle eggs and artichokes into sauce.  Cover and heat through, 5-7 minutes.
   Serve with rice.
   Serves 4

Moroccan Dry-Cured Olives

   I realized that the last few posts have all involved things I dislike if not outright hate.  So let's talk about something I really like.  Love is probably a better word here.

   Olives.

   I know that many people are on the fence about olives.  Maybe they like only black olives, the ultra ripe ones in a can, or they refuse to even touch an olive that still contains a pit.  Or they just avoid them all together.  I love olives.  All kinds.  Never met one I didn't like.  And I've liked them my entire life.  I remember that my dad would give me the Spanish olives out of gin martinis when I was a kid.  (Yes, you read that correctly.)  To this day, I still adore olives soaked in gin.  I keep meaning to buy a little thing of it and replace the olive juice in the jar with Tanqueray.  The Kroger that we usually visit has seriously stepped up their deli game.  They now have an amazing Mediterranean bar (and cheese case <3) that includes, like, 15 different varieties of olives.  I was in heaven when I found this out.  I could have spent hours there sneaking bites of those little briny fruits.

   What caught my eye as new and special (in my life, at least.) were the Moroccan dry-cured olives.  They are a little salty, but really fruity and mild.  I think that these olives could convert olive-haters.  The flesh is velvety, smooth, and rich.  And, because they are not brined, don't have that brackish, tangy bite which many olives do.  I had to put these in my chopped olive salad/topping.  I snatched up a half pint along with a pint of the Greek olive mix that had Kalamatas, Nafplions, Amfissas, and several other varieties.

    We put this olive mix over a simple pan grilled tilapia.  The next day for lunch, I had it in a wrap with spinach and cucumbers.  It would be awesome folded into some yogurt for a veggie dip, or mixed with some tomatoes for an easy bruschetta topping.
TIP:  If for some reason you have an olive pitter in your house, great.  If you don't, the easiest way to pit olives, in my opinion, is to score one side down to the pit, the using the flat of your knife blade, crush it, as if you were crushing a garlic clove.  The pit should pop right out.


Chopped Olive Salad feat. Moroccan Dry-Cured Olives
1 C chopped Greek olive mix
1/2 C chopped dry-cured olives
1/2 of a large roasted red pepper, chopped
2 Tbsp of the Greek olive brine
1 tsp minced garlic


   Combine ingredients.  (It just gets better as it sits, so make it a couple days in advance.)
   6-8 servings

Moroccan Goat Curry

  Don't be afraid of goat!  Please try it.  The meat has a distinct yet mild flavor.  It is lean with about 10 g of fat per pound, and only 3 g of saturated fat.  That is less than half of the saturated fat of an equivalent cut of beef. packed with great protein.  It has more protein than the average beef steak you buy in the grocery store.

Moroccan Goat Curry
1 lb goat steak, cut into 1" pieces.
1 large sweet potato, cut into 1" pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
1 can diced tomatoes
2 C chicken or beef broth
1/4 C raisins
1 Tbsp minced garlic
2 tsp freshly grated ginger
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp clove
1/4 tsp cardamon
1 Tbsp goat cheese (optional)
oil, salt, pepper

In a large, deep skillet brown goat pieces in oil over medium-high heat. (If the cut has bones, brown those too!  Bones=flavor)  Remove goat, reduce heat to medium. Saute onions for 3-4 minutes.  Add tomatoes, garlic, ginger and broth.  Add all powdered/ground spices and a little bit of salt and pepper.  Bring to boil, reduce to simmer.  Return goat pieces to broth.  Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 1 hour.  (Or until pieces feel tender.)  Add sweet potatoes and raisins.  Cover and simmer for 35-40 minutes, until potatoes are fork tender.)  To add a touch of creaminess and richness, stir in goat cheese (optional).  Serve over rice that has been cooked with 1 bay leaf, 1 star anise, and 1 small cinnamon stick.
4 servings.
*Beef or lamb could be used with this, but cooking times will be very different.

Not the most appetizing picture, but I was so excited I couldn't wait to make a pretty plate to take a picture.

For more information on goat and to purchase meat here are a few websites:

Tennessee Dept. of Agriculture

USDA Goat Meat 

GoatMeats.com