Spicy Lamb Soup (Harira)

For Ramadan, it is traditional to start your meal with a warm soup.  In Morocco, harira is a popular lamb soup that is tedious to make, but oh-so delicious.  I simplified the recipe quite a bit without substituting any of the flavor.  Also, having a pressure cooker is key – especially in Ramadan, when you don’t have the energy to stand over a hot stove for several hours.  Dont be intimidated by the list of ingredients.  This is very simple to make, and all in one pot!

Spicy Lamb Soup (Harira)

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes (with a pressure cooker)

1 yellow onion, diced
1 cup of celery, diced
1 1/4 lb boneless, trimmed leg of lamb – diced into small cubes
1/2 tsp of salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp ginger powder
1/2 tsp saffron threads
1/2 tsp curry powder
1 clove of garlic
pinch of thyme
olive oil
1 tomato, diced
1 cup brown lentils (rinse well)
1/4 cup of tomato paste (approx. 3 tbsp)
1 can of chickpeas
1/4 parsley
1/2 lemon

(1) Combine lamb with salt, pepper, ginger, saffron, thyme, curry, and garlic.  Add a dash of olive oil to moisten the mixture.  Mix well.  Let the lamb marinate while you prepare the other ingredients. You can also prepare this the night before.
(2) In a pressure cooker, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil.  Saute the onion and celery.  Add the lamb, and brown on all sides.
(3) Add the lentils, tomato paste, and tomatoes.  Mix well.  Cover the mixture with approximately 2 to 3 cups of water.  Add another pinch of salt, and curry (or chili flakes if you like heat).
(4) Cover the pressure cooker, and let the pressure build for approximately 10 minutes.  Reduce the heat to medium and cook for another 25 minutes.
(5) Release the pressure according to the instructions for your pressure cooker. 
(6) Add the can of chickpeas, parsley, and the juice of 1/2 lemon (can add more to taste). Serve and enjoy!

Spiced Butternut Squash Summer Salad (Salatat Maftoul)

The first time I had maftoul (sold in the U.S. as “israeli couscous”), I couldnt have been more happy.  I am not a fan of regular couscous, particularly because of the texture.  However, maftoul is actually small bits of pasta that can be used instead of couscous.  It has a nice soft bite to it, and it is amazing.  It is almost like an Arab orzo.  In the Arab world, maftoul is usually served as a side with lots of spices, and sometimes with tomato sauce, and often times with chicken.  However, I decided to make a light summer salad that combines both savory and sweet ingredients. It is great served chilled, and the flavors intensify in the refrigerator.  This recipe can also easily be vegetarian by substituting the chicken broth for your favorite vegetable broth. 

Spiced Butternut Squash Summer Salad
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes

3 cups of maftoul (“israeli couscous”)
4 cups of chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
3 cups of diced butternut squash (approx. 1 whole butternut squash)
1 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp garam masala
1/4 cup dried cranberries, roughly chopped
1/4 cup currants
1/4 toasted pine nuts
salt and pepper

(1) In a pot, combine the maftoul with 3 1/2 cups of chicken broth. Bring to a boil to cook the maftoul. Add a pinch of salt if the broth is low sodium. Once cooked, set aside.
(2) Prepare the other ingredients (i.e. chop the butternut squash, toast the pine nuts, etc.) while your maftoul is cooking.
(3) In a large saucepan, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil.  Add the diced butternut squash, curry, and garam masala. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of chicken broth.  Add a pinch of salt and pepper.  Saute and mix well. 
(4) Once the butternut squash is soft, add the cooked maftoul, cranberries, currants, and pine nuts.  Mix well. Remove from heat.
(5)  Once the salad has cooled, place in the refigerator for at least 2 hours.  Serve chilled.  Top with freshly toasted pine nuts or almonds, as desired.

Curried Chicken Shawarma

Chicken shawarma is one of those restaurant items that can be hit or miss.  Some restaurants make it very well, and others not so well.  Sometimes you end up with dry bits of chicken, often shoved into a sandwich with too much garlic sauce to make up for the dryness.  Bleck. This was my first attempt at making chicken shawarma, and it turned out very juicy and tender.  I did a lot of research and found that you basically need a lot of acid in the marinade to make it tender – hence, I used greek yogurt, vinegar and lemon juice.  Next time, I will experiment with less greek yogurt because there was almost too much juicy-ness while it was cooking.  I also didn’t use traditional spices, as I threw in some curry and cayenne pepper.  I put it on top of a modified fattoush recipe (I didn’t have all the ingredients on hand), and the dressing complimented the spice of the shawarma. Nice low-fat, healthy recipe – Yum!

Curried Chicken Shawarma

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into small bite size slices
6 oz of greek yogurt (little less than 1/4 cup)
1 tbsp vinegar
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp seven spice
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
dash of cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp salt
olive oil (for pan frying)

(1) In a large Ziploc bag, combine all of the ingredients above (except olive oil).  Let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Let the chicken come close to room temperature before cooking though.

(2) In a large saucepan, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil.  Try to drain the residual liquid marinade from the Ziploc bag.  Saute the chicken.  I found I still had a lot of juice in the saucepan, so I drained again while I was cooking the chicken.  Let the chicken cook until it is lightly browned.

(3) Serve on top of your favorite salad, or in a sandwich.  Enjoy!

Weeknight Chicken Masala

Being a new parent of twins, I am always looking for the quick and easy way of making things that I used to enjoy making from scratch.  One thing I discovered many years ago is Trader Joe’s Masala Simmer Sauce.  It has been a lifesaver when it comes to last minute guests.  I will surely post more of these recipes in the weeks to come, as I whip up a mean chickpea masala 🙂 Also, note, that I am not the biggest fan of the other indian sauces at Trader Joes, so be sure to use this one.

WEEKNIGHT CHICKEN MASALA
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4

1 cup Basmati Rice
1/2 tsp Turmeric
1 1/2 cup of water
Salt

2 chicken breasts, cubed
1 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 potato, diced
1/2 cup of frozen vegetable mix (I used corn, green beans, peas and carrots)
1 can of Trader Joe’s Masala Simmer Sauce
2 tsp curry powder
2 tsp tandoori masala powder
Olive Oil
Salt
Fresh Ground Black Pepper
Chopped parsley (optional)

(1) In a rice cooker, add the rice, water, turmeric powder and salt to taste. Let the rice cook while you make the rest of the meal.
(2) In a medium saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  Add onion and garlic and saute.  Once onions become translucent, add 1 tsp of the curry powder.  Mix well to coat the onion mixture.
(3) Add the diced chicken to the onion mixture.  Add the remaining curry powder and the tandoori masala powder. Cook until chicken is tender.
(4) Add frozen vegetables, and potatoes. Once the frozen vegetables have thawed out, add the Masala Simmer Sauce.  Fill the empty jar halfway with water, and add to the mixture.
(5) Once the mixture comes to rapid simmer, cover and reduce heat.  Let simmer for approximately 20-30 minutes, or until potatoes are cooked.
(6) Sprinkle fresh chopped parsley prior to serving with the basmati rice. Enjoy!

Spicy Baked Egg Rolls

Who doesnt love a fried egg roll? In this version, I chose to bake the egg rolls and to stuff with a spicy meat mixture. It is important that you butter the egg rolls before you place them in the oven otherwise the wrapper will not cook all the way through. Enjoy!

Olive Oil
1/2 lb of lean ground beef
1 package of 15 egg roll wrappers
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 ripe tomato, diced
1 cubanelle pepper, diced
1/2 cup frozen peas and carrot mix
1 8 oz can of tomato sauce
2 tsp cumin powder
1 1/4 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp cardamom powder (optional)
2 tbsp of melted Olivio or similar butter alternative
salt
pepper
chopped parsley

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

(1) Heat olive oil in a saucepan. Once heated, add onions and garlic and cook until translucent.
(2) Once translucent, add 1 1/2 tsp of cumin and 1 tsp of curry. This may cause the onion/garlic mix to appear dry. If so, add a little more olive oil. Mix well.
(3) Add ground beef to mixture. Add fresh ground pepper and salt to taste. If available, add 1/4 tsp of cardamom powder, or extract.
(4) Once the meat has been browned, add the diced tomato, cubanelle pepper, and frozen peas and carrots. Once the mixture reaches a simmer again, and the vegetables are no longer frozen, add can of tomato sauce.
(5) If you like added spice, then add another 1/2 tsp of cumin and 1/4 tsp of curry to the mixture. This will add a nice spicy flavor to the mixture.
(6) Once the mixture has simmered, and there is no more moisture (should resemble a thick paste), then remove from heat and stir in fresh chopped parsley.
(7) Use egg roll wrappers and place about a tablespoon of mixture towards the bottom of the square, leaving space at both sides.
(8) Fold the left and right sides of the wrapper inwards, and then roll the entire wrapper towards the top. Repeat for all 15 wrappers.
(9) Brush all sides of the wrapper with melted Olivio or similar butter alternative.
(9) In a greased baking pan, place the brushed egg rolls and bake for 15 minutes. Once the top of the wrappers are golden brown, flip each roll in the oven and bake for another 10 minutes until golden brown and crispy on all sides.