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Come Party With Me: Moroccan Dinner - The Look

partysugar — Fri, 30 May 2008 09:17:15 -0700

Use a kaleidoscope of colors to create the look of a Moroccan dinner. Start by setting the table with an eye-catching Moroccan print tablecloth. Add ceramic plates, rustic silverware, and plain linen napkins. Serve the drinks in Moroccan tea glasses. Turn off the lights and hang Moroccan candleholders from the ceiling for a glowing, seductive ambiance. Arrange a blooming bouquet of pretty orange, yellow, and purple orchids. Write the guests' names on mosaic tiles and place on each plate for place cards.

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Come Party With Me: Moroccan Dinner - Drinks

partysugar — Thu, 29 May 2008 14:00:00 -0700

My Moroccan dinner would not be complete without sweet mint tea. This hot concoction is a common commodity on the streets of the North African country. Although alcohol is not traditionally consumed in Islamic culture, at my party I'll offer guests an alcoholic variation of the tea in the form of a green-tea cocktail. Water - both sparkling and still - local beers, and a couple bottles of wine will round out the drink menu.

For the recipes to both the hot and spiked teas, read more.

Moroccan Mint Tea
From Gourmet magazine

Ingredients

1 tablespoon loose Chinese gunpowder green tea
5 cups boiling water
3 to 4 tablespoons sugar, or to taste
1 large bunch fresh mint (1 ounce)

Directions

Put tea in teapot and pour in 1 cup boiling water, then swirl gently to warm pot and rinse tea. Strain out and discard water, reserving tea leaves in pot.
Add remaining 4 cups boiling water to tea and let steep 2 minutes.
Stir in sugar (to taste) and mint sprigs and steep 3 to 4 minutes more. Serve in small heatproof glasses.

Serves 6.

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Green Tea Cocktail
From Eat Entertainment

Ingredients

1 oz. green tea liqueur
1 oz. vodka
5 oz. white cranberry juice
1 lime slice or rosemary stick

Directions

Mix the green tea liqueur, vodka, and white cranberry juice, stirring to combine.
Serve in an ice-filled highball glass. Garnish with a lime slice or a stick of rosemary.

Makes 1 cocktail.

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Come Party With Me: Moroccan Dinner - Dessert

partysugar — Wed, 28 May 2008 15:00:17 -0700

Couscous is a staple common to North African cuisine. Instead of serving it as a savory part of my dinner menu, I decided to use it to make a sweet dessert. Most people have had rice or bread pudding, but the majority of my guests have yet to experience couscous pudding.

This variation is made with fluffy whipped cream, sautéed bananas, and fresh pineapple. This type of dessert is ideal for a dinner party because it can be made well in advance. To take a look at the recipe, read more.

Pineapple and Banana Couscous Pudding
From Bon Appétit magazine

Ingredients

3/4 cup water
1/2 cup plain couscous
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 large banana, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1 tablespoon (packed) golden brown sugar
1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons chilled whipping cream
5 tablespoons sweetened cream of coconut (such as Coco López)*
1 tablespoon triple sec
1/2 cup candied pineapple, minced
1 1/2 cups diced peeled fresh pineapple

Directions

Bring 3/4 cup water to boil in heavy medium saucepan over high heat.
Stir in couscous. Remove from heat. Cover and let stand until water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Fluff with fork.
Melt butter in small nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add banana and sugar and sauté until banana is soft, about 1 minute. Cool.
Using electric mixer, beat cream in large bowl until soft peaks form. Fold in cream of coconut and triple sec.
Reserve 6 tablespoons whipped cream mixture for topping.
Fold candied pineapple, couscous, and banana into remaining whipped cream mixture in large bowl. Divide mixture among 6 parfait glasses or dessert bowls. Can be made 4 hours ahead. Cover whipped cream mixture and puddings separately and refrigerate.
Top each pudding with some of reserved whipped cream mixture. Sprinkle each with fresh pineapple and serve.

Serves 6.

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Come Party With Me: Moroccan Dinner - Menu

partysugar — Tue, 27 May 2008 07:45:10 -0700

This week I'm planning a Moroccan-themed dinner. All of my friends will be attending a big birthday bash on Saturday night, so I thought it would be fun to get together early and have a delicious dinner. Instead of sending invitations, I've called everyone to personally invite them to dinner.

The menu is simple and flavor-packed. To get the party started, I'll serve mini Moroccan lamb burgers with lemon yogurt sauce and Moroccan carrot goat cheese sandwiches with green olive tapenade. The main course will consist of a fragrant Moroccan chicken potato salad with olives.

For these tantalizing recipes, read more.

Mini Moroccan Lamb Burgers with Lemon Yogurt Sauce
From Dave Lieberman

Ingredients

For the lemon yogurt sauce:
1 pint plain Greek-style yogurt, preferably full-fat
1/2 lemon, zested and juiced
Kosher salt
1 loaf brioche bread
For the mini burgers:
2 pounds ground lamb (preferably shoulder meat)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon salt
About 20 grinds fresh black pepper
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 small head red leaf lettuce, washed, dried, trimmed and torn into small pieces
4 ripe plum tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch thick rounds

Directions

Make the sauce: in a medium mixing bowl, stir together the yogurt and lemon zest and juice. Season, to taste, with a couple pinches of salt. Sauce can be made ahead of time and refrigerated until ready to use. Bring to room temperature before using.
Cut the brioche into about 1/3 to 1/2-inch thick slices and then use a small glass to cut out as many circles as possible, about 3 inches in diameter, from each slice. Place the bread "buns" in an airtight container until ready to use so that they stay moist and soft.
Make the burgers: preheat the grill.
Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and work together until they are fully incorporated.
Using a small ice cream scoop, scoop the mixture into little balls about 1 to 1 1/2 inches big and place them on a parchment paper-lined baking pan. Using your hands, flatten burgers to about 1/2-inch thick and just a couple inches in diameter.
Once the grill is hot, place them on the grill and cook, about 2 to 3 minutes per side or until fully cooked through; cook time varies based on how hot your grill is.
Place the cooked mini burgers on top of the cut brioche and add a piece of lettuce and a tomato slice. Top with a dollop of the lemon yogurt sauce and serve.

Serves 6.

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Moroccan Carrot Goat Cheese Sandwiches with Green Olive Tapenade
From Gourmet magazine

Ingredients

For carrots
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 lb medium carrots (
For tapenade
1 1/4 cups green olives (6 to 7 oz) such as Cerignola or picholine, pitted
3 tablespoons drained bottled capers, rinsed
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 flat anchovy fillet, chopped
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh lemon zest
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
For sandwiches
12 slices good-quality pumpernickel sandwich bread
6 oz soft mild goat cheese (3/4 cup) at room temperature

Directions

Prepare carrots: whisk together sugar, lemon juice, spices, salt, and oil in a large bowl until sugar is dissolved.
Halve carrots crosswise on a long diagonal, then, starting from diagonal ends, cut into 1/16-inch-thick slices using slicer.
Cook carrots in a 4- to 5-quart pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 45 seconds.
Drain well in a colander and immediately toss with dressing. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally, then marinate, covered and chilled, at least 4 hours.
Make tapenade and assemble sandwiches: pulse olives with capers, parsley, anchovy, zest, lemon juice, and pepper in a food processor until coarsely chopped, then scrape down side of bowl with a rubber spatula.
Pulsing motor, add oil in a slow stream and continue to pulse until mixture is finely chopped (do not pulse to a paste).
Spread tapenade on 6 slices of bread and goat cheese on remaining 6 slices, then make sandwiches with carrots.

Makes 6 sandwiches.

Make ahead: carrots can marinate up to 2 days. Tapenade can be made 1 week ahead and chilled, covered.

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Moroccan Chicken and Potato Salad with Olives
From Food and Wine magazine

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds boiling potatoes (about 5)
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
Fresh-ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
7 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 3)
1/2 red onion, chopped fine
1/3 cup black olives, such as Kalamata, halved and pitted
1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

Directions

Put the potatoes in a medium saucepan with salted water to cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and cook at a gentle boil until tender, about 25 minutes. Drain the potatoes.
When they are cool enough to handle, peel the potatoes and cut into 1/4-inch slices.
Meanwhile, in a small glass or stainless-steel bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, cumin, paprika, 3/4 teaspoon of the salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, the ginger, and the oregano. Whisk in 6 tablespoons of the oil.
Heat a grill pan or a heavy frying pan over moderate heat. For the grill pan, coat the chicken with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil; sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Cook the chicken for 5 minutes.
Turn and cook until browned and just done, about 4 minutes longer.
Remove, and when cool enough to handle, cut the chicken into 1/4-inch slices. For the frying pan, heat the oil in the pan and then season, cook, and slice the chicken in the same way.
In a large bowl, combine the warm potatoes with half of the dressing. Add the chicken, onion, olives, parsley, and the remaining dressing and toss.

Serves 4.

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Fast & Easy Dinner: Moroccan Meatballs Over Couscous

partysugar — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 09:01:38 -0700

After an exhausting day, don't be ashamed to get help from the supermarket. Especially on a Friday night. By then, the last thing you feel like doing is mixing and frying a batch of 36 meatballs. However, if you purchase a pack of frozen or premade ones, you can have a delicious dinner in twenty minutes. Get the fragrant sauce going quickly by chopping the onions and garlic in a food processor. Serve with a cold beer, a glass of Zinfandel or a full bodied Chardonnay. Drooling over the picture at left? Well get the recipe and make it now! - read more

Moroccan Meatballs Over Couscous
From The Nest

3 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 2/3 cups (10 ounces) plain couscous
36 already-cooked meatballs, fresh or frozen
2 large onions (for about 2 cups chopped)
1 large can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced, or 2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 fresh jalapeno pepper (for 2 tablespoons minced)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground (dried) ginger

Bring 2 cups water and 1 teaspoon of the vegetable oil to a boil in a medium-size saucepan. When the water boils, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the couscous. Cover the pan and let it stand until the meatballs are ready to serve. Just before serving, fluff the couscous lightly with a fork.
If the meatballs are frozen, run them under hot water so you can remove the packaging. Place the meatballs on a microwave-safe plate and microwave, uncovered, on high power for 2 minutes to partially defrost.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 teaspoons oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat (or use a 4 1/2-quart soup pot). Peel and coarsely chop the onions, adding them to the skillet as you chop. Cook, stirring, until the onions begin to soften, about 3 minutes.
Add the tomatoes and their juice. Add the garlic and the sugar to the skillet. Seed and finely chop the jalapeno. Add it to the sauce.
Cook, stirring occasionally, while you rinse and chop the cilantro and parsley (if using). Add them to the skillet. Then add the cumin, cinnamon, ginger, and meatballs (fresh or partially defrosted).
Cover the skillet and cook until the meatballs are heated through and are beginning to absorb the sauce, about 10 minutes. Serve immediately over the hot couscous.

Serves 8.

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Fast & Easy Dinner: Moroccan Stuffed Pork Chops

partysugar — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 05:28:11 -0800

It's easy to transport oneself to a foreign place with a savory, scrumptious dinner. Besides, making a meal with new taste flavors adds excitement to the boring workweek. Tonight take a trip to Morocco with these fragrant stuffed pork chops. Filled with bursting dried fruit, toasted pine nuts, and sweet cornbread, these chops are divinely delicious. Sautéed spinach rounds out the meal by adding a splash of green. For the recipe, read more.

Moroccan Stuffed Pork Chops
From Rachael Ray

1/4 cup pine nuts
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 cups small pieces prepared cornbread
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup dried currants or raisins
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Four 1-inch-thick bone-in pork chops (8 ounces each)
Salt and pepper
Two 6-ounce bags baby spinach

In a medium skillet, toast the pine nuts over medium heat for 3 minutes; transfer to a medium bowl.
Add 1 tablespoon butter and the onion to the pan and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes; add to the pine nuts.
Stir in the cornbread pieces, chicken broth, currants and cinnamon until combined.
Slice each pork chop in half horizontally, up to the bone. Spread the chops open and season with salt and pepper. Form the stuffing into 4 patties. Place 1 patty inside each pork chop and close the meat around the stuffing.
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in the skillet over medium heat. Add the chops, cover and cook for 5 minutes on each side. Transfer to a plate, cover loosely with foil and let stand for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, in the skillet, cook the baby spinach until just wilted. Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and season with salt and pepper.
Divide the spinach among 4 plates and top with the pork chops; drizzle any juices on top.

Serves 4.

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Monday's Leftovers: Moroccan Lamb

YumSugar — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 07:50:20 -0700

With a demanding schedule and a tight budget, it's only natural to develop the habit of eating the same staples for dinner each night. But getting yourself out of a cooking rut can be simple: It's about thinking outside the box with ingredients you already have in your pantry.

For instance, when you combine leftover lamb, canned tomatoes, dried fruit, and paprika with fresh ingredients like lime juice and cilantro, you'll have an exotic North African dinner on the table in no time. To transport your family to the markets of Marrakech, read more.

Moroccan Lamb
Adapted from Everyday Food

Ingredients

5 teaspoons olive oil
1 1/4 pounds boneless leg of lamb, cut into 1-inch cubes
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 large onion, halved and sliced
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 cup dried apricots, halved
1/2 cup pitted prunes
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) whole peeled tomatoes, drained
1/2 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves, plus more for garnish for the lamb
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Couscous, for serving (optional)

Directions

In a 5-quart saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, heat oil over high heat. Swirl to coat bottom of pan. Season lamb with salt and pepper; cook until browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
Reduce heat to medium. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 2 to 4 minutes. Add paprika, apricots, prunes, tomatoes, and 3 cups water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer, partially covered, until tomatoes begin to break apart and sauce is thickened, 25 to 30 minutes.
Return lamb and any accumulated juices to pan; cook until heated through, about 1 minute. Stir in cilantro and lime juice. Serve lamb with couscous, if desired; garnish with more cilantro.

Serves 4.

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Fast & Easy Dinner: Moroccan Chicken Kebabs

partysugar — Thu, 31 May 2007 08:59:31 -0700

During the summer, kebabs are an ideal quick fix meal. For super busy nights choose meats that don't need a long time to marinate and grill rapidly, such as poultry. In tonight's recipe the creamy marinade mixes together in minutes and the chicken soaks for 20 minutes. Blanching the vegetables before grilling allows them to get fully cooked without being charred on the outside and raw on the inside. Transform these tasty kebabs into an impromptu dinner party by pairing with purchased hummus, tabouleh, and crisped pita. Get a taste of Morocco with this recipe, just read more

Moroccan Chicken Kebabs
From Eating Well

1/4 cup nonfat plain yogurt
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into smaller pieces
2 small bell peppers, chopped in large chunks
1 large zucchini, sliced in 1/2 inch rounds

Stir together yogurt, parsley, cilantro, lemon juice, oil, garlic, paprika, cumin, salt, pepper and cayenne in a medium bowl. Add chicken and toss to coat well. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat grill or broiler.
Blanch bell peppers in boiling salted water for 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and refresh with cold water.
Blanch zucchini for 1 minute. Drain and refresh with cold water.
Alternate chicken cubes, peppers and zucchini on skewers.
Grill or broil the kebabs until the chicken is no longer pink in the center, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Garnish with a sprinkle of chopped parsley.

Serves 4.

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Must Read: The Best Casserole Cookbook Ever

partysugar — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 07:45:08 -0800

Due to the difficult economic climate, in the past couple of months, the casserole - a one-pot dish that feeds a crowd and often consists of budget-friendly ingredients - has made a strong comeback. To fully embrace the trend, I recently obtained a copy of The Best Casserole Cookbook Ever ($24.95) by Beatrice Ojakangas. It's filled with over 500 casserole recipes, and to find out what I thought of this cookbook, read more.

Pros:

The book takes a healthy approach to casseroles by encouraging home cooks to make their own sauces to replace the "cream of" soups.
There's a loose interpretation of the word "casserole." According to the author, casserole can "refer either to the dish that the food is cooked in or to the food itself." So, while there are plenty of classic casserole recipes, there are also tons of recipes for one-pot, baked dishes.
The book covers every type of cuisine and cooking procedure, from classic breakfast dishes to Moroccan-influenced dinners to casseroles for two.

Cons:

Some of the recipes lack important details. For example, step two in the chili con queso recipe says to "melt butter in a small skillet and add the green onions and poblano peppers. Saute for 5 minutes." The recipe fails to mention the temperature of the stove.
The ingredient lists have too many options, leaving it up to the home cook to decide what to include in the casserole. A recipe will say "heavy cream or sour cream" "4 slices of bacon or 1/2 cup cooked ham." Surely the casserole tastes different depending on which ingredient is used. I prefer for the cookbook author to tell me which one tastes better.
There are virtually no color photographs. In fact, there are almost no photos at all.

Recipes: The focus of this book is clearly the recipes and there is definitely something for everyone. Here are the casserole recipes I would like to make:

All of the hot cheese slather spreads in the appetizer section
Cheese and sausage breakfast pie
Chicken Marengo
Chicken, polenta, and morel casserole
Beer-baked Irish beef
Fiesta casserole
Casserole-braised lamb shanks
Crab melt casserole
Corn and chive pudding
Peaches and cream dessert casserole

Imagery: There are about 16 color photographs in the entire book. Although these images are mouthwatering and professional, some seem a little too stylized.

Overall Rating: If you love casseroles or use the oven to do most of your cooking, you will love this book. The insane quantity of recipes guarantees that you'll be using it in the years to come.

Link Time!

CasaSugar — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 12:00:00 -0700

AT:SF checks out some vintage glass.
Craft shows you how to reupholster with a staple gun.
Danny Seo whips up some beeswax candles.
Daily Dose finds gorgeous steel retro outdoor seating.
HouseMartin shares gorgeous wedding bouquets.
More Ways to Waste Time finds gorgeous floral photos.
YumSugar helps you get the Moroccan dinner look.
SavvySugar has more tips for surviving a pricey wedding season.

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