To be honest, I was inspired to make this based on a menu item I didn’t actually order at an Afghani restaurant – something called a Kaddo Bouarani, sweetened pumpkin with Afghani meat sauce. Since Lillian already has a wonderful recipe for the latter, I decided to try making the pumpkin half, especially since pie […]
Middle Eastern
Merguez Sausage Tajine
I’ve been finding Moroccan style sausage at many different meat shops lately. This was made with goat merguez sausage from Clancey’s, which had really good flavor. I used a spice blend, but I’m sure you could use fresh spices and add some more ingredients (like dried fruit), but it turned out tasty when made this […]
Middle Eastern Veggie Ragout
I got this recipe from a cookbook by Chef Ramzi, which contains a nice mix of Middle Eastern and international recipes. I have no idea if it’s an “authentic” Middle Eastern recipe, but it uses ingredients and techniques from that region. It’s also really easy, uses simple ingredients and is quite tasty. Ingredients1 small onion, […]
Moroccan Bread with Semolina Flour
Here’s a recipe from Melanie – I know we already have an ok-ish Moroccan bread recipe, but this one is a bit more authentic. However, every bakery/family does the bread a little bit differently. This recipe is heavy on the semolina flour, while others are more wheaty. It’s also our first family-made video recipe! Here’s […]
Moroccan Style Kufta in Tomato Sauce
This is a recipe from Melanie/Melanie’s host family here in Rabat. It’s pretty easy, and makes a delicious, warm and hearty meal. Ingredients:Kufta balls:1 # ground beef1 tsp cumin1/2-1 tsp tahmiira (Moroccan mild pepper powder, a bit different but replaceable with a mix of mild paprika and cayeanne)2 Tbsps minced Italian parsleySaltPepper Sauce:3-4 medium tomatoes, […]
Cilantro Chutney
You know what they say about the importance of food presentation…wait, what is it they say? This zingy green sauce is often served with Afghani food. It’s sort of a Central Asian version of pesto, though it does not contain oil. It’s easy to make and keeps well. It’s great on grilled meat, or anything […]
Levantine Okra Soup البامية
This is a recipe I really love primarily from the Levantine area of the Middle East. It includes what a friend once described as the “three basics” of Levantine spices: garlic, tomatoes, and cilantro (sometimes parsley). This obviously isn’t in everything, but they make a meal out of near anything… You can make this with […]
Afghani Meat Sauce, Bulghur Pilaf with Spinach and Fried Onions, Yogurt Sauce
This meal is hearty, chock-full-of-nutrients, and fairly quick. The meat recipe is one I picked up along the way and the bulghur recipe is from the Almost Turkish blog. The yogurt sauce on the side is optional but it adds a nice balance to the meat. If you want to make the recipes separately, the […]
Moroccan Bread
This is a recipe for the basic bread used in Morocco in the same way flatbread is used in the eastern Mediterranean, i.e. to pick up food items, especially from very liquid dishes such as tajines. It’s a somewhat trickier technique – you want to get larger pieces that are flatter than the loaf as […]
Bastilla بسطيلة
Bastilla or Pastilla (pronounced “ba-still-a” in Arabic) is sort of the national dish of Morocco. It’s a sweet-savory pastry – some people are put off by the idea of powdered sugar on a savory pastry, but it’s much much more delicious than it sounds. This is a complicated recipe, but it’s good if you want […]