Moroccan Tomato Rice

Aromatic spicy savoury Moroccan  rice with tangy tomato flavour.

Ingredients:

240 g / 8 oz  cold precooked boiled rice
8 baby tomatoes halved
1 boiled potato diced
1 green chilli finely chopped
1/4 green pepper  finely diced
1 small onion finely diced or cut into thin strips
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon paprika or cayenne pepper powder
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 tablespoon tomato paste / purée
1 tablespoon finely chopped coriander

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan, when it is hot add the onions and sauté until translucent.
2. Add the green pepper and tomato purée, chillies, salt, paprika, cumin and sauté for 2 more minutes.
3. Add the boiled potato and sauté for 1 more minute.
4. Add the boiled rice and stir fry until all the spices and vegetables blend together.
5. Add the halved tomatoes and toss for 2 more minutes or until they just begin to loose shape and wilt slightly.
6. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with chopped coriander.
Serve with cooling  mint and yoghurt dip.

You may like:
Moroccan roasted Almonds

Submitting to:
Flavours of Morocco event by simply.food Guest hosted by Mireille of Global creations

Coloured popcorn ~ Secret Recipe Club Challenge August 20th 2012

This is my assignment with the Secret Recipe Club.The aim of the club is that you are allocated a blog from which you have to select  a recipe and try  it and blog about it.
My assigned blog was The freshman cook. This blog had some lovely cookie decorating ideas which really tempted me to try them, but then I stumbled on the coloured popcorn and instantly fell in love with it as my previous attempts at making sweet popcorn had resulted in a burnt saucepan from the sugar caramelizing too quickly .I popped my own pop corn rather than use ready shop bought and then took care care to follow the exact recipe with the sugar syrup due to my previous mishap. Overall the popcorn turned out perfect although the the red was rather soggy, I think I added too much sugar syrup, I corrected the amount for the yellow and blue and it was perfect.The original recipe can be found here.

Ingredients:

120 g / 4 oz pop corn kernals
2 tablespoons sunflower oil.

Sugar Syrup:

180 grams / 6oz  Sugar
60 ml water
Red, yellow and blue food colouring

Method:

1.In a large pan with a lid add the oil, when it is hot add the popcorn kernels. Stir them around the hot oil and immediately cover the pan with the lid.
2. Within 30 seconds  to 1 minute you will hear the corn starting to pop, turn the heat down to lowest setting and wait for 2-3 minutes until popping noise stops.( Do not open pan lid during this time or all the corn will pop out of the pan.
3. Once all the corn has popped transfer it to three separate bowls.
4. Heat the water and sugar until sugar has totally melted and a syrup has formed.
5. Divide the syrup into three small bowls. To each bowl add a few drops of  food colouring to colour the syrup.
6. Quickly add the coloured  syrup to each bowl of popcorn and gently toss the pop corn to coat with the coloured syrup.
7. Line a tray with parchment paper and spread the coloured corn onto it to dry out.
8.Once syrup has set separate any corn that is stuck together and serve immediately.

You may like:
 Puffed Rice

Moroccan roasted Almonds

Salted crispy almonds that you will not be able to stop munching.

Ingredients:

240g / 8 oz Almonds
1 tablespoon salt

Method:

1. Wash the almonds and drain them .
2. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C / 350 degrees F.
3. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper and sprinkle half the salt on it.
4. Spread out the almonds in thin layer over the salt and sprinkle the remaining salt over them.
5. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes.
6. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Almonds should be crisp with a white salty crust.

You may like:
Muhallabia Moroccan  Milk Pudding

Submitting to:
Flavours of Morocco event by simply.food Guest hosted by Mireille of Global creations

Muhallabia ~ Moroccan Milk pudding.

Delicately scented with rose syrup , a creamy rich pudding that will tickle and tantalise your taste buds. 

Ingredients:

500ml  skimmed milk
100ml  full cream
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons corn flour
2 tablespoons rose syrup
6 tablespoons strawberry jam (or sweetened strawberry fruit  purée )
Flaked almonds and chopped pistachio nuts for garnish.

Method:

1. In a heavy bottomed pan add the milk and corn flour and mix well until there are no lumps.Heat the milk and keep stirring for 3-4 minutes until the mixture starts to thicken.
2. Add the sugar and mix it in well until it is dissolved . Keep stirring the mixture for 2-3 minutes longer until the  mixture has a consistency that would coat the back of a spoon.(Once mixture cools it will thicken some more so do not be tempted over cook it)
3. Take the mixture off the heat and stir in the rose syrup and cream and mix well. Allow to cool slightly.

4. Add the jam to a microwaveable dish and warm it slightly to soften it.
5. Take 6 small serving glasses and spoon the jam into the bottom of each glass.
6. Gently spoon on top of the jam  the pudding mixture.

7. Garnish with coarsely chopped pistachio nuts and almond slivers.
8. Let the pudding cool to room temperature and then chill in the fridge before serving.

Submitting  to :
Flavours of Morocco event by simply.food Guest hosted by Mireille of Global creations

Lets cook with Fruits  event by simply.food

You may like:
Moroccan and chickpea couscous salad in a jar

Moroccan Layered Couscous and Chickpea salad in a jar.

Spicy aromatic Moroccan couscous salad with a tangy lemon and coriander dressing. Layered  in a jar in an eye catching  array of vibrant colours and flavours. It is the perfect salad for on the go.

Ingredients:

1st layer Couscous
30 grams /1 oz dried couscous
15 grams / 1/2 oz giant dried couscous
100 ml water boiling water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 green chillies
2 tablespoons fresh coriander finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon sugar

2nd Layer Chickpeas
120 grams / 4 oz pre boiled white chickpeas
1 medium shallot finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
1/4 teaspoon chilli powder
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 tablespoon fresh chopped coriander leaves

3rd Layer green salad
Small bowl of finely shredded iceberg lettuce
1 tablespoon of  sliced red /green/yellow capsicums
2 inch stick of cucumber
6 cherry tomatoes

Method:

1st layer Couscous
1. In a blender jug add the 2/3 of the fresh coriander, chillies, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and sugar and blend the ingredients to a fine paste.
2.In a bowl add both types of  the dry couscous and pour over it the 100ml boiling water and the coriander paste made in step 1.
3. Stir the couscous, cover and keep aside for 2 hours for the couscous to soak up the water and flavours.
4. After 2 hours fluff up the couscous with a fork and stir in remaining fresh coriander.

2nd Layer Chickpeas
5. Add the oil to a pan when it is hot add the shallot and sauté until translucent, add the salt, cumin, chilli powder and sauté for few more seconds.
6.Add the chick peas and stir fry to coat them with the spices.
7. Add the coriander and lemon juice and mix well.Turn off heat and leave to cool.

3rd Layer green salad
8. Cut the cucumber in half and remove the seeds slice it in thin slices.
9. Half the cherry tomatoes.

Assembling the Salad in a jar.You will require two jars with a large openings and lids. (Empty washed jam jars are perfect)

10. In the bottom of the jar add a layer of prepared couscous.
11. On top of the couscous layer add the prepared chick pea layer.
12. On top of the chickpea layer add the shredded lettuce followed by the mixed  peppers.
13. Add the sliced cucumber on top of the peppers and finally finish  with a layer of cherry tomato halves.
14. Screw the lid on and refrigerate until ready to serve.

NB -Alternate the layers to make the salad visually eye catching.

Why not try out this lovely giant cous cous salald
Submitting  to:

Flavours of Morocco event by simply.food