Chermoula (Fish Marinade)

• 1 cup fresh cilantro
• 4 clv garlic, peeled
• 2 tbl vinegar
• Juice of 1 lemon or lime
• 1 tbl paprika
• 1 tbl ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
• 2 tbl olive oil (more if needed)
• salt to taste
• cayenne pepper to taste

In food processor or blender combine cilantro, garlic, vinegar, lemon juice, paprika, cumin, crushed red pepper, olive oil, salt, and cayenne to a fine paste. Adjust the consistency by adding more olive oil; the marinade should be fairly thick.

Chermoula Prawns

• 1/3 cup virgin olive oil
• 3 tbsps chopped coriander leaves
• 2 tbsps chopped flat leaf parsley
• 2 tbsps chopped preserved lemon rind
• 2 tbsps lemon juice
• 2 garlic leaves, chopped
• 1 small red chilli, seeded & chopped
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp paprika
• 20 raw medium prawns, peeled & deveined
• 2 cups instant couscous
• 375 ml boiling chicken stock
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsps shredded mint leaves

Process the chermoula ingredients to a coarse puree, then season with salt. Thread a cocktail stick through the body of each prawn to keep them straight. Put in a bowl and spoon over the chermoula, turning to coat. Chill the prawns, covered , for 30 minutes, turning occasionally.

Place couscous in a heatproof bowl, pour on the boiling stock and oil. Cover and leave to sit for 4-5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and stir in the mint.Cook the prawns on a griddle pan or under the grill for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until pink and cooked. Serve with the couscous.

Moroccan-style carrots

• ½ lb Carrots; cut diagonally into 1/4-inch-thick slices
• 1 sm Garlic clove; minced
• 1 ½ tb Olive oil
• ¼ ts Ground cumin
• ⅛ ts Ground cinnamon
• ½ ts Sugar
• 2 ts Fresh lemon juice
• A pinch of cayenne

In a steamer set over boiling water steam the carrots, covered, for 8 minutes, or until they are just tender. In a skillet cook the garlic in the oil over moderately low heat, stirring, for 1 minute, or until it is fragrant, add the cumin, the cinnamon, the sugar, the cayenne, and the carrots, and cook the mixture, stirring, for 1 minute, or until the carrots are well-coated with the mixture. Stir in the lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste, transfer the carrots to a bowl, and let them cool to room temperature.

Spicy chicken with orange and almonds

• 4 Skinless boneless chicken, breast fillets
• 1 Red chilli pepper; deseeded and finely chopped
• 1 ts Dried crushed chillies
• 2 Cloves garlic; crushed
• ½ Lemon juice
• 2 tb Orange juice
• 4 tb Olive oil
• 1 ts Ground cinnamon
• 2 tb Sultanas
• 2 Oranges; peeled and cut into segments
• 50 grams who almonds skins on
• 1 tb Freshly chopped mint

Place the chicken breasts in a shallow non-metallic dish. Mix together the fresh and dried chillies, garlic, lemon and orange juice, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, cinnamon, sultanas, orange segments and almonds, pour over the chicken and cover and leave in the refrigerator for 20 minutes to marinate. Heat the remaining olive oil in a frying pan.

Remove the chicken fillets from the marinade and cook over a moderate to high heat for 15-20 minutes, turning frequently until thoroughly cooked. Pour in the marinade ingredients and cook for a further 5 minutes, scatter over the mint and serve with bulgar wheat, couscous or chunks of French bread.

Steamed couscous with lamb, onions and almonds

• 1 Recipe Steamed Couscous
• 1 Recipe Moroccan Lamb Broth
• 1 Recipe Glazed Onions
• 1 Recipe Fried Almonds
• 2 tb Butter

Prepare Steamed Couscous, Moroccan Lamb Broth with Chickpeas and Vegetables, Glazed Onions with Raisins, and Fried Almonds. Pour couscous onto large flat serving dish with sloping sides and toss with butter. Use fork to smooth out any remaining lumps. Form couscous into a large ring, leaving a small opening in the center for the meat. Pour 3 cups reserved broth over couscous. Cover and let stand 10 minutes.

Remove meat from broth and place in center opening. Scatter vegetables over couscous. Spread glazed onions over meat and vegetables, then sprinkle with almonds. Serve immediately. Leftovers can be stored in covered container for up to 2 days. Reheat individual portions in microwave.

Tagine of chicken with prunes and almonds

• 2 tb Pareve margarine or Vegetable oil
• 1 md Onion; finely chopped
• 3 ½ lb Meaty chicken pieces; remove skin if desired
• 1 c water
• 1 to 3 tsp. ground cinnamon
• ½ ts Ground ginger
• ¼ t o 1/2 tsp black pepper; preferably freshly ground
• 12 oz pitted prunes; about 2 cups
• 1 tb Honey or sugar (optional)
• 1 c Whole blanches almonds; lightly toasted
• Salt

In a very large deep skillet or a Dutch oven, over medium-high heat, heat the margarine or oil (or use a mixture); then saute the onion until it is tender but not browned. Add the chicken to the skillet and lightly brown it on all sides. Mix the water with the cinnamon, ginger, pepper, and salt and pour it over the browned chicken. Bring the liquid to a boil. Cover the skillet tightly, lower the heat, and simmer the chicken for 30 minutes, turning the pieces occasionally.

Add the prunes and honey (if used) to the skillet, evenly distributing the prunes around the chicken, and making sure they are covered with liquid. Cover the skillet again, and simmer the chicken and prunes together for about 20 minutes, or until both are very tender. If the sauce becomes too dry and begins to stick to the bottom of the skillet, stir in additional water as needed. Use tongs or a slotted spoon to transfer the chicken to a large serving platter. Stir about half the almonds into the prune sauce remaining in the pot; then spoon the sauce mixture over the chicken. Garnish the top with the remaining almonds.

Note: To toast the almonds, spread them in a jelly roll or similar pan and heat then in a 350-degree oven, stirring them occasionally, for about 10 minutes, or until they are lightly browned. Or, to toast them in the Moroccan manner, heat some vegetable oil in a skillet and saute the almonds in the oil until they are lightly browned; then remove them with a slotted spoon and drain them on paper towels.

Tomato and pepper salad

• 1 md Green bell pepper
• 1 md Tomato, blanched, peeled, seeded, and diced
• ½ md Cucumber, pared, seeded, and diced
• 1 1/2 ts lemon juice
• 1 tb Water
• 2 ts Olive oil
• 1 ½ ts Minced fresh parsley
• ½ ts Seeded and minced green chili pepper
• ¼ ts Paprika
• ⅛ ts Each ground cumin and minced fresh garlic

On baking sheet broil bell pepper 3 inches from heat source, turning frequently, until charred on all sides; transfer pepper to brown paper bag and let stand until cool enough to handle, 15 to 20 minutes. Fit strainer into medium bowl and peel pepper over bowl; remove and discard stem end and seeds, allowing juice from pepper to drip into bowl.

Cut pepper into strips and add to bowl with juice; add tomato and cucumber and toss to combine. In measuring cup or small bowl combine remaining ingredients; mix well. Pour over vegetables in bowl and toss to coat with dressing; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Tomato & green pepper salad

• 3 Green bell peppers
• 4 lg Tomatoes
• 1 Garlic clove, crushed
• 2 tb Olive oil
• 1 tb Lemon juice
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Cumin
• Sweet paprika

Prepare peppers by grilling them in a 450F oven or holding them over a gas flame until the skins are evenly charred. Place in a towel & set aside to cool. When cool, slip off the skins, core & seed. Cut into small pieces & set aside. Skin the toamtoes & cut out the core.

Slice each tomato in half crosswise & squeeze gently to remove the seeds. Cut the flesh into small pieces. Mix peppers & tomatoes in a glass serving dish & add all remaining ingredients except the preserved lemon. Mix well. Rinse preserved lemon under running water & cut away the pulp. Cut the peel into cubes & sprinkle over the salad. Serve cool.

Vegetable couscous

• ⅓ c Sliced almonds
• 1 tb Olive oil
• 3 c Mixed cut-up vegetables (such as red onion, carrots, Zucchini, and cauliflower)
• 1 ½ ts Ground cumin
• 1 ½ ts Ground coriander
• 1 c Dry white wine
• ⅓ c Golden raisins
• ¾ c Canned vegetable broth
• 1 box Couscous and lentil mix or couscous blend

Place almonds in heavy medium skillet. Stir over medium heat until almonds are pale golden, about 4 min. Transfer almonds to bowl. Add oil to same skillet. Increase heat to medium-high. Add vegetables, cumin and coriander; saute until vegetables just begin to soften, about 3 min.

Add wine and raisins. Boil until wine is reduced by half, about 3 min. Add broth. Partially cover skillet; simmer until vegetables are tender, about 6 min. Season with salt and pepper. Meanwhile, prepare couscous according to package directions. Mound couscous on platter. Spoon vegetable topping and juices over. Sprinkle with almonds and serve.

Vegetable soup

• 2 tb Safflower oil
• 2 lg Onions,chopped
• 2 md Potatoes,scrubbed and cut into 3/4" chunks
• 2 c Raw pumpkin or butternut squash,peeled and cut into 3/4" chunks
• 2 lg Carrots,coarsely chopped
• 1 can Plum tomatoes with liquid, chopped (14 oz)
• 2 ts Ground cumin
• ¾ ts Turmeric
• 2 c Chick peas,canned or well-cooked
• 1 c Whole grain couscous (presteamed, cracked semolina)
• Salt
• Fresh ground peppe

Heat the oil in a large soup pot. Add the onions and saute over moderate heat until golden. Add the potatoes, pumpkin or squash, carrots, tomatoes, and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, then add the seasonings and simmer over low heat, covered, for approximately 45 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Add the chick peas and season to taste with salt and pepper. Simmer over very low heat for another 15 minutes.

In the meantime, place the couscous in an oven-proof bowl. Cover with two cups of boiling water, then cover the bowl and let stand for 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Place a small amount of the couscous in each soup bowl, then ladle the soup over it.

Zucchini salad

• 1 ½ lb Zucchini, washed
• 4 tb Olive oil
• ¼ ts Hot red pepper
• ¼ ts Cumin
• 1 tb Vinegar
• ¼ ts Black pepper
• 4 tb Italian parsley, chopped
• 3 tb Olive oil
• Salt

Trim the zucchini & cut into 1/4" thick slices. Combine slices in a pot with 2/3 c water, oil, hot pepper, cumin, black pepper & salt. Cook for 5 minutes until just tender-crisp. Cool & chill. When ready to serve, drain the zucchini.

Combine the dressing ingredients adding salt & pepper to taste. Add to the zucchini, toss well & garnish with the parsley. Serve immediately.