Recipes

Makes 1 cup

Ingredients

1 tablespoon Ras El Hanout (traditional recipe follows)
½ cup turbinado sugar
¼ cup brown sugar

Directions

Place all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well.

Makes 2 cups

Ingredients

1 cup turbinado sugar
1 cup water
1 tablespoon black peppercorns, cracked
5 cardamom pods, crushed (whole pod)

Directions

Place all the ingredients in a medium sauce pan and bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves completely. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 5 minutes. Take off heat and let stand for 15 minutes, strain.

Ingredients

2 cups Israeli couscous Olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh chives, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh mint, finely chopped
½ cup red bell pepper, finely chopped
Salt/pepper
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon butter
¾ cup sliced crimini or brown button mushrooms
2 cups Israeli style couscous (regular couscous can be substituted)

Directions

In a medium sauce pan bring 3 cups of water to a boil and then add the couscous, stirring well at a steady boil for approximately 2 minutes. Take off cover and let stand 10-15 minutes or until couscous is tender but slightly aldente. Do not take cover off during the first 10 minutes of setting, as to allow the couscous to finish cooking. In a medium skillet heat olive oil on medium heat and sauté garlic and fresh herbs for just about a minute, add red bell peppers and a pinch of salt and pepper. Add the butter and lemon zest to the pan and allowing a minute for the butter to melt. Add mushrooms and sauté for about 2 minutes or until tender and succulent. Add cooked couscous to the herb mushroom mixture and stir well.

Ingredients

Olive oil
1 shallot, chopped superfine
2 cloves garlic, chopped superfine
¾ pound ground lamb
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons ros al hanout mixture
¼ cup fresh mint
¼ cup fresh cilantro
¼ cup fresh parsley
1 sheet puff pastry
1 egg, beaten

Directions

Sauté garlic and shallots. Add the lamb and cook until browned. Add fresh herbs still well and take off heat.

Unwrap the pastry rolls on a lightly floured surface and, using a sharp knife, slice them into 8 pieces each. Brush the pastry with egg. Place a spoonful of the lamb and fold over into a triangle, seal the sides well, refrigerate for about 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 425°, bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with harissa sauce.

Ingredients

2 ounces prune infused gin (recipe follows)
2 ounces hum liquor
1 ounce lemon juice
1 ounce cardamom ginger black pepper syrup (recipe follows)
Sparkling Wine
“Moroccan” Spiced Brown Sugar (recipe follows)
Gin Infused Prunes

Directions

In a shaker filled with ice, place the gin, hum liquor, lemon juice, and syrup and shake vigorously. Strain into an old fashioned martini style glass and top with sparkling wine. Garnish with a gin infused prune rubbed with Moroccan Spiced Brown Sugar on a toothpick.

Prune Infused Gin

Ingredients

1 liter of gin
12 prunes, halved

Directions

Place the prunes and the gin in a large mason or glass jar. Allow to infuse for about 3-4 days in a cool dark place. Remove the prunes and reserve for cocktail.

Cardamom Black Pepper Syrup

Makes 2 cups

Ingredients

1 cup turbinado sugar
1 cup water
1 tablespoon black peppercorns, cracked
5 cardamom pods, crushed (whole pod)

Directions

Place all the ingredients in a medium sauce pan and bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves completely. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 5 minutes. Take off heat and let stand for 15 minutes, strain.

“Moroccan” Spiced Brown Sugar

Makes 1 cup

Ingredients

1 tablespoon Ras El Hanout (traditional recipe follows)
½ cup turbinado sugar
¼ cup brown sugar

Directions

Place all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well.

Ingredients

1 lb of lamb meat cut into 1 inch cubes
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped fine
1 cup chickpeas, soaked overnight and drained
5 large tomatoes, chopped
1 cup red lentils
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
½ cup chopped fresh parsley
½ teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Juice and zest of 2 lemons
1 cup water
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Directions

Sauté onions and garlic in a heavy stew pan on medium high heat with the olive oil for 2 minutes or until tender. Add lamb meat and brown well for about 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and stir well. Add turmeric, cinnamon, cilantro, parsley, lemon juice and zest. Continue to sauté for a few more minutes. Add chickpeas, lentils and water. Stir well. Simmer on low heat for about 1 hour stirring occasionally.

Garnish with a sprig of cilantro and a slice of lemon dusted with cinnamon. Serves 6.

Makes 4 cups

Ingredients

2 cups whole milk
Zest of 2 oranges
¼ cup fresh orange juice
½ cup sugar
4 egg yolks
1½ cup tahini
Cup heavy cream
Salt

Directions

In a medium sauce pan combine milk, orange zest, orange juice and sugar and bring to a boil, reduce heat and let simmer for about 5 minutes allowing zest to infuse. Bring the heat to medium again, whisk in sugar and egg yolks making sure that the mixture stays smooth and creamy and that it does not boil. Take off heat add a pinch of salt and whisk in tahini and heavy cream until combined. Chill the mixture for a few hours in the refrigerator and often follow the instructions for your ice cream maker.

Ingredients

1 liter of gin
12 prunes, halved

Directions

Place the prunes and the gin in a large mason or glass jar. Allow to infuse for about 3-4 days in a cool dark place. Remove the prunes and reserve for cocktail.

Makes approximately 10 ounces

Ingredients

1 nutmeg ball, crushed
1 cinnamon stick, crushed
½ tablespoon black peppercorns
1 tablespoon white peppercorns
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
½ teaspoon anise seeds
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon allspice berries
6 green cardamom pods
3 whole cloves
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
1 teaspoon saffron
1 tablespoon turmeric, ground
1 tablespoon mace, ground
1 teaspoon red chili peppers, crushed
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon ginger, ground

Directions

In a zip lock bag or plastic, crush the nutmeg and cinnamon sticks with a mallet, hammering and pounding until small chunks are formed. Take all of the seeds and non powder items and grind in a spice grinder or coffee grinder, until pulverized. You may have to do this in batches if your grinder is small. Place the ground items in a medium mixing bowl. Take the remaining powdered items as well as the root pieces and mix into the ground items until totally mixed. Store in an airtight container in a cool dark and dry place, will keep for about 4-5 months.

Serves 4

Ingredients

6-8 pieces of chicken, drumsticks, wings, legs or breasts
Salt
2 tablespoons ros al hanout, traditional or modern recipe, plus 1 tablespoon
6 medium carrots, cut in half
12-16 dried figs
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium red onion, chopped large
1 tablespoon orange zest
½ tablespoon lemon zest
Juice of 1 lemon
Juice of 1 orange
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
½ tablespoon turbinado sugar
2 cups chicken broth
½ stick butter

Directions

Pre-heat the oven to 375°F. In a large glass, greased baking dish lay down the chicken skin side up. Sprinkle with salt (both sides) as well as with two tablespoons of the ros el hanout mixture, making sure to rub it all over the chicken. Place the carrots, garlic, onion and the figs around in the baking dish. In a mixing bowl whisk together the zest, citrus juice, vinegar, sugar, remaining tablespoon of ros el hanout and broth and pour over the chicken mixture. Place the oven and bake for about 45 minutes. Stirring and turning occasionally. In the last five minutes of cooking, take the dish out of the oven and strain out the juice or drippings. Place the dish back in the oven with a temperature of 425°F and brown the chicken, cook for about 5 minutes maximum. In the mean time in a small sauce pan heat the butter on medium high and cook until it turns brown stirring often to ensure it doesn’t burn. Add the juice or pan drippings for the chicken and stir well and cook for another 5 minutes. Serve the chicken and fig dish over couscous drizzled with the brown butter sauce.

Makes 2 cups

Ingredients

8 dried guajillo chilies, stems removed, broken
5 dried red chilies, stems removed, broken
1 dried chili de arbol
1 cup boiling water
2 teaspoons cumin seeds, toasted
1 teaspoon coriander seeds, toasted
1 teaspoon caraway seeds, toasted
4 garlic cloves

¼ cup brown sugar
1 bell pepper, roasted & peeled
1 tablespoon lemon zest
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves (optional)

Directions

Place the dried chilies in a medium bowl and cover with the boiling water, let stand for about 15 minutes, allowing the chilies to soften. Grind the toasted seeds until a powder is formed. Transfer the softened chilies, the spices, the garlic, the red pepper, the lemon zest and juice, the salt and the olive oil into a food processor and process until smooth. At this stage add the fresh mint leaves and process until all the mint is chopped and incorporated. Season with salt to taste. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. Before serving if desired mix ½ cup with 1 cup of yogurt!