Moroccan Dinner

A few weeks ago, I welcomed my Aunt and Uncle for dinner at Camino House. It was a chance for me to cook for them (they have done so much for me so it was such a blessing to be in a place where I could do something for them!). I decided to introduce them and my housemates to the wonders of Moroccan food.

Moroccan food holds a special place in my life. Awhile back I had "loved and lost" and was trying to mourn the loss of a dream that I had held for awhile that the man I loved was not the man for me. One wise woman in my life suggested that since I enjoy cooking so much, I should pick a nationality and learn how to cook their foods during this time. That way I turn something difficult into something beautiful. Plus the man I do marry would be fortunate enough to have a wife who likes to cook a different culture's cuisine.

Some of the dishes I made were success dishes from a dinner party I once held to celebrate my "exodus" in life - a day in which I was freed from a bad situation and my life set course on a new path. I made a tagine (which means one pot) with kefta (meatballs filled with flavours) and a wonderful sauce. This has been a hit in the past and for the meat eaters it was a hit again.

Kefta with lemon tagine

Below are two salads. The first one, slada gharaa bil tofah, a roasted zucchini and apple salad is one of my favourite side dishes in the Moroccan cookbook that I own. You roast the apples alongside the zucchini in the oven, creating a really unique flavour. The second salad, slada jazar is a carrot and cumin salad with orange flower water. When I first started cooking Moroccan food I had to hunt high and low for orange flower water but it is worth it!

Zucchini, Apple and Orange Salad

Carrot and Cumin Salad

This next side dish surprised me - I used a whole bunch of Spinach and look how very little it made! I couldn't believe how much spinach shrinks when boiled. This dish is called saute d'epinards, sauteed spinach with orange and almonds.

Sauteed Spinach with orange and almonds

 One of the things I love about international cooking is that I get to discover new foods. In this cooking adventure, I discovered fava beans - these beans are huge! Maybe an inch or more in length! This made a lovely garlicky fava bean dip called bissara.

Garlicky fava bean dip

 I live with two vegetarians and six carnivores (two of the carnivores are twin 18month olds). So I needed to come up with a vegetarian dish. Kind of a challenge with a cookbook that has mostly meat and fish dishes! Alas, I found berber adas which is berber lentils with cilantro. My book says that this is a simple village dish I suppose from the village of berber?

berber lentils with cilantro

This endeth a good meal :)