Moroccan Spiced Olives

 One of my favorite snacks in Morocco are spiced olives with a fresh loaf of bread and some cheese.  I’ve never really cared to figure out how to make said olives because I thought they might lose some of their appeal.  Wrong.  With a little direction from MarocBaba and my mother-in-law I figured out how to make them.  I think that these will become a staple in my fridge and on most every party table.  I think you’ll agree once you give them a try.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb green cracked olives with pits
• 1 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tbsp chopped cilantro
• 1/2 onion chopped finely
• 1 tsp crushed garlic
• 1/2 tsp hot paprika
• 1 tsp cumin
• 2-3 tbsp olive oil

Directions

In a saute pan add the olive oil, onions and garlic and cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes.  Add the olives, paprika, and cumin.  Cook for 8 minutes longer.  Finally add the cilantro and parsley, mix well and finish cooking for about 2 minutes longer.  *Note: if your olives are very salty, boil in water for 10 minutes before making this dish.  Drain the water before using – it will help remove some of the salt.

Menu Plan for tomorrow:

Suhoor: I love breads (if you haven’t been able to tell yet).  When I saw this recipe for a peanut butter banana bread on Sweet Pea’s Kitchen I was hooked!

Iftar: I can’t believe that I haven’t posted this recipe yet but since tomorrow is Saturday and most likely we’ll all have a little more time, b’stilla is a must for me during Ramadan.   I promise to take better pictures this time too!

Dinner: I love this recipe for Chicken Tikka that I adapted from Bobby Flay.  My kids love it and I think you will too.