Moroccan Food

It might seem really odd that I'm calling this a salad however, as with other Moroccan salads, it's very common to have cooked dishes that are called salads. These are served on small plates along with the main dish and meant to be shared.

This one is a little less common and I've found sweet potatoes while available in Morocco are not widely used. They're called patata halwa here and are different from their cousins found in the US. The outer skin are usually purple while the interior flesh is white. When they cook they don't become as creamy and aren't as sweet as the North American version.

But, it's that consistency that makes them a good choice for this salad. I haven't had great luck roasting them but when boiled and cooked into a simple salad like this, I really enjoy them.

I think this pairs really well with meat dishes like beef or lamb tajines. Try this beef and green bean tajine or lamb and eggplant tajine for pairing.

Sweet Potato and Saffron Salad

Yield: 6 servings

A sweet and savory Moroccan salad made using sweet potatoes.

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Ingredients

• 2-3 large sweet potatoes
• 4 cups water
• 2 cloves garlic crushed
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 2 tsp paprika 
• 1 small piece of cinnamon bark
• 7-8 threads of saffron
• 2 Tbsp olive oil or butter
• 3-4 springs each cilantro and parsley chopped

Instructions

Wash and peel sweet potatoes into pieces that are all roughly the same size. Ideally they are about 1 inch in size.

Boil the sweet potatoes in water until they are tender and drain any excess water.

In the pan add the olive oil or butter as well as the garlic, salt, pepper, turmeric and paprika and cook for 1-2 minutes to warm up the spices and mix the flavors.

Crumble the saffron slightly in your hand and add to the butter (this helps release the flavor).

Return the drained potatoes to the pan and gently mix so that they are covered completely.

Top with the chopped parsley and cilantro - use as much or little as you like.

With a range of influences including Berber, Moorish, Arab and Mediterranean, Moroccan food is incredibly diverse.  You will find Moroccan food full of flavor, with spices being featured heavily in most dishes.

If you are interested in giving some Moroccan cooking a try, you will love these Moroccan cookery books.  I have selected some of the best Moroccan cookbooks from chefs around the world who are renowned for cooking great Moroccan food (and a few added suggestions at the end). 

Within these Moroccan cookbook options, you will find some amazing traditional Moroccan food recipes which I know you will just love.

The Food of Morocco – Paula Wolfert

Paula Wolfert was my first teacher when it came to Moroccan food. I poured through her cookbooks and have made so many of her recipes. This cookbook is the last Moroccan cookbook she published. Not only is it full of great recipes but beautiful pictures as well.

American chef, Paula Wolfert, is renowned for her Mediterranean cooking, particularly for cooking Moroccan food.  In The Food of Morocco cookbook, Paula shows home cooks to experienced chefs how to cook Moroccan food such as Berber skillet bread, the classic soup – spiced harira, chicken with tangy preserved lemon and olives and steamed sweet and savory breast of lamb stuffed with couscous and dates.

This cookbook contains Moroccan food recipes with pictures to get you inspired to make delicious Moroccan food in your own home.  This Moroccan recipe book is the perfect addition to Paula’s Couscous and Other Good Food from Morocco.

If you order only one cookbook, consider this one. It will teach you the classic Moroccan recipes and some more unique offerings as well.

Mourad: New Moroccan by Morad Lahlou

Born and raised in Marrakesh, Mourad Lahlou has lived in the USA since he was 20 years of age and now operates a Michelin starred restaurant in San Francisco.  In his Moroccan cook book, you will find traditional Moroccan cuisine recipes such as the basteeya (bstila), couscous, preserved lemons, and more but with Lahlou’s creative twist. Don't miss the lamb bacon recipe!

The Mourad New Moroccan cookbook features 100 plus recipes, including plenty of images to get you inspired.

Cooking at the Kasbah – Kitty Morse

Moroccan recipe books are filled with Mediterranean cuisines with unique combinations of simple ingredients and spices, and this cookbook by Kitty Morse is no exception.

Kitty grew up in Casablanca and in this book, she brings together some of her favorite Moroccan food as well as details about life in Morocco. Recipes include savory tagine of lamb, preserved lemon, artichoke hearts, sweet and flaky filo, shredded chicken, spiced salads, ground almonds, and cinnamon pastry called b’stila.

Kitty provides easy step by step instructions so that cooks of all levels can create these beautiful Moroccan dishes.

Learn more – Cooking at the Kasbah

Casablanca: My Moroccan Food by Nargisse Benkabbou

Casablanca: My Moroccan Food is the first cookbook by Moroccan chef Nargisse Benkabbou which includes both traditional Moroccan cuisine as well as some contemporary dishes.

Traditional and fusion Moroccan dishes include artichoke, baby potato & preserved lemon tagine, sticky ras el hanout & peach short ribs and buttermilk chicken kebabs.

Nargisse also includes more western style dishes with her own unique Moroccan twist such as orange blossom, beetroot & goats' cheese galette, roasted almond & rainbow couscous stuffed poussin and Moroccan mint tea infused chocolate pots.

From starters to desserts and everything in between, this cookbook is full of simple yet delicious Moroccan recipes.

My Moroccan Kitchen – by ME!

Yes, this is my cookbook! It's a digital cookbook and includes 30+ Moroccan recipes, many of which have been converted for those suffering with allergies like celiac disease. There's really something for everyone in this book. It is a digital book that can be read on any device or download the PDF to print.

Get Your Copy Here

Moroccan Cookbook for Preschoolers

I put together this short cookbook when my sister asked me to create something that her kids could cook from. So inside you will find recipes that a 2-5 year old can help with. They will need adult help and supervision but I've broken down how to get them involved as well as some learning extensions for them.

This is an a great guide if you're planning to homeschool your preschool or kindergartener and want to get them in the kitchen trying new things.

Get Your Copy Here

You may also want to read;

Finding the Best Tagine Pot for You

Moroccan Pantry Staples

Let me be clear, unless it's saykouk you'll never encounter cold couscous being served in Morocco. The grains are used to make the different styles of couscous dishes that are always hot and anything else is virtually unheard of.

But, I'm not all that traditional and I've never met a pasta salad I didn't like so this just seems like a natural marriage of foods for me! Couscous is a type of pasta and it's great for things like this because it can cook super fast. Again, a traditional couscous takes hours but you can actually cook it in under 10 minutes.

The ingredients in this dish are flexible but I went with Mediterranean flavors. You'll find all of these items in Moroccan food and Moroccan standalone salads (like this beet salad) but you can use whatever you have on hand. Cheese is less common in Morocco but goat cheese, feta or queso fresco would all be good additions.

One other hint – if you've prepared couscous for the actual dish and have some leftover, this is a GREAT way to use it up! A little couscous will go a long way in making this dish, perfect for using up a cup or two that's left.

So whether you're preparing for a party or you just need to get something delicious on the table for lunch, this will be a hit. I also can't help but think it would make a great lunchbox salad option. It will be better refrigerated but even if it is kept at room temperature a few hours it will be ok.

If you plan to store the salad overnight, I would leave the dressing off and add it before serving or you may end up with soggy couscous.

Moroccan Inspired Cold Couscous Salad

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

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Ingredients

• 4 cups cooked Traditional couscous
• 2-3 cups mixed greens
• 1 cup beets - chopped
• ⅓ cup raisins
• ½ cucumber - chopped
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1 cup chickpeas
• ½ cup cherry or grape tomatoes- chopped
• Preferred amount of goat cheese

Dressing Ingredients

• Dash of salt & pepper
• ¼ tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
• 3 Tbsp olive oil

Instructions

Prepare couscous according to package instructions.  Set aside. You also can use precooked couscous.

Chop beets, cucumber and tomatoes.

In a small bowl, whisk together ingredients for dressing.

In a large bowl, combine couscous with beets, raisins, cucumber, carrots, chickpeas and tomatoes.

Top with dressing. Mix well.

Add 2-3 cups of mixed greens.

Top with a preferred amount of goat cheese. 

Serve cold or warm.

Notes

For the dressing you may want to make 2 batches: one to mix with the salad, and one for individuals to add to their own salad.

This recipe calls for goat cheese but you can use any cheese you'd like. Feta would also work very well.

Oranges and Morocco go hand in hand. One of the easiest and most surprising desserts served is a simple orange with cinnamon plate. It's shockingly delicious for how simple it is.

However, me being me I require my desserts to have a little more cake quality to them.

My childhood took place far from the flavors of Morocco; in the Midwest of the US. The coffee cake was an ubiquitous part of life. Simple cakes like this were regularly on the table when my mom had friends that came to visit or when we went to my grandma's house.

When I moved to Morocco this pattern continued through the afternoon coffee/tea time where there is always something served for a late afternoon snack. It wasn't quite the same but the same idea.

This cake is a combination of those traditions with the flavors of Morocco in every bite.

Just look at that beauty! It's laced with delicious crumb topping, juicy fresh oranges and spicy cinnamon to jazz it up. Plus, it's super versatile.

Serve it warm paired with an orange sorbet. Make a delicious citrus salad to serve along side of it for breakfast or brunch. It's amazing with strong coffee and chat with a friend. Or, go all Moroccan and make some mint tea for your breakfast.

Really you can't go wrong – but can you ever when cake is involved?

Moroccan Orange and Cinnamon Crumb Cake

Yield: 12 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

The popular Moroccan fresh orange and cinnamon dessert takes a twist with this cake perfect for any event.

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Ingredients

Cake Ingredients

• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 tablespoon orange zest
• 1 tablespoon orange juice, fresh squeezed
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1½ cup all purpose flour
• ¾ teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Crumb Topping

• 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon orange zest
• 4 ounces unsalted butter, small dice

Garnishes

• 1 orange with skin removed and cut into slices
• 1 tsp cinnamon for dusting
• fresh mint leaves

Instructions

How to Prepare the Crumb Topping

In a large bowl add the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and orange zest, mix to combine. Add the butter and using your fingers, press and roll the cold butter with the other ingredients until the mixture resembles wet sand with some slightly bigger pieces of butter throughout. This may take a while, but it will come together!

Instructions for the Cake

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously grease a 9-inch loaf pan with baking spray, set aside.

In a large bowl whisk together the butter, yogurt, sugar, egg, orange zest, orange juice, and vanilla. Set aside.

In an additional large bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir together until just combined and there are no dry spots.

Pour half of the batter into the pan. Top with ⅓ of the crumb, add the remaining batter and smooth the top.

Pour the remaining crumb on top.

Bake for 50-60 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Let cool in the pan for 20 minutes, invert the pan and place on a wire rack to cool completely. Serve with oranges dusted with cinnamon on top and mint garnish.

When Eid al Adha rolls around we know there's going to be a lot of meat in the house. This becomes a bit of a challenge especially for me and my oldest son who eat very little meat and almost no red meat at all. Not only is everyone cooking lamb but nearly everything in Morocco is closed so we have to be ready ahead of time.

The one dish that I do always eat a little bit of is the lamb kebabs over a charcoal grill. I LOVE grilled food so it's not difficult for me to accept a few kebabs in fresh bread on the day they're made.

The most common time to eat this is of course Eid when families have a surplus of lamb or mutton meat. Usually the meat is marinaded for several hours if not overnight with a chermoula paste.

Chermoula refers to a marinade or spice mixture and is the name used across North Africa. There isn't one specific type of chermoula and each cook or family may have their own variation(s). You'll see this with my recipe. It's quite rare in Moroccan dishes to have both onion and garlic present – but for me they go together. Typically this would only have onions.

These are really best grilled, and grilled over charcoal if it's an option. If you don't have an open flame grill it can be cooked in a grill pan. The tricky part of cooking lamb is to cook it enough but not too much. In Morocco people rarely, if ever eat lamb that isn't completely cooked through and it can be a bit tough.

You're of course welcome to adjust the length of time you choose to cook your meat!

Eid Lamb Kebabs

Prep Time: 4 hours

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 4 hours 15 minutes

A simple recipe with North African flavors for Eid lamb kebabs.

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Ingredients

• 1 kg/2 lb lamb or sheep shoulder or leg meat
• 1 medium onion chopped finely
• 3 cloves garlic chopped
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 3 tsp cumin
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 4 Tbsp olive oil

Instructions

Trim the lamb to remove some of the excess fat.

In a container mix together the spices, onions and garlic and olive oil. Add the meat and mix well. Cover the container and refrigerate at least 4 hours but as long as overnight.

To cook the meat skewer the lamb with wooden or metal skewers and place on the grill. I like to drizzle some extra of the marinade and juices as it cooks to just add some extra flavor.

Eat right away as when the meat cools down it has a tendency to get tougher.

Notes

The spice amounts are really just guides - you can add more or less of whatever you'd like!

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• 
  12-Inch Long Stainless Steel Skewers

If you're looking for a different type of chermoula marinade you can try my regular chermoula. Don't think your kids will eat lamb? This recipe for hot dog kebabs is super simple and you can use the same marinade as you have for the lamb meat!

Beets are a tricky vegetable. You typically fall in one of two camps; you love them or you hate them. Rarely is there any in between. In most cases I fall into the later camp. However, every now and then I do enjoy this Moroccan salad.

I've gotten pretty good at roasting beets but I had never undertaken making this salad. So I asked my sister in law who is one of the best Moroccan cooks I know to show me how it's done.

How do you cook beets?

There are many different ways that beets can be prepared for this dish but the first and most important thing is that the beets are very clean. If not they most certainly will taste like dirt! I use a fresh piece of steel wool to really make sure all the dirt comes off but use whatever scrubbing method works for you.

To prepare the beets for the salad you can peel, dice and steam, peel and boil or roast. There's really no right or wrong way. The way that I prepared them for the salad is by cooking a pressure cooker to ensure the beets are tender. I've included the full instructions in the recipe instructions.

Moroccan Beet Salad

Yield: 4-6 serving

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

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Ingredients

• 4 beets
• palmful cilantro and parsley
• 1/4 red onion thinly sliced
• 1 tomato
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp vinegar
• salt and pepper

Instructions

Cook the beets in the method you prefer. In this case I scrubbed and peeled the beets first. I then placed them in a pressure cooker with enough water to cover the beets. I then allowed them to cook for 20 minutes.

You may need to adjust the cooking time depending on the size of your beets. When tender, allow to cool to the touch and dice into pieces roughly the same size.

Peel your tomato, remove the seeds and slice the tomato into small slivers, about the same size as your onions.

In a bowl whisk together the oil, vinegar, salt and pepper.

Mix together the beets, tomatoes, and onions and drizzle the dressing over the top. You can use as much or as little dressing as you prefer.

Lastly, top with chopped parsley and cilantro for added color and flavor.

Notes

This salad can be stored covered in the refrigerator for three days.