Eid

My Favorite Moroccan Breakfast: Hrbil

Winter comes slow and late to Marrakech. One day we're sweating, wondering when the heat will finally break and then suddenly there's a rain storm one day that snaps the weather awake to realize it's time to change seasons. Reluctantly the weather wavers for a few weeks. Alternating between those scorching hot days and dreary, rainy ones. A sandstorm might blow through and then we're lurched into winter.

But this too is beautiful.

The haze in front of the High Atlas lifts, giving way to the beautiful mountain backdrop that makes my heart sing. It's a sight I wait for all year. Rarely do the mountains appear until they're capped with snow, leaving many people to believe they have snow all the time (they don't). The clear, sunny winter days are what I love waking up to. I just really hate leaving my bed!

Few people, including us, have indoor heating. We really don't need it. Winter will only last two or maybe three months and it will never get to freezing – even though some days feel like it. An extra blanket on the bed, a space heater tucked under the desk, and taking advantage of every chance to warm up the house when the sun shines make it possible. You see Morocco is a cold country with a warm sun. The sun changes everything and even in the middle of winter is warm.

Our morning start a little later now but it's still just barely light when the kids get up for school. I love a warm bowl of oatmeal in the morning with nuts and brown sugar. But, I also love the Moroccan version of oatmeal – that's not made with oats at all – called hrbil. Normally it's only made for special occasions. It's always on the table the morning of Eid al Adha and Eid al Fitr. But, I've also made it and saved it in the refrigerator to heat up the next day. It's always better right after it's made.

Moroccan Oatmeal: Hrbil

Yield: 8 servings

A delicious breakfast dish served during Eid and other special occasions in Morocco.

Ingredients

1 cup of dry wheat grains (wheat berries)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup whole milk
water

For the Top

melted butter
olive oil
honey

Instructions

Soak the wheat in water overnight. The longer you soak this the faster it will cook.
When you're ready to cook, add the olive oil to a pressure cooker and drain the water from the wheat.
Add the wheat to the pressure cooker and stir to coat with olive oil.
Add enough water to fill pressure cooker about 1/2 full.
Cover and cook on medium temperature for about 45 minutes – 1 hour. You will need to check the water level of this often. The goal is to cook out all the water so that the wheat plumps to it’s maximum.
You can test the water level by holding the pressure cooker off the heat and swirling around.
When you feel most the water has been cooked out, release the steam and remove the cover.
If there is some water left, continue to cook on low – medium heat until it has been mostly removed.
Stir in the milk, until the consistency is a little more liquid than porridge.
Fill a bowl or large rimmed plate with the grains.
In the middle create a small well and add olive oil, butter, and honey.

Recipe for Hrbil, a Moroccan breakfast popular at Eid.

Preparing for Eid: Freezer Cooking with Simmer Sauces

10:00 am by Amanda Mouttaki Leave a Comment

All across the city people are making preparations for Eid, including our family. The sheep have started to find their way into city markets, small stalls are popping up to sell charcoal and bundles of straw for the sheep. There are plenty of advertisements marking the holiday, new clothes for sale, and people looking to gather the last little bit of money to go towards their sheep purchase. (Note: if you're visiting Morocco right now, bargain hard! Most vendors want to make a sale, any sale right before this holiday.) Eid in Morocco is very different than Eid in the US where the holiday lasts one day and often times people make many adjustments to have even a small celebration.

One of the biggest differences here is that the holiday lasts three days and often times butcher shops are closed for up to a week after the holiday. All butcher shops. Yes, you can still get meat from grocery markets but it can be a hassle. Instead I learned last year to prepare ahead of time. I've shared before how much I like using freezer cooking for Ramadan prep, well the same is true now for Eid too!

Saffron Roads' Simmer Sauces are a great time saver and we love everyone of their flavors. I didn't think it could be any easier to use them than simply mixing them in but I also have added them to my freezer cooking routine now too. Since they are so easy to use as is, why would you want to include them with freezer cooking? I find that by mixing them with meat before freezing it, the flavors can really marinade well. You can achieve this by leaving them in the refrigerator for a few hours too but this saves me time. I simply label the bag with which sauce I've used and freeze it! To make it really easy, purchase some Ziploc freezer bags and use a bowl to set your bag in so that the contents don't spill.

When you're ready to cook you can thaw (or place frozen) in a skillet and finish cooking. You also could put it in a slow cooker to cook while you're at work. One recipe I recently made with diced up frozen I marinaded with the Korean Stir Fry Simmer Sauce is fried rice. You'll love it! Feel free to use any vegetables you have on hand either fresh or frozen. While I opted for chicken, you can use beef or lamb too.

[tasty-recipe id=”29918″]

After you make this a few times you'll be whipping it up all the time! I love using this as a way to get rid of leftovers and get my kids to eat lots of vegetables and protein without complaining. You can use several different simmer sauces with the same recipe for a little different flavor.

How do you prepare for Eid? It's almost here!

Tips For Planning an Eid al Adha Party

9:56 am by Amanda Mouttaki 3 Comments

Eid is just around the corner! I am busy working on a guest post for My Halal Kitchen about what Eid preparations are like in Morocco. The sheep have just started coming into the city and people are beginning to prepare. I've heard many butchers will close for the rest of the week and my kids have a holiday from school. Earlier this year, at the end of Ramadan my sister threw an Eid al Fitr party for us. We were in the midst of packing and getting ready for our move and so between her and my mom they had a family party so we could still celebrate without the stress of hosting. It was really wonderful. I know that there is a feeling of needing to go above and beyond for holidays but it is also very possible to create a wonderful day/evening without going over the top.

The star of the Eid al Adha table is of course the lamb. Instead of preparing it multiple ways (as is sometimes the case), stick with something easy. Lamb kebabs marinate quickly and can be grilled outside or under the broiler. This recipe from Nom Nom Paleo was what Ashley used and there were no complaints – it was wonderful! You can certainly eat the lamb alone but she served it with both a pomegranate glaze (on the side) and a mint sauce (on the side). I loved them both but the pomegranate glaze was exceptionally tasty!

Pomegranate Molasses

4 cups pomegranate juice
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Place the pomegranate juice, sugar and lemon juice in a 4-quart saucepan set over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has completely dissolved. Once the sugar has dissolved, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the mixture has reduced to 1 cup, approximately 70 minutes. It should be the consistency of thick syrup. Remove from the heat and allow to cool in the saucepan for 30 minutes. Transfer to a glass jar and allow to cool completely before covering and storing in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.

Mint sauce

1/2 seedless cucumber peeled, seeded, and chopped (1cup)
1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
Coarse Salt and Freshly ground white pepper to taste

Finely chop or grate the cucumber, mix into the yogurt and add lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper to taste. Stir in mint and chill, covered, until serving.

For the salad course it was a bit Moroccan traditional with hummus thrown in for good measure! The salads served were;

Zaalook
Rice and Carrot Salad
Cucumber and Tomato Arabic Salad
Hummus

I make hummus fairly regularly but Ashley added in a few ingredients that I normally don't. I loved the flavor!

Ashley's Hummus

2 cans chickpeas, Drained And Rinsed
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup tahini (sesame Paste)
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, Peeled
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon saffron thread, crumbled
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
2 tablespoons fresh parsley or 2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped, For Garnish

Combine all ingredients except for cilantro or parsley in a food processor and process until smooth. Adjust seasonings to taste. This recipe does great a sweeter tasting hummus but it's flavorful and a wonderful change up from traditional hummus!

For the main dishes there was also couscous and vegetables. Instead of preparing couscous the traditional way, Ashley opted to use Bob's Red Mill Couscous Rice, cooked in chicken broth and add some saffron for color. The vegetables were lightly seasoned with olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, and cumin and then roasted in the oven. Because this meal was all gluten-free she also made this bread that is our favorite recipe.

I'm not sure who gets the decorating credit, my mom or sister, but it was easy and beautiful – and child safe – we had 5 of them roaming around! The table was set with a plain white tablecloth and then paper napkins were used to create a little pattern. Votive candles and lanterns worked for fun lighting and appearance. Along with a big bouquet of flowers, and a camel teapot just for added flair. It's really easy and inexpensive!

Who can forget dessert?! I'm busy in Morocco making cookies for next week and I know these gluten-free ghriba will be on our table. Ashley took a swing at them using my recipe with great results. Almond, Vanilla, Preserved Lemon Ghriba are a unique take on their traditional counterparts but kids and and adults love them! My niece here pulls the almond centers out and eats them first!

One more super simple dessert idea is to make shortcakes with fruit. Use of the last of summer's bounty or opt for some cooked down apples or pears in cinnamon and cardamom. Shortcake mix can be bought in a box mix or can be easily made at home too. A little whipped cream and everyone is happy.

Looking for more easy Moroccan recipes? I've got a bunch!

What's on your Eid menu this year? Consider inviting over a family or someone that may be alone or in a difficult time to celebrate. It really can mean a lot!

Boulfaf – Grilled Lamb Liver

10:00 am by Amanda Mouttaki Leave a Comment

Boulfaf is a simple dish of grilled lamb liver made in Morocco every year for Eid al Adha. While I have only tried it once, I do prepare it and can never escape it. When a sheep is slaughtered every single piece of the animal is either used or eaten. The order of things eaten is based on what will spoil the quickest so organs are usually the first meal.

This also includes the heart and kidneys. The rest of the sheep is hung up so that the meat partially dries. The dish that everyone waits and looks forward to is boulfaf. L’faf in Moroccan means “to roll with something inside,” which is exactly what boulfaf is. The liver is cut into cubes and then wrapped in pieces of caul fat. The recipe is very simple but Eid just wouldn’t be the same without it.

Boulfaf – Grilled Lamb Liver

Ingredients

2 tsp cumin
½ tsp paprika (use cayenne pepper if you like heat)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 lamb liver
Strips of caul fat

Instructions

Place the liver in a grill basket and place it on a hot grill. Leave the liver for 10 to 15 – it should be cooked through. In some parts of Morocco they boil the liver until cooked. The reason for this is to remove the metallic taste from the organ.
The caul fat is the lacy fat that surrounds some of the interior organs. This is used to wrap the cooked liver. To prepare the caul fat it is removed from the sheep. A clean white sheet is hung on a clothes line and the the fat is draped and clipped – just like hanging up clothes. It is then left for several hours to stiffen. Once removed the strips are rolled like a cigar and ½ pieces are cut.
Mix all of the spices together. Cut the liver into bite-size cubes and sprinkle with the spice mixture, then wrap each with a piece of the fat. Slide onto a metal skewer.
When all of the liver has been used, place the skewers back on the grill. DO NOT do this inside of the house (such as in a grill pan). The melting fat will cause smoke – sometimes a lot of smoke. This should only take a few minutes to melt some of the fat.
Serve hot with the same spice mixture as a condiment. Guests can add more depending on their preference. Moroccans eat boulfaf with pieces of Moroccan bread.
In Morocco every family shares skewers of their boulfaf with neighbors to share part of their sheep. In the Moroccan spirit of hospitality for every skewer you give, chances are good you’ll get two in return!

A Vegetarian Eid al Adha Soup for Your Table

10:00 am by Amanda Mouttaki 4 Comments

Eid al Adha is right around the corner (Sunday) and is perhaps most well known as the “sheep holiday”. Muslim families purchase a live ram and on the morning of Eid sacrifice the animal. This is done as a remembrance of Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son on God's command. At the last minute God replaced Ismail with a ram. After the sacrifice families separate the ram into three parts; one for themselves, one to share with friends or family and one to donate to the poor.

Many women pride themselves on creating a wonderful meal on Eid, making many dishes that only make an appearance for this holiday. One obvious staple is plenty of sheep. This year we're not making our own sacrificing but allowing a relative in Morocco to do the sacrifice for us. We've consciously cut out a lot of red meat from out diet and neither MarocBaba or I would eat enough of the meat over the year to warrant buying one. Frankly, I'm still pretty full of meat from our trip last month. This got me thinking about others who are either vegetarian or just don't like mutton. There generally aren't a lot of options for them on the Eid table.

I created this very healthy and filling soup to fill the void. I used Saffron Road broth to speed up the cooking time and add a really great flavor. I love Saffron Road because all of their products are halal and completely natural, but also many of them are gluten free. I stopped using canned or boxed broths awhile ago because of the high sodium levels and blah taste but Saffron Road broths are really different – so much flavor.

There is a little bit of prep work to make this recipe but it's well worth it.

eid soup — Pre-cut all vegetables (love the purple potatoes don't you)

ricotta gnocchi — Gnocchi can be made ahead of time and frozen until ready to use.

[tasty-recipe id=”29790″]

Follow Saffron Road on Twitter and Facebook for updates and new product releases. Visit their website to find your local grocery stores that carry Saffron Road products.

Pick up Saffron Road Broth on Amazon and have it directly shipped to you – Eid made easy!

What's on your menu for Eid? Do you have other meat-free ideas to share with other readers?

What to do with Leftover Lamb Kebabs?

11:04 am by Amanda Mouttaki 3 Comments

For our Eid meal I counted more guests than I had coming and had prepared a lot more lamb than we needed. Instead of cooking it all I put part of it into the fridge for another meal. But we were really kebab'ed out. Instead for dinner yesterday I made a lentil and lamb dish. I hate to say it's a tajine because really it's not. It was pretty healthy and satisfying and got rave reviews from my husband. We also had a round of garlic Afghani bread that I had picked up earlier in the week. They really complimented each other well.

Ingredients:

1/2 lb lamb kebabs, in spice mixture

1 cup lentils pre-soaked for 1-2 hours

3 tsp olive oil

1/2 tsp garlic chopped

1 tsp each cumin, salt and pepper

1 tbsp tomato paste

1 large tomato, insides grated (discard skin)

4 cups of water

Directions:

In a pressure cooker or large pot add olive oil and garlic. Allow to saute for 2-3 minutes. Add meat and brown. Add remaining spices, tomato paste and grated tomato. Add lentils and water. Bring to a boil and reduce to a low to medium heat. Cover either with pressure cooker top or cover for pot. If using a pressure cook, allow to cook for about 40 minutes, making sure to check water occasionally. The lentils should be soft, not firm, although if you like them with a little bite that is fine. In Morocco lentils are always soft.

Another note – the main component of this dish is not the meat, it's there as an addition but should not be center stage – that's why this is a great dish when you just have a little bit of meat left over!

Spice Mixture for 2 lbs of lamb

– 1 medium onion chopped finely

– 2 tsp garlic chopped

– 1/2 tsp tumeric

– 3 tsp cumin

– 2 tsp salt

– 1 tsp pepper

– enough olive oil to coat meat

allow meat to marinade at least 1 hour, the longer the better!

If you want to eat the lamb as a kebab, simply add the spice mixture and then grill. I like to let it marinade as long as possible.