Ghoriba, Almond Macaroons

Since I wanted to try a Moroccan dessert, I picked Ghoriba cookies. I know desserts tend to be less sweet than ours in America but I thought these were plain. Maybe if I had roasted the almonds then it could have made a difference but I'm unsure. My son did like them but they weren't sweet enough for my daughter. They are easy to make.  I was hoping it would be like a Mexican wedding cookie but it isn't. I was thinking it has lots of potential. The recipe called for orange blossom water for decoration but I couldn't find any and didn't want to order it online. I used plain water since it is only used to moisten the dough to roll it into powdered sugar. They have a soft interior with a crunchy exterior.

Ghoriba, Almond Macaroons
1/2 lb. almonds, blanched and peeled
4 oz. powdered sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp lemon zest
(orange blossom) water & powdered sugar for decoration

Direction:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 
3. In a food processor, process the almonds twice to make a moist almond paste. Set aside.
4. In a small bowl, beat the powdered sugar with the egg.
5. Add the almond paste, baking powder, butter, vanilla, and lemon zest to the powdered sugar mixture.
6. Using the water to dampen your hands, moisten the dough to form one inch balls.
7. Roll the balls in the powdered sugar to coat. 
8. Place the cookies onto the baking sheet. 
9. Bake the cookies for 15 minutes or until golden. 
10. Remove from oven and coat the cookies with additional powdered sugar. 
11. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool.

Recipe adapted from Aboutfood.

Two years ago...................................I made Broccoli Cheddar Soup.
Three years ago................................I made Lemon Tassies.

Did you already know..............................
-Ghoriba is a generic term for a Moroccan hand rolled cookies.
-A crinkled top is desired for a Ghoriba cookie.
-The cookies range from being like a shortbread to a macaroon.

Ksra

Since I'm still on the Moroccan theme, I made some Moroccan Ksra. I'm going to start with saying my husband loved, loved, loved this bread. I served it warm right from the oven. I thought this yeast bread was very easy to make. It took about an hour from when I started to make it and when I served it. I always like homemade bread so I think this is a nice addition to my repertoire of breads. I did substitute the aniseed for fennel seed. I couldn't foresee a large demand of recipe to use aniseed in the future.

Moroccan Ksra
7 oz. warm water (110 degrees F)
1 package (1/4 oz.) dry yeast
1/2 tsp sugar
2 1/4 cups white bread flour, a little additional for the surface
3/4 cups semolina flour
1 tsp fennel seed
1 1/2 tsp salt
olive oil, for brushing
sesame seeds, for sprinkling

Directions:

1. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. In a large cup, combine the warm water with the yeast and sugar. Allow to proof for 5 minutes.
3. Combine the bread flour, semolina flour, fennel seed, and salt.
4. Add the water yeast mixture to the flour. 
5. Mix until the dough comes together and forms a ball.  
6. Half the dough and place the dough onto a lightly floured surface.
7. Shape the two halves into flatten thick discs.
8. Place the discs onto the two baking sheets. 
9. Cover the two discs with plastic wrap which had been oiled with nonstick baking spray.
10. Allow the dough to rise for 30 minutes.
11. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
12. Brush each discs with olive oil and sprinkle with the sesame seeds.
13. Bake the discs for 20 minutes or until the bread is golden and sound hollow when tapped underneath.

Recipe adapted from The Bread and Bread Machine Bible cookbook.

One year ago...................................................I made Blueberry Galette.
Two years ago.................................................I made Chewy Brownies.
Three years ago...............................................I made Apple-Cinnamon Loaves.

Did you already know......................................
-Ksra bread is usually served at midday.
-It is similar to the Indian Naan bread.
-Ksra is sold by street venders in Morocco.

Chicken Tagine

Recently, I received a box filled with food items inspired by Morocco. I am suppose to be receiving these boxes every other month by mail. Since I like trying new foods around the world, I figured I would research some recipes to try. I never would have picked Moroccan food but we were pleasantly surprised. We liked it. My son wasn't keen on couscous but maybe it will become an inquired taste if he has it again. He thought it was plain and my daughter thought it looked weird. Either way, they both ate it. I told my son to season it a little more. So, I'm posting some of the recipes we tried. I served this chicken dish over couscous. My husband liked how the lemon enhanced the dish. This is an easy dish to make.

Chicken Tagine
1 Tbsp olive oil
4 chicken breast, cut into pieces
1 onion, chopped
2 tsp ginger, grated
2/3 cup water
pinch of saffron
1 Tbsp honey 
2 large carrots, thinly chopped
1/8 cup freshly parsley, chopped
4 lemon wedges
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat.
2. Add the chicken and brown.
3. Add the onion and ginger. Cook for another 2 minutes.
4. In a small cup, combine the water with the saffron and honey. 
5. Add the water, saffron, and honey to the chicken dish. 
6. Season with salt and pepper. 
7. Bring the mixture to a boil.
8. Cover and allow the mixture to simmer for 20 minutes or until the chicken is tender.
9. Uncover and allow the sauce to thicken if needed. 
10. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with the lemon wedges.

Recipe adapted from BBC Goodfood.com.

One year ago.............................................I made Broccoli Cheddar Soup.
Two years ago...........................................I made Abstract Art Cookies.
Three years ago.........................................I made Fresa Agua Fresca.

Did you already know........................
-Couscous is a pasta made with semolina flour.
-Couscous is a traditional North African food.
-Couscous name is derived from a Berber word meaning well rounded.

Yellow Rice

My husband makes rice often. I prefer flavored rice. I try to get him to buy the yellow rice in the packages but he would rather have white rice. I figured I would try to make some yellow rice to see how it comes out. This yellow rice had a nice flavor. Since it is very easy, I will probably make it from now on then to buy the package. Plus I control the ingredients and it uses up some spices I actually don't use often.

Yellow Rice
2 tsp vegetable oil 
2 Tbsp shallots, chopped fine
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cup Jasmine rice
3 cups chicken broth
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black ground pepper
1/2 tsp turmeric

Directions: 

1. In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium high heat.
2. Add the shallots and garlic. Saute for 3 minutes.
3. Add the rice, chicken broth, tumeric, salt, and pepper.Stir.
4. Bring the rice to a boil.
5. Reduce the heat to medium low and cover.
6. Allow the rice to simmer until tender about 20 minutes.
7. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Recipe adapted from Food.com.

One year ago............................I made Hawaiian Rolls.
Two years ago..........................I made Fresh Orange Juice.
Three years ago.........................I made Dulce de Leche Rice Pudding.

Did you already know.......................
-In Chinese, the word rice means food.
-Besides Antarctica, all the other continents grow rice.
-There are over 40,000 varieties of rice.

Chimichangas

When I was in high school, I would eat out with my friend. She would order a chimichanga. I had never heard of a chimichanga before she ordered it. She told me it was a fried burrito. It sounded good but I still would order a hamburger. When I was young, my philosophy was why order anything but a hamburger. My philosophy now is to try new foods. I actually have never ordered a chimichanga in a restaurant. Since I like introducing different foods to the kids, I figured I would make some chimichangas. I hardly fry foods so the kids thought this was a nice treat.

Beef Chimichangas
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 cup onions, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, finely chopped
1 tsp dried oregano leaves
salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup pepper jack, shredded
8 (6 inch) flour tortillas
2 cups oil
toppings: sour cream, lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, black olives, onions etc.

Directions: 

1. In a large skillet, brown the meat over medium high heat.
2. Drain the excess oil form the pan.
3. Add the onions, garlic, jalapeno, oregano, pepper.
4. Cook until the onions are tender.
5. Spoon 1/4 cup of the meat mixture just shy of the center of each tortilla. 
6. Top the meat with the cheese. 
7. Fold in the sides almost touching.
8. With the sides tucked in, roll the bottom up tightly to form a burrito.
9. Refrigerate the chimichangas for 20 minutes.
10. In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. 
11. Carefully, add the chimichangas. 
12. Cook for 5 minutes or until golden brown.
13. Remove from the oil and place onto a plate lined with paper towels. 
14. Serve immediately with desired toppings.  

Recipe adapted from Kraft.

One year ago.........................I made Chicken Enchiladas.
Two years ago.......................I made Migas in a Taco Bowl.
Three years ago.....................I made Chicken Salad Roll Up.

Did you already know........................
-Chimichangas are a deep fried burrito.
-It can consist of meat, vegetables, and spices of choices.
-The creation of the chimichanga is unknown but believed to originate in Arizona.