Moroccan Mama

Simple Khoubz (Moroccan flat bread)

khoubz

This is a flat bread that Moroccans use for meals, sandwiches and breakfast. This bread is good for soaking up the sauces of Tagines, broths and for picking up food from the communal platter as they eat. This bread is the Moroccan's knife and fork! This recipe makes 2 loaves and is easily cut in half for one loaf.

42 min | 30 min prep

SERVES 8 -16

• 3 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 cups unbleached white flour
• 3 1/2 tablespoons dry active yeast
• 2/3 cup cornmeal
• extra cornmeal, for dusting top and placing on tray under bread
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 1/2 cups water, tepid 110-115 degrees F
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons salt

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Combine 1/2 cup flour, sugar, salt, yeast and water in bowl. Stand, covered, in a warm place until bubbly.
3. Add remaining flour, and cornmeal into a large bowl. Add the oil. Add yeast mixture to the flour in the bowl.
4. Mix with hands well to form a firm dough.
5. Knead until smooth.
6. Stand, covered, in a warm place 20 minutes.
7. Shape into 2 rounds (depending on the diameter you desire as Moroccan bread comes in many sizes right down to little ones for sandwiches). Score the top with a sharp knife 1/8" deep into 4 (cutting an X shape), or using your thumb make a dent in the center nearly deep enough to be a hole, though not all the way through.
8. Place on a baking sheet dusted with corn meal and dust the top also with the corn meal gently pushing it into the dough a bit.
9. Stand, covered, until nearly doubled. This being so flat and the amount of yeast, it may not exactly double for you in size and that is fine.
10. Bake 12-18 minutes.
11. If you are making a Moroccan meal and will use bread to eat with you will need at least 2 loaves for 4 people. Cooking time includes standing and is an approximation as flours and temperatures differ.
12. This bread freezes well. Simply freeze as you would any bread and defrost at room temperature.
    

Moroccan Eggs - Breakfast

Anna's Moroccan Eggs

This recipe is the closest I could come to the eggs my fiance's mother made for us in Morocco.

Alcazar - Seville

3 - 4 large eggs
6-8 green olives, sliced
1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 of a large Roma tomato, thinly sliced into strips
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1/4 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. cumin
1/4 - 1/2 tsp. cayenne (depending on how spicy you like your food)
1/2 cup shredded cheddar or other yellow cheese
black or white pepper to taste
olive oil
(I omit salt because the olives are very salty, but you can add some if you wish)

Coat the bottom of a medium sized skillet with olive oil.  Over High heat, add red onions and cook until tender, but not burnt.  Add the tomatoes and cilantro and cook until tender and the tomatoes are falling apart.  Spread mixture evenly over the bottom of the skillet, lower heat to Medium.  Crack the eggs into a bowl, add turmeric, chili powder, cumin, and cayenne.  Wisk together, then pour into skillet to form a thin layer of egg over the onion, tomato, and cilantro.  Add sliced green olives, and gently mix together until eggs start just begin to cook, spread mixture to form a thin layer on the bottom of the skillet.  When eggs are almost cooked through, top with cheddar cheese and cook until eggs are cooked through and cheese is melted.  Add pepper to taste.

The Moroccan style to serve this dish is to leave the eggs in the skillet and place on a trivet or tile.  It is traditionally eaten with Moroccan style flat bread or baguette, and the bread is used to scoop up the eggs.

Warm chickpea, red pepper, and spinach salad with harissa

Serves 6
Prep Time 1 hour

Vinaigrette
1 tbsp. sherry vinegar
1/2 tbsp. Dijon
1/4 tsp. each kosher salt and black pepper
2-4 tsp. harissa
3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

Whisk vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper, and 2 tsp. harissa in a bowl.  Gradually wisk in olive oil.  Taste, add more harissa if you like it spicy.

Salad
1 each medium red and yellow bell peppers
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 medium eggplant, large dice
1 bag baby spinach
12 large fresh mint leaves, chiffonade
kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Set oven to broil.  Put peppers on baking sheet and broil, turning periodically, until charred, about 20 minutes.  Place peppers in a paper bag for 15 minutes to allow trapped steam to loosen skins.  Remove skins, stems, and seeds.  Cut peppers int o 1/2 inch strips.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large nonstick frying pan over medium heat.  Add eggplant and cook, stirring often, until softened and beginning to color, about 12 minutes.  Add chickpeas, 2 tbsp. water, and about 3/4 tsp.each salt and black pepper.  Cook, stirring, to blend flavors, about 3 minutes.  Stir in chopped peppers.  Remove from heat and let stand until vegetables are warm, not hot.

In a large bowl, toss spinach, mint, and red onion with half of the vinaigrette.  Add chickpea mixture, drizzle with additional dressing, and toss again to coat.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.