A couple of weeks ago when I walked by a huge pile of sugar pumpkins at the grocery, I couldn’t help myself. I picked one up. In the back of my mind I had this tagine on my mind – green lentils, chunks of pumpkin, spicy harissa paste. Luckily these little pumpkins keep for a while, so it was my sole Halloween decoration for a week or so, before I gutted it and made it dinner.

Sugar pumpkins have a similar texture to butternut squash, which would work just as well for this recipe. I expected the recipe to turn out super spicy due to the harissa, but when I started cooking I realized only a minuscule amount was called for. Of course, I fixed that! (more…)

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Comfort food, Dairy free, Dinner, Gluten free, Moroccan, Side Dish, Thanksgiving, Vegan, Vegetarian, Wine pairings by Courtney

One of the best things about my Morocco trip was the breakfast my husband and I enjoyed every morning. Of course, it was the posh riad breakfast, and probably not indicative of the everyday person’s breakfast in Morocco, but it was lovely. Breakfast started most mornings with a fruit salad and yogurt, with coffee and hot milk also brought along in separate carafes and a glass of fresh squeeze orange juice. The sugar cubes were shaped like bees and hearts, which spoke to my whimsical side. The fruit salad is something I will have to try recreating. It consisted of strawberries, apples, and bananas, which were all covered in sweet, sweet Moroccan orange juice. When we get back to the States I definitely plan on starting my own batch of yogurt culture again as well, because the homemade yogurt is so much more mild than what can be found at the store (yes, even better than my beloved Fage). (more…)

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Breakfast, Moroccan, World traveller by Courtney

I just got back from visiting the lands of one of my favorite cuisines, Morocco. I love the wealth of spices nearly every Moroccan dish contains, so of course I fell in love with my Food of Morocco cookbook long ago. I was very excited to find that the foods I ate there proved the recipes I had cooked over the years true to the cuisine. Of course, it was a bit better there (an understatement!), with the super-fresh spices abounding from shop after shop after shop.

Moroccan meatballs are something I had cooked previous to owning my cookbook, however, and have long been a favorite of mine. I’ve tried the addition of egg on occasion, and it makes for an über-rich and decadent dinner. This was hands down my favorite meal the entire time we were in Morocco. (more…)

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Appetizers, Dairy free, Dinner, Gluten free, Moroccan, Quick and Easy, World traveller by Courtney

Upon receiving my bounty of salmon last week, I knew just what I wanted to make with it. Earlier in the week I had picked up a copy of Saveur magazine on a whim. It promised delightful Corsican foods and bread recipes that I could make. Buried deep inside the issue, though, was a gem of an article on Senegal feasts, with recipes ranging from fritters and stews to magnificent salads. Upon seeing these salads I headed right back out to the store, picking up the ingredients and making them that evening. (more…)

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African, Dairy free, Gluten free, Lunch, Salad, Sunday Suppers, Vegan, Vegetarian, Wine pairings by Courtney