On my previous Moroccan Couscous recipe, I went over the history of Couscous. This time I just want to present you with a variation to it which will go perfectly with my Chicken Tagine with Prunes and Apricots recipe. 

Also, the use of Preserved Lemons is a must in order to fully taste all those beautiful exotic flavors. I strongly encourage you to either make your own, order them from Amazon.com, or get them from a Middle Eastern market. 

This will be my last post on Moroccan cuisine for now as summer is finally upon us and I would like to share some of my favorite salad recipes with you all.

I hope you enjoyed this Moroccan series as much as I enjoyed creating it for you. 

Happy cooking!

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APRICOT COUSCOUS WITH PRESERVED LEMONS

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Moroccan

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 4 servings

Author My Global Cuisine

Ingredients

• 2 cups water
• 1/4 cup diced dried apricots
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp minced preserved lemons peel only rinsed
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 cup instant couscous

Instructions

• Heat water, apricots, honey, oil, preserved lemons, and salt in a saucepan to a boil over medium-high.
• Stir in couscous, remove from heat, cover pan, and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff couscous with a fork before serving.

Notes

The post Apricot Couscous with Preserved Lemons appeared first on My Global Cuisine.

Continuing with this Moroccan series, let’s talk about Couscous…

What is Couscous? – Couscous is a popular dish in Morocco and North Africa but is eaten all over the world. History has various theories about its origins. Some believe that couscous, like pasta, was created in China, while others are certain its origin is from East Africa. According to food writer Charles Perry, couscous originated among the Berbers of Algeria and Morocco between the end of the 11th-century Zirid dynasty, modern-day Algeria, and the rise of the 13th-century Almohad Caliphate.

In the eleventh century, the Arab-Islamic conquest contributed to the spread of the dish throughout the North African region. Economic growth and the development of wheat production accelerated its expansion. Later, couscous was brought to the southern region of Andalusia in Spain and reached South America, through the Portuguese that emigrated from Morocco. The adoption of couscous continued in the twentieth century, mainly due to migratory waves from North Africa to Europe, and France.

Today, couscous is the culinary ambassador of North Africa and is an emblem of Moroccan culinary art. Light, versatile, and easy to prepare, it’s a delectable addition to any menu that also has numerous health benefits. Everyone has their own favorite recipe. Here is mine. Enjoy! 

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Moroccan Couscous

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Moroccan

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 4 servings

Author My Global Cuisine

Ingredients

• 1 cup orange juice
• 1 cup instant couscous
• 1/4 cup pitted dates finely chopped
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds or pine nuts
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

• Bring juice and 1/2 cup water to a boil in a small pot. Remove from heat.
• Stir in couscous and allow to sit covered for 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a separate pan, saute dates, raisins, almonds and cinnamon in 1/2 cup to 3/4 water for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Add cooked couscous. Mix well and serve.

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As the holiday season approaches, I am sure you have just one question on your mind. What to serve with all those amazing entrees. For every entree you create you will need a nice dish to serve alongside, and these Roasted Asparagus and Mixed Mushrooms are the perfect choice. They are healthy and light, and taste delicious. The flavor of the vegetables is enhanced by the high heat of the oven which caramelizes the natural sugars in the vegetables creating a taste that is impossible to match when steaming or boiling. It’s my go-to side dish during Thanksgiving and Christmas. I have served this dish many times to my family and friends, and they all love it!

If you are looking for something to go along with your holiday turkey or ham, try serving these Roasted Asparagus and Mixed Mushrooms alongside my Tuscan Herbed Potatoes. Have the guests bring dessert, or make a French Yogurt Cake with Marmalade and you can be virtually done before the first guest walks through the door.  You can find the other recipes mentioned on my blog in the side dish and desert sections .

These Roasted Asparagus and Mixed Mushrooms can also be served alongside beef or pork tenderloin, turkey, or lamb making this dish the ‘swiss-army knife’ of side dishes.

Enjoy!

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Roasted Asparagus and Mixed Mushrooms

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 10 servings

Author My Global Cuisine

Ingredients

• 2 pounds fresh asparagus trimmed
• 1 pound mixed fresh mushrooms such as button, shiitake and/or crimini, and oyster cut in half
• 3 large cloves fresh garlic sliced thinly
• 1/2 Tsp salt
• 1/2 Tsp black pepper
• 1 Tbsp butter melted
• 1 Tbsp extra virgen olive oil
• 1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley - optional

Instructions

• Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Arrange asparagus and mushrooms on aluminum foil-lined 15X10X1-inch baking pan. Sprinkle garlic, salt and pepper on top. Drizzle melted butter with olive oil over vegetables.
• Bake, stirring occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender and lightly browned.
• Remove from oven.
• Transfer the vegetables to a serving dish and sprinkle the parsley on top, if using it.
• Serve immediately.
• Enjoy!
• Recipe adapted from Land O Lakes Recipe Collection

The post Roasted Asparagus and Mixed Mushrooms appeared first on My Global Cuisine.

When zucchini is in season, it is typically sweet and plentiful. Many Italians celebrate by making this wonderful Italian Zucchini Risotto and often find ways to compliment the dish with the beautiful zucchini flowers. This risotto is a colorful and flavorful summer dish that can be served as an appetizer or an entree.

When I am in the mood for comfort food, Italian Zucchini Risotto is one of the first things to come to mind. Its creamy, and there is something healing about the process of stirring and adding the broth slowly that is reminiscent of the way foods must have been prepared many years ago. Making risotto is wonderful not only because almost anything can be added to a risotto, but because it cooks slowly allowing you enough time to prepare another dish simultaneously while occasionally reaching over to give it a stir. Add a nice glass of wine to complete the scene and help you completely unwind.

Here is what the dish looks like as we move through the process.

Adding broth a little at a time…..

Mixing in the Basil, Parsley and Parmesan Cheese…..

It’s important to note that you really must use arborio, carnaroli or vialone rice. You cannot substitute for other rices, otherwise you won’t get enough starch out of it in order to make your risotto creamy and not sticky. Also, don’t be worry about the butter. It’s all natural and and skimping will not give you the same flavor or results. When it comes to butter I usually make every attempt to minimize or avoid it all together, but there are cases like when it’s really necessary. There comes a time when it really pays off to indulge, and this Italian Zucchini Risotto is a beautiful indulgence. If you want to be creative, try substituting some mushrooms, proscuito, fresh peas or any combination of the three.  The results will be equally delicious.

Here is ready to be plated. You can almost feel the creaminess!

I am confident that you will enjoy making it, and eating it will be even better!

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Italian Zucchini Risotto

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 55 minutes minutes

Servings 6 servings

Author My Global Cuisine

Ingredients

• 6-7 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
• 7 tablespoons of butter
• 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
• 3 zucchini about 3/4 pound, diced
• 1 large onion chopped very fine
• 1 parsley spring minced, and 1/4 cup minced
• 2 to 3 fresh basil leaves minced
• 1 1/2 cups Italian short-grain rice Arborio, Carnaroli or Vialone Nano
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

• In a medium sauce pan heat up the broth and keep it at simmer.
• In a large skillet or heavy saucepan, combine 3 TBSP of butter and the olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini and sauté, stirring until beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, transfer the zucchini to a bowl and reserve.
• Return the saucepan to the heat, add the remaining butter and heat over medium heat. Add the onion, parsley sprig and basil, and sauté, stirring often, until the onion is soft, about 7 minutes.
• Reduce the heat to medium, stir in the rice and saute, stirring, until the rice starts to stick to the pan. Immediately add a 4-ounce ladleful of the stock at a time.
• Cook, stirring until the stock is absorbed. Continue adding stock in this fashion and cooking until the rice is al dente, about 20 minutes.
• Remove from the heat, stir in the zucchini, remaining parsley and parmesan cheese.
• Serve immediately. Enjoy it!

The post Italian Zucchini Risotto appeared first on My Global Cuisine.

I learned to make these Tuscan Herbed Potatoes while at cooking school in Tuscany. During the lesson we roasted a loin of pork and served it alongside these Tuscan Herbed Potatoes. Oh and there was red wine, lots of it. That evening we also prepared tiramisu, the recipe for which I will post in the near future. I remember smelling the aroma from these Tuscan Herbed Potatoes and thinking to myself, these are going to be good! There is something earthy and wonderful about the aroma that comes from roasting the garlic, sage and rosemary that transports me back to my childhood when my grandmother cooked for us on Sundays.

I love these Tuscan Herbed Potatoes so much that it has became a staple on my weekly menu. Until I tried these, I was not a big fan of potatoes. I tend to find them a little boring unless they are served with a nice sauce. This recipe is special and one that I am planning to keep and pass down to my children, and hopefully they to their children.

Here is a photo of the raw potatoes and herbs in a mixing bowl.

On the parchment paper ready to go into the oven.

I hope you will enjoy making them for your family and guests as much as I do.

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Tuscan Herbed Potatoes

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 8 -10 servings

Author My Global Cuisine

Ingredients

• 3 pounds mini red and gold potatoes unpeeled and cut in half or any potatoes of your liking
• 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 8 cloves of garlic chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary
• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped sage
• 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
• Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees or 200'C.
• Wash and dry the potatoes. Cut them in half and place the potatoes into a mixing bowl.
• Add the olive oil, garlic, rosemary, sage, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Toss well to ensure the potatoes are evenly coated with the ingredients.
• Line a 9X12 baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Transfer the potatoes to a baking sheet and bake them for 20 minutes. Turn the potatoes and bake for another 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Toward the end of the cooking time, you will want to broil them for a few minutes until lightly brown and crusty. Keep a close eye so as not to burn the potatoes.
• Taste the potatoes and adjust the seasonings if necessary.
• Enjoy it!

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This Grilled Zucchini, or as they call it in Italy zucchini gligliate, is a popular Italian dish that can be served as a side dish, or as an appetizer. At home I serve as a side dish, alongside my previous recipe, Chicken Escalope with Lemon Sauce. The first time I tried grilled zucchini made this way I was in Italy, and I thought to myself, how could something so healthy taste this good? The secret is in the dressing, which I will also share with you in this recipe. You can just grill the zucchini and serve that way, but in my opinion, the dressing really makes this dish. This grilled zucchini is also a great side dish to have with grilled steak or chicken or to add to a sandwich. If you are not into zucchini, you could substitute for eggplant, or grill both together. The technique is the same. When making this grilled zucchini, keep in mind that you must let the zucchini sit in salt for at list 30 minutes in order to extract the water.

Once the zucchini releases the water,  wash them well, and pat dry with paper towels. Grill afterwords.

I hope you enjoy making this grilled zucchini dish as much as I do. I made a big batch last night and I had leftovers for my sandwich today. You can refrigerate the dressing, but make sure you bring to room temperature before serving again. Enjoy!

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Grilled Zucchini

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 40 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 4 servings

Author My Global Cuisine

Ingredients

• 4 large zucchini
• 1 TBSP of salt
• 4 garlic cloves finely chopped
• 1 handfull of Italian parsley - flat leaved parsley roughly chopped
• 3 TBSP of extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Italian peperoncino or 1/4 TSP or less of red pepper flakes crushed
• a pinch of salt

Instructions

• Slice the zucchini length ways into (1/4 inch) strips than cover them generously with salt for 30 min before rinsing and drying them. Grill the zucchini on a griddle pan in a single layer in pan, or under the grill. Grill for 4 minutes, turning after 2 minutes. For tender zucchini slices, grill for an extra 1 minute on each side.
• To make the dressing: On a cutting board, chop together the garlic, parsley and peperoncino. Transfer to a small bowl. Stir in the olive oil, and add a pinch of salt. Serve on top of the zucchini or on the side.

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