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Mar i Muntanya

Mar i Muntanya

The original surf-and-turf, mar i muntanya is a rustic dish born from Catalonia’s location between the Pyrenees mountains and the Balearic Sea. While many homestyle mar i muntanya recipes feature shrimp and bone-in chicken, this version is inspired by the dish at Ca L’Estevet, a 

Watermelon Salad With Radishes and Mint

Watermelon Salad With Radishes and Mint

If your watermelon isn’t very sweet, force it to be savory. And that by adding the peppery bite of radishes and onion and a three-ingredient vinaigrette. With mint strewn all over the juicy fruit, this whole salad ends up being super-refreshing. Recipe information Ingredients Kosher 

Moroccan Couscous with Seven Vegetables

Moroccan Couscous with Seven Vegetables

This authentic Moroccan couscous is a colorful dish made with perfectly cooked couscous topped with a variety of fresh veggies stewed in a flavorful broth. Moroccan People make it every Friday as a way to gather together and pray. 

Prep Time: 35 minutes mins
Cook Time: 2 hours hrs

Ingredients 

Couscous

  • 2.2 lb. couscous – (not instant; I prefer medium caliber)
  • 1/4 cup olive oil or vegetable oil
  • 6 cups water, divided – (can use milk for final steaming)
  • 2 to 3 tsp salt – (added after 1st steaming)
  • 2 tbsp soft butter – (added after final steaming)

Meat and Broth Seasoning

  • 2.2 lb. lamb, beef, or goat meat, large pieces on the bone – (or 1 large whole chicken)
  • 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
  • 3 fresh tomatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped
  • 1/4 cup olive oil or vegetable oil
  • 1 1/2 tbsp salt
  • 1 tbsp ginger
  • 1 tbsp pepper
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 handful parsley and cilantro sprigs, – tied into a bouquet
  • 2 tsp smen – Moroccan preserved butter – (optional; reserve until end of cooking)

Traditional Veggies

  • 1/2 cup dried chickpeas, soaked overnight
  • 1 small head of cabbage, cut in half or quartered
  • 3 or 4 medium turnips, peeled and cut in half
  • 8 to 10 carrots, peeled – (cut in half lengthwise if large)
  • 1 or 2 small tomatoes, peeled, seeded and quartered
  • 1 or 2 small onions, cut in half – (can use some whole fresh pearl onions instead)
  • 1 small acorn squash, quartered – (or wedge of pumpkin)
  • 4 or 5 small zucchini, ends trimmed – (or 8-ball round, cut in half)

Optional Veggies

  • 2 or 3 chili peppers or jalapeños – (simmer in a little broth or steam until tender)
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen fava beans – (add with 2nd steaming)
  • 2 or 3 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut in half – (add with 3rd steaming)
  • 1 bottle gourd, peeled, cleaned and cut into large pieces – (add with 3rd steaming)

Optional Tfaya – Caramelized Onions and Raisins

Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions 

Ahead of Time

  • Soak the dried chickpeas in a large bowl of water overnight. (Or, use a quick soak method: boil the dried chickpeas for 4 or 5 minutes, then turn off the heat and leave them to soak for an hour.)
  • Wash and prep your vegetables. Start making the tfaya (optional; see Recipe Notes).
  • Set up an area to work with the couscous. In Morocco we use a gsaa (very wide, shallow serving and mixing dish), but another very large wide vessel or bowl can work. Have oil, water, salt, and butter out and ready. Lightly oil the steamer basket of a couscoussier.

Begin Making the Broth

  • Brown the meat or chicken with the oil, onion, tomatoes and spices in the base of a couscoussier over medium-high heat. Continue cooking, uncovered and stirring frequently, for about 10 to 15 minutes, until a very thick and rich sauce begins to form. 
  • Add the soaked, drained chickpeas along with the parsley/cilantro bouquet and about 3 quarts (or liters) of water. Bring to a boil, cover, and cook over medium heat for about 30 minutes

First Steaming of the Couscous

  • Drizzle 1/4 cup of oil over the couscous. Toss and roll the couscous around between your hands for a minute to distribute the oil evenly and break up any balls or clumps. Add 1 cup of water and work it into the couscous in the same way tossing and rubbing the couscous until all is well blended and there are no clumps. 
  • Transfer the couscous to a lightly oiled steamer basket, taking care not to compress the grains in the process. Place the basket on the couscoussier and steam for 15 to 20 minutes, timing from when the steam first appears over the couscous.

Second Steaming of the Couscous

  • Turn the couscous back into your gsaa or bowl. Allow it to cool briefly, then work in 1 cup of water, using the same tossing and turning as you did before. (You may need to use a wooden spoon if the couscous is too hot, but move to using your hands when it has cooled enough.)
  • Add the salt in the same manner, then add in another 1 cup of water. Toss and roll and rub the couscous with your hands for a good minute or two, again making sure there are no balls. Transfer the couscous back to the steamer basket, again taking care not to compress or pack the grains.
  • Add the cabbage, onions, tomatoes (and fava beans, if using) to the couscous pot, then place the couscous basket on the couscoussier. Steam for 15 to 20 minutes, timing from when you first see steam emerge from the couscous.

Third and Final Steaming of the Couscous

  • Turn the steamed couscous out into your gssaa or bowl. Add the turnips and carrots to the pot; cover and allow them to cook for 15 minutes while you work with the couscous.
  • In increments, work 2 to 3 cups of water or milk into the couscous in the same manner as before tossing and turning and rubbing the grains between your hands and making sure there are no clumps. Use only as much water or milk as needed to make the couscous al dente.
  • Taste the couscous for salt and add a little more if desired. Transfer half of the couscous to the steamer basket, again being careful not to pack the grains. 
  • Add the remaining vegetables to the pot the squash or pumpkin, the zucchini and the sweet potatoes if using. Top with a little water if the level has dropped below the vegetables. Taste and adjust seasoning it should be well flavored, a bit salty and peppery.
  • Place the couscous basket back on the pot and cook until steam begins to emerge from the couscous. Gently add the remaining couscous to the basket and continue cooking. Once you see steam rise from the couscous, allow it to steam for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until light and fluffy and the latest additions of vegetables have cooked.

Serving the Couscous

  • Turn the couscous out into your bowl and work in the butter. Add the smen (if using) to the broth in the pot and swirl to incorporate.
  • Work about 1 cup of broth into the couscous, tossing as you did before. Arrange the couscous into a large, shallow mound in your gsaa or on a deep serving platter. Make a large indentation in the middle to hold the meat. 
  • Retrieve the meat from the pot and place in the center of the couscous. Top it with the cabbage and squash or pumpkin. Retrieve the other vegetables from the broth with a slotted spoon and arrange all around meat (in pyramid fashion, if you like). Garnish with the chickpeas (and/or fava beans), chili peppers and even the bouquet of parsley if you like.
  • Drizzle several cups of broth carefully over the couscous. Offer the remaining broth in bowls on the side.
  • Tfaya is optional and can be used as a garnish or served on the side. 

Notes

  • To make tfaya, combine all tfaya ingredients (except for the orange flower water) in a small pot. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat until the onions and raisins are tender and liquids have reduced to a thick syrup, about 30 minutes to 1 hour. Stir occasionally, and add a small amount of water during cooking if it’s needed. An optional last step is to add a little bit of orange flower water to taste. Serve warm.
  • If you are using chicken, be sure to remove it from the pot once it has cooked. Check after the first steaming of couscous. Free-range chickens may or may not require the entire cooking time.
  • You can reheat chicken for serving by adding it to the pot for a few minutes at the very end of cooking, but I prefer to brown it in a 425° F (220° C) oven.
  • To make a vegetarian version of couscous with seven vegetables, omit the meat or chicken in the first step of making the broth. Follow the directions as written unless you are using canned chickpeas instead of dried, soaked ones. In that case, once a thick sauce has formed from the onions and tomatoes, you can add the water and proceed directly to the first steaming.
  • If preparing vegetarian couscous, you may want to add additional oil to yield a richer broth. Olive oil adds flavor and I actually use it routinely when making couscous.
  • In our house, it’s all about the broth. I often increase seasoning and water by half to ensure that we have ample broth for serving on the side. You don’t need to do that, but do be sure to top off the water and check seasoning from time to time while cooking. 
  • Dried chickpeas that have been soaked overnight are preferred to canned. If you do use canned, drain and add them to the broth at the very end of cooking, after the final steaming of couscous. No need to simmer; they’ll heat through while your’re busy assembling the couscous for serving.
  • A note about carrots. Many Moroccans insist on cutting them in half lengthwise to remove the core. I prefer not to do that unless the core is dry and woody. If you do take this step, the carrots will cook faster than if they contain the core and/or are left whole, so you may want to adjust when you add them to the pot. I’ll leave small and medium carrots whole, for example, but I’ll cut very large carrots in half.
  • Steaming couscous is the only way couscous is made in Morocco. Be sure no steam is escaping between the steamer basket and pot. If it is, loosely wrap a long piece of folded plastic wrap over the rim of the pot and then position the steamer on top; the plastic film should create a snug seal.
  • For an extra delicious steamed couscous, use milk in place of water for the final steaming.
  • If you must use instant couscous, be sure to reconstitute it with broth from this recipe. Avoid making it soggy; it should be light and fluffy.

Nutrition

Calories: 940kcal
Carbohydrates: 130g
Protein: 49g
Fat: 24g
Saturated Fat: 6g
Cholesterol: 59mg
Sodium: 1565mg
Potassium: 1444mg
Fiber: 14g
Sugar: 12g
Vitamin A: 800IU
Vitamin C: 56.2mg
Calcium: 160mg
Iron: 6.8mg

Nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is only an estimate obtained from online calculators. Optional ingredients may not be included in the nutritional information.

Shrimp and Grits With Fennel Potlikker

Shrimp and Grits With Fennel Potlikker

For an herbaceous take on Southern shrimp and grits, chef Carla Hall cooks grits in her fragrant Fennel Potlikker. By giving the grits a good rinse, bringing them up to a boil from cold, and cooking them slowly and with frequent stirring, Hall ensures maximum 

Honey Mustard Chicken Salad

Honey Mustard Chicken Salad

Made with the juiciest, tender honey mustard chicken, romaine, strawberries, avocado and corn. And the dressing is perfection! Yield: 4 servingsPrep: 2 hours hours 15 minutes minutesCook: 20 minutes minutes Ingredients Equipment Instructions

Lamb Tagine with prunes

Lamb Tagine with prunes

Lamb Tagine with Prunes is a dish that beautifully captures the essence of Moroccan cuisine rich, aromatic, and deeply satisfying. This slow-cooked stew features succulent lamb, gently simmered with warm spices like cinnamon, ginger, and saffron, creating a sauce that is both savory and subtly sweet. The addition of plump prunes, often caramelized with honey, adds a luscious depth, balancing the dish with a touch of natural sweetness.

INGREDIENTS

Serves 4 to 6

Tagine

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1.2kg lamb shanks trimmed of excess fat (about 4 small or 3 large shanks) – check notes for other types of meat 
  • 4 large onions (about 800g), chopped
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic (about 4 cloves)
  • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon salt or more to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ¼  teaspoon saffron
  • 1 large coriander bouquet, tied
  • Toasted sesame seeds or chopped roasted almonds for garnish

Caramelised prunes

  • 300g soft dried prunes
  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

METHOD

• In a large casserole, heat the olive oil to medium-high heat and brown the lamb shanks on each side. Make sure the pan is very hot before placing the meat in the pan, you should hear a sizzle when the meat touches the pan, if you don’t, it means the pan is not warm enough. The meat will be naturally released once browned, don’t be tempted to flip it earlier. If you try to flip too early, you will notice that the meat sticks to the pan and you might damage it .

• Remove the browned lamb shanks from the pan and set aside. In the same casserole, place the onions and lower the heat to medium. Cover with a lid and leave the onions until they are soft and translucent, about 10 to 15 minutes. This will allow sweating the onions.

• Once you’ve sweated the onions, place the lamb shanks, the garlic, spices, salt and pepper in the casserole. Pour a cup and half of water (320 ml) in the casserole and place the coriander bouquet on top of the meat. Bring to the boil and cover with a lid over medium-low heat. Leave to simmer gently for 2 hours or until the meat is soft and separates easily from the bone.

• Halfway through cooking, after about 1 hour, reserve ½ cup of liquid from the casserole and set aside. At this stage, if it looks like there is almost no liquid left in the tagine, add a few tablespoons (or 1/4 a cup) of water in the casserole to avoid the tagine from drying out and sticking to the pan. 

• Meanwhile, prepare the caramelized prunes. Transfer the prunes in boiling water for 5 minutes to soften them and drain. Then, in a small deep skillet, transfer the liquids you reserved earlier (½ cup) along with the drained prunes, cinnamon and honey over medium-low heat. Leave to simmer for 5 minutes until the sauce starts to thicken. Set aside until ready to serve. 

• To serve, place the lamb shank and the onion sauce in a plate, arrange the prunes and the syrup (from the prunes) on top. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds or chopped roasted almonds. Enjoy with a side of couscous or crusty bread. 

Notes

•  Any type of slow braising beef or lamb pieces, trimmed of excess fat. will work for this recipe instead of the lamb shanks (i.e. lamb shoulder, lamb or beef neck, beef shin). 

Basil Chicken Stir-Fry

Basil Chicken Stir-Fry

Modeled after Thai pad kra pao, this simple, speedy chicken stir-fry is wonderful for summer and beyond. Where the traditional version uses fresh chiles, this recipe replaces them with bottled sambal oelek to keep things pantry-friendly. Combined with oyster sauce, fish sauce, and a bit 

Cranberry Sauce

Cranberry Sauce

Made from 5 ingredients, this easy sauce is ready after 20 minutes on the stove. It thickens as it cools. You can use fresh or frozen cranberries. See notes. Prep Time: 5 minutesCook Time: 20 minutesYield: 2 cups Ingredients Instructions Notes

Bagels At Home

Bagels At Home

Make fresh bagels right at home with this tested dough recipe. Don’t skip the water bath and egg wash both provide an extra chewy and golden brown crust.

Prep Time: 2 hours, 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 8 bagels

Ingredients

  • 1 and 1/2 cups (360ml) warm water (between 100-110°F, 38-43°C)
  • 2 and 3/4 teaspoons instant or active dry yeast
  • 4 cups (520g) bread flour (spooned & leveled), plus more for work surface and hands
  • 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar or packed light or dark brown sugar (or barley malt syrup)
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • coating the bowl: nonstick spray or 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • egg wash: 1 egg white beaten with 1 Tablespoon water

For Boiling

  • 2 quarts water
  • 1/4 cup (60g) honey (or barley malt syrup)

Instructions

  1. Prepare the dough: Whisk the warm water and yeast together in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment. Cover and allow to sit for 5 minutes. If you don’t have a stand mixer, simply use a large mixing bowl and mix the dough with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula in the next step.
  2. Add the flour, brown sugar, and salt. Beat on low speed for 2 minutes. The dough is very stiff and will look somewhat dry.
  3. Knead the dough: Keep the dough in the mixer and beat for an additional 6-7 full minutes, or knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for 6-7 full minutes. If the dough becomes too sticky during the kneading process, sprinkle 1 teaspoon of flour at a time on the dough or on the work surface/in the bowl to make a soft, slightly tacky dough. Do not add more flour than you need because you do not want a dry dough. After kneading, the dough should still feel a little soft. Poke it with your finger if it slowly bounces back, your dough is ready to rise. You can also do a “windowpane test” to see if your dough has been kneaded long enough: tear off a small (roughly golfball-size) piece of dough and gently stretch it out until it’s thin enough for light to pass through it. Hold it up to a window or light. Does light pass through the stretched dough without the dough tearing first? If so, your dough has been kneaded long enough and is ready to rise. If not, keep kneading until it passes the windowpane test.
  4. Lightly grease a large bowl with oil or nonstick spray. Place the dough in the bowl, turning it to coat all sides in the oil. Cover the bowl with aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or a clean kitchen towel.  Allow the dough to rise at room temperature for 60-90 minutes or until double in size.
  5. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
  6. Shape the bagels: When the dough is ready, punch it down to release any air bubbles. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. (Just eyeball it doesn’t need to be perfect!) Shape each piece into a ball. Press your index finger through the center of each ball to make a hole about 1.5 – 2 inches in diameter. Watch video below for a visual. Loosely cover the shaped bagels with kitchen towel and rest for a few minutes as you prepare the water bath.
  7. Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C).
  8. Water bath: Fill a large, wide pot with 2 quarts of water. Whisk in the honey. Bring water to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-high. Drop bagels in, 2-4 at a time, making sure they have enough room to float around. Cook the bagels for 1 minute on each side.
  9. Using a pastry brush, brush the egg wash on top and around the sides of each bagel. Place 4 bagels onto each lined baking sheet.
  10. Bake for 20-25 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. You want the bagels to be a dark golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow bagels to cool on the baking sheets for 20 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
  11. Slice, toast, top, whatever you want! Cover leftover bagels tightly and store at room temperature for a few days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Notes

  1. Overnight Make Ahead Instructions: Prepare the dough through step 4, but allow the dough to rise overnight in the refrigerator instead of at room temperature for 60-90 minutes. The slow rise gives the bagels wonderful flavor! In the morning, remove the dough from the refrigerator and let the dough rise for 45 minutes at room temperature. Continue with step 5. I don’t recommend shaping the bagels the night before as they may puff up too much overnight.
  2. Freezing Make Ahead Instructions: Baked bagels freeze wonderfully! Freeze them for up to 3 months, thaw overnight in the refrigerator or at room temperature, then warm to your liking. You can also freeze the bagel dough. After punching down the dough in step 6, wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap, then a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then punch the dough down again to release any air bubbles. Continue with the rest of step 6.
  3. Special Tools (affiliate links): Stand Mixer | Baking Sheets | Parchment Paper or Silicone Baking Mats | Large Pot (such as a large 5.5 quart dutch oven) | Pastry Brush
  4. Yeast: Use instant or active dry yeast. If using active dry yeast, the rise time may be up to 2 hours. 1 standard packet is about 2 and 1/4 teaspoons, so you will need a little more than 1 packet of yeast. Reference my Baking with Yeast Guide for answers to common yeast FAQs.
  5. Bread Flour: Bagels require a high protein flour. Bread flour is a must. Here are all my recipes using bread flour if you want more recipes to use it up. All-purpose flour can be used in a pinch, but the bagels will taste flimsy and won’t be nearly as chewy.
  6. Barley Malt Syrup: This ingredient can be a little hard to find, but truly gives bagels that traditional malty flavor we all know and love. Most natural food stores carry it. I offer alternatives such as brown sugar in the dough and honey in the water bath; I’ve made bagels with these alternatives AND with barley malt syrup and honestly love both versions.
  7. Bread Machine: Place the dough ingredients into the pan of the machine. Program the machine to dough or manual, then start. After 9-10 minutes, the dough will be quite stiff. Allow the machine to complete its cycle, then continue with the recipe.
  8. Bagel Varieties: See blog post above for various add-ins and toppings. Note that the toppings are added after the egg wash in step 9. Some readers have used this bagel recipe to make whole wheat bagels by replacing half of the bread flour with whole wheat flour. I haven’t tried it, but let me know if you do!
  9. Halve or Double: You can halve this dough recipe by simply halving all of the dough ingredients (do not halve the water or honey for the boiling step). No changes to the recipe instructions. For best taste and texture and to not overwhelm your mixer with excess heavy dough, I do not recommend doubling this dough recipe. Instead, make separate batches of dough.
  10. Adapted from a mix of recipes I’ve tried: Cook’s Illustrated, and Complete Book of Breads

Estimated Nutrition Per Bagel

  • Calories: ~210–240 kcal
  • Total Fat: ~0.5–1g
  • Saturated Fat: ~0g
  • Cholesterol: ~0mg (egg wash adds negligible amount)
  • Sodium: ~300mg
  • Carbohydrates: ~45g
  • Fiber: ~2g
  • Sugars: ~1–2g
  • Protein: ~8–10g
Everything Bagel Breakfast Casserole

Everything Bagel Breakfast Casserole

You can assemble this breakfast casserole the night before or quickly throw it together in the morning. Feel free to substitute the extras like bacon for sausage and use your favorite cheese! Prep Time: 15 minutesCook Time: 45 minutesYield: serves 12 Ingredients Instructions Notes Estimated