Moroccan chickpea stew

Three years ago while spending a few days in Paris, the friends my boyfriend and I were staying with took us to their favorite Moroccan restaurant, a sumptuous number close to their home in Versailles. I had never been to a Moroccan restaurant before. It's funny how depending on where you grow up and live, you end up becoming an expert on certain ethnic cuisines and knowing squat about others. 

Milano in the 80s was packed with Chinese restaurants and for most of the decade that was the only ethnic options available to us. At the end of the 80s the first Japanese restaurant opened in town and we all flocked to try it and walked out of it fascinated by the tasteful decor, the clean simplicity of the food and the fact that we didn't smell like frying oil. During the 90s we got our fair share of Indian and Ethiopian restaurants, followed by Thai and several fusion options. Moroccan? Not so much. There's virtually no Moroccan community in Milano, therefore there are no proper Moroccan restaurants —just a lot of little kebab joints that are absolutely fantastic after a night of drinking.    

But having a full, scrumptious Moroccan dinner is much different that standing in the street chowing down kebab to soak up one too many gin and tonics. Sitting on plush cushions in that beautifully decorated room, taking in the scent of cumin, ginger, saffron and cinnamon, I instantly knew I was in for a treat. And I was right. Everything I tasted that night —from the appetizer onion salad to the tagine to the lamb stew— was vibrant with color and exploded with flavor. And because I seem to constantly be moving to place where there are no Moroccan restaurants —Bonita Springs and Lugano, for instance— I had to take the matter in my own hands and learn to make some of those dishes. The good news is, Moroccan food is easy to prepare, it just takes a long time to cook. So it's perfect if you have a crock pot (which I don't have over here, but a regular pot on very low heat works just fine) and you want to come home to the sweet scent of spices wafting through the air. 

MOROCCAN CHICKPEA STEW

(Adapted from Cooking Light)

• 2  teaspoons  olive oil
• 1  cup  chopped onion
• 1  cup  chopped celery
• 1  cup  chopped carrot
• 1  teaspoon  minced garlic
• 2  tablespoons  ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon  paprika
• 1  teaspoon  ground ginger
• 1/2  teaspoon  ground turmeric
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/4  teaspoon  ground cinnamon
• 1/4  teaspoon  ground red pepper
• 1 1/2  cups  water
• 2  tablespoons  tomato paste
• 2  (15 1/2-ounce) cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1  (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 2  tablespoons  chopped fresh cilantro
• 1  tablespoon  fresh lemon juice

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery, carrot, and garlic to pan and sauté 5 minutes. Stir in spices and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. 

Add 1 1/2 cups water, tomato paste, chickpeas, and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes. Stir in cilantro and juice.

Summer couscous

It's the last day of August. I can't believe the whole month went by so fast -but I'm glad because it means that we're a little bit closer to the end of this insane Florida heat. I had high hopes I would post more recipes in August than I did in July, but I didn't take into account that my sister, brother in law, nephew, niece and other relatives would be here on vacation. I didn't have as much time to cook, photograph and write as I thought I'd have. But I guess I didn't do too bad. For my last August post I thought I'd do something summery -a nice and easy couscous recipe.

I'm kind of broke at the moment, so I'm trying to come up with cheap dishes that I can make with what I have in the house. And since my pantry is literally packed with couscous (I found it at the local discount store for 99 cents a box!) I thought it would be a good idea to cook up a batch and bring it to the office for lunch. Of course you can also use it as a side dish, but I find it filling and tasty enough to have it as a stand alone dish.

SUMMER COUSCOUS
Makes 4 servings

1 box plain or flavored couscous (I used sundried tomato and garlic couscous today)
1 1/4 cup vegetable broth
1 small zucchini
1 pint cherry tomatoes
3 tablespoons kalamata olives
3 tablespoons raisins
1 sprig fresh mint
Salt and pepper

Soak the raisins in warm water for about 20 minutes.

In the mean time bring the broth to a boil, add couscous, stir and remove from heat. Cover and let stand for 7 minutes. Fluff with work and set aside.

Chop the zucchini and tomatoes, slice the olives. Add to couscous. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Mince the mint, drain the raisins and add to the couscous. Serve warm or cold.