Showing posts with label couscous. Show all posts
Showing posts with label couscous. Show all posts

Monday, April 11, 2011

Morrocan Chicken with Chickpeas, Almonds, & Currants

This is a lovely Morrocan dish, but unlike the original, it is much lower in fat because the chicken is skinned. The recipe is from a Time Life series of French cookbooks I bought years ago on healthier eating, and sadly lacked flavour. So I adjusted the spices and seasonings, and the resulting flavour was perfect! Subtle, delicious ...perfect with a chilled, dry rosé or white wine, or a cold Boréale Blanche white beer "on lie" from one of Quebec's excellent micro breweries!

Thursday, March 31, 2011

Chakchouka with Mediterranean Influences

Sunday was gorgeous and sunny, and it prompted me to prepare a brunch inspired by the colourful cuisines of Tunisia and the Mediterranean!

Chakchouka (or shakshouka), is a sort of vegetable stew popular throughout northern Africa, Israel, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean, where it’s known as ratatouille (although ratatouille includes several other vegetables, the cooking technique is the same). The dish I made was similar to Tunisian chakchouka, the main difference being in the spices I used: chilli, bay leaf and lots of chopped flat-leaf parsley.

My chakchouka was a highly seasoned mixture of slowly simmered tomatoes, onions, and lots of garlic, to which I added peeled, char-grilled bell peppers. Once this had reduced to a jammy consistency, I delicately poached fresh eggs in the mixture by baking for a few minutes in the oven. Served with a spicy couscous, grilled hot Italian sausages, a fresh green salad, crusty bread, and a cold beer from one of our many excellent microbreweries, it was the perfect brunch!