Moroccan Feast

BY LERATO UMAH-SHAYLOR

Vibrant recipes and inspiration for delightful feasts from our cookery class

www.leratofoods.com Moroccan Feast

Ras-el hanout spices * Spice Roasted Cauliflower * Tagine with vegetables

MOROCCAN FEASTS

Moroccan food is full of warmth and aromatics, perfect for simple dinners and joyous feasts, using traditional spices and your favourite vegetables. Enjoy your homemade Moroccan spice mix in a variety of feasts for family and friends.

RAS-EL-HANOUT SPICE MIX

An aromatic spice mix to add warmth to any meal. In Moroccan cooking ras-el hanout can contain

Ingredients 2 tsp cumin seeds, toasted and crushed / 2 ½ ground

2 tsp coriander seeds, toasted and crushed / 2 ½ ground

1 tsp fennel seeds

1 tsp ground cinnamon or ½ a cinnamon stick, crushed (optional)

Ras-el-hanout continued...

2 tsp ground ginger

2 tsp paprika

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp ground turmeric

1/2 tsp nutmeg

½ tsp ground cloves (optional)

½ tsp crushed rose petals (optional)

1 tsp chilli powder (optional)

Instructions

1. Toast the whole spices on medium heat. Stir continuously for just a few minutes and take off the heat once the spices pop and begin to darken.

2. Use a spice grinder or pestle and mortar to crush the toasted spices along with the cinnamon stick. Mix with all remaining spices.

3. Store in a jar and use in numerous recipes, from dips to stews, roasts and salads. The possibilities are endless!

SPICE ROASTED CAULIFLOWER

1 cauliflower head 1 tbsp raselhanout 2 tbsp oil salt 1 tbsp tahini paste 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 lemon

Prepare a roasting tray and pre-heat the oven to 200C. Cut the stalks off the cauliflower and seperate the florettes. Place in the roasting tray. In a small bowl mix 2 table spoons of oil , 4 tablespoons water with a tablespoon of your ras-el-hanout spice blend, add a teaspoon of salt and mix well. Pour onto the florettes and coat all sides. Bake in the oven for up to 25 minutes. The cauliflower should be cooked with some char on the top. Be sure to check after 15 minutes and if the cauliflower chars early you can reduce the temperature of the oven to continue cooking.

Once cooked, set aside and mix your tahini sauce. Mix a table spoon of tahini with a table spoon of oil, 2 tablespoons of warm water, a generous pinch of salt, juice from half a lemon and drizzle all over the baked cauliflower.

TAGINE with vegetables

A wonderful one pot with wondrous spices and your homemade harissa paste. If cooking for children or those who do not like a lot of spice you can leave out the chillies, chilli or cayenne powder and serve the harissa separately for those who want the extra heat. A dutch oven or casserole pot is perfect for tagines, as they retain heat and moisture once covered. If using a stainless steel saucepan, add a little more water to the tagine to prevent it from drying.

Feeds 4 people Cooks in 25 minutes

Ingredients

Olive oil 1 brown onion, thinly sliced 3 garlic cloves, grated or finely chopped 1 red of yellow pepper, sliced into small strips A handful of coriander, finely minced 1 tablespoon ras-el-hanout spices 1 aubergine, 1 courgette or your favourite vegetables cut into medium chunks 1 tsp salt or to taste 2 tsp black pepper A can or jar of chickpeas 1 chilli, chopped (optional) 6 dried apricots, soaked in hot water & chopped

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in a cast iron pot or wide sauce pan. Cook the sliced onions on low heat until softened. Sprinkle a generous pinch of salt on the onions to extract moisture and prevent the onions from sticking.

2. Add the garlic and peppers to cook for a minute. Add cchopped oriander, if using and ras-el- hanout spice mix. Stir well and fry for a few minutes.

3. The sauce will be quite dry at this point, then add the chopped vegetables, with 350 ml of water. Add salt to taste, black pepper and bring to a boil. Cook covered on medium heat for up to 10 minutes before adding the chickpeas., then cook uncovered for a further 5 minutes to reduce the sauce.

4. Once cooked serve with olives, chopped apricots or almonds sprinkled on top, couscous or your favourite side dishes.

Happy Cooking

I hope that these recipes inspire you to enjoy spices, wonderful seasonal produce, to cook not only what we created in cookery class but many more feasts you can share with loved ones.

lerato www.leratofoods.com

Share your feasts with me on Instagram, facebook & twitter @leratofoods & Subscribe to join the mailing list for recipes, event updates and member discounts.

Recipes have been produced and written by myself, (Author - Lerato Umah-Shaylor) for the purpose of my cookbook as well as cookery classes and cannot be shared or published without prior permission from the author. Thank you.