Have you ever been to Morocco? Whenever I think about traveling there, I’m reminded of this video that distills 4,000 photos into a gorgeous 2 minute film of two backpackers’ adventures. Seriously, have a watch and you will be transported (and desperate to go!).
When I think of Morocco, there are several foods that spring to mind but none more than tagine (slow-cooked stews braised at low temperatures, resulting in tender meat with aromatic vegetables and sauce).
I don’t think you could fit any more flavour into this particular dish if you tried.
The lamb is meltingly tender and carries with it all the flavors of a spiced, zesty marinade.
The there’s the zingy broth, which is salty from the marinade and olives, sweet from the carrots and onions, and crazy-fragrant from the fresh parsley and cilantro that you can see swimming in the broth in these pictures. It’s killer, friends.
The full recipe is over on the Caravanserai blog.
We’ve been on a green salsa kick recently. Cooking still doesn’t sound that fun so instead we’ve been coming home, cracking a beer, and eating way too many chips with this salsa. It’s rillyrilly good.
It’s up to you, of course, to make it as spicy as you like. Our first batch was good but thicker than we wanted and nowhere near hot enough. The second batch (and I should note, this is most definitely a Dan-led initiative) is the recipe you see below. We used two hot peppers and left the seeds in – actually we just lopped off the stems and threw them into the blender whole – plus we added a pinch of cayenne pepper.
The avocado and sour cream do an amazing job of bringing some creamy balance to the heat of the peppers but it’s certainly got a kick so cold beers are advised :)
Houston-Style Green Salsa
adapted from The Homesick Texan Cookbook
Ingredients
- 1 lb fresh tomatillos
- 1 large avocado
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 small onion, roughly chopped
- 1-2 serrano peppers, seeds removed (or left in!)
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1/4 cup cilantro
- Salt, to taste
- 2 tbsp sour cream
Directions
- Remove the husks from the tomatillos and drop them whole into a pot of boiling water for 5 minutes to soften them. Using a slotted spoon or tongs, transfer them from the pot to the blender.
- Remove the pit and scoop out the avocado flesh. Add it to the blender along with the garlic, onion, peppers, lime juice, and sour cream.
- Blend until you reach desired consistency.
- Add cilantro, cayenne, and a large pinch of salt, pulsing once or twice to combine.
- Leftovers will keep several days in the fridge. Yields 2 cups.
The opening ceremony of the Olympics is tonight and I have to say, I wish I was in London with all my friends. I hate to miss these big British celebrations – the Royal wedding last year; the Queen’s Jubilee; now the Olympics. It’s a weird thing to feel so far away and yet so connected to it all.
Anywho. In the spirit of the Games, a little self promotion. My Earl Grey Chocolate Cake was included in this Olympics-inspired PBS Food feature. I have to say, that cake is quite lovely, if you haven’t tried it.
And finally, some great posts from around the web this week…
101 simple salads for summer.
The pub food Olympics!
These corn cilantro cakes look bloody amazing.
Blueberries galore.
That summer in 2005…
A different kind of cobbler.
Summer panzanella.
How to eat like an Olympian.
What to do when a vegan comes to dinner.
The prettiest food blog for miles around.
(Photo of my Earl Grey Chocolate Cake taken by my friend Tiffany Rodgers.)
