Spicy Moroccan Cigars

Source: Lior (Israel)

This is very famous.
We have it in Israel, too, but it’s a
Morrocan original!

Version 1

1/2 pound butter, cut into bits and clarified
14 sheets phyllo pastry, each about 14 inches long
and 12 inches wide, thoroughly defrosted if
frozen

Preheat the oven to Mark 6: 400 degrees F.
Grease 2 baking
sheets with 1 ounce of the butter, using a pastry brush.

Assemble each “cigar” in the following way: Brush one sheet of
phyllo evenly with 3/4 teaspoon of the butter.
Fold the sheet in
half crosswise to make a two-layered rectangle about 12 inches long
and 7 inches wide.
Brush the top with about 1/2 teaspoon of the
butter.
Make a 1-inch-wide fold on the closed side of the pastry
and brush the fold lightly with butter.
Sprinkle a teaspoon or so
of the mixture in an even row along its length, and roll the phyllo
into a tight cylinder, about 1 inch in diameter.

Assemble the remaining sheets of phyllo in the same way.
Gently
transfer the rolls to the baking sheet, and brush the tops lightly
with the rest of the butter.
Bake in the top part of the oven for
about 20 minutes, until the rolls are crisp and a delicate golden
brown.
Then slide them carefully onto a large serving dish.

To serve, cut the rolls into 2-inch lengths and arrange them
attractively on a serving plate.

Version 2 - cigar plus filling

1 medium onion, chopped
1/3 cup olive oil
15 ounces ground beef/lamb
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup chopped parsley
5 eggs
1 pound filo pastry
6 ounces melted butter

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

To make filling: Cook onion in the olive oil until soft.
Add
beef or lamb, crushing it with a fork.
Add seasonings and spices.
Cook 10 to 15 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon, until meat is
well cooked and lump-free.
Add parsley

Lightly beat the eggs in a bowl and pour over the meat.
Cook for
1 to 2 minutes, stirring, until egg mixture sets to creamy
consistency.
Add more spices and seasonings, if desired.
Allow the
filling to cool.
Cut each sheet of filo pastry into three
equal-size rectangles.
Place one on top of the other and cover with
a damp dish towel.

Brush one of the rectangles lightly with melted butter.
Place a
teaspoon of filling along one of the short edges.
Tuck the edge and
ends of pastry around the filling, and roll into a cigar shape.
Repeat with other rectangles.
Place cigars side by side on a
greased baking sheet.
Brush with melted butter and bake for 25 to
30 minutes until the cigars are golden.

Roast Pepper Peach Salad

Serves 4.

This is a dish from traditional Turkish cuisine, which
frequently combines fruit with meat or vegetables.
With local
peppers and peaches both now on-stream, it’s a perfect, cooling
dish for late summer.

2 sweet green peppers
2 sweet red peppers
3 ripe peaches
3 green onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons (25 mL) olive oil
2 teaspoons (10 mL) good Balsamic vinegar
Juice of 1/2 small lemon
1 1/2 teaspoons (7 mL) granulated sugar
Generous pinch mild paprika
Generous pinch hot cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons (25 mL) chopped fresh mint
1 teaspoon (5 mL) chopped fresh dill

Char the peppers all over on a stove burner or barbecue.
Seal
them in a paper bag for 20 minutes, then slip off the skins, drain
the peppers, remove the seeds, and cut the flesh into strips.

You can skin the peaches, if desired, or leave them as is.
Remove the pits and slice the peaches.
Add them to the peppers,
then dress with the remaining ingredients.

Toss gently, then cover and refrigerate for an hour to let the
flavors combine.
Let the salad warm for 15 minutes at room
temperature, and serve.

Bulgur Pilaf with Tomatoes (Burghul bi Banadoura)

1 large onion, chopped
5 tablespoons vegetable or extra-virgin olive oil
3 cups coarse-ground bulgur, washed in cold
water and drained
1 pound tomatoes, peeled and chopped
2 teaspoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon allspice
1 1/2 cups water

Fry onion in 2 tablespoons of oil until golden.
Add bulgur and
stir well.

Add tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, salt, pepper, allspice and
water.
Stir and cook, covered, over very low heat for 15 minutes,
adding a little water if too dry, or letting it evaporate uncovered
if too wet.
Leave to rest, covered, for 10 minutes, or until grain
is plump and tender, then stir in remaining oil.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Variation: Fry 2 medium eggplants, cut into 1-inch cubes, in
shallow oil until lightly browned all over and soft inside.
Drain
on paper towels and fold gently into the bulgur.

Moroccan Tomato Soup

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 teaspoon sea salt
3 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 pounds tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and pureed or
1 (28 ounce) can pureed tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
5 cups water
1/4 cup minced fresh dill or 2 teaspoons dill weed
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Fromage blanc or low-fat yogurt

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot and sauté
the onion and salt over medium heat until the onion is translucent,
about 5 minutes.

Add the honey and cinnamon.
Sauté, stirring, until
the onion is glazed, about 4 minutes.

Add the pureed tomatoes, tomato paste, water and 3 tablespoons
of the dill.
Stir well to blend.
Bring to a rapid boil and cook,
uncovered, until the contents are reduced by half, about 30
minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove the soup from heat and add the balsamic vinegar.
Puree
the mixture in a blender or food processor (you may have to do this
in batches).
Return the soup to the kettle and reheat gently.
Ladle
the soup into individual soup bowls and top with the Fromage Blanc
or yogurt.

Serves 4.

Muhammara (Hot Pepper Dip)

Source: Cooking the Middle Eastern Way by Christine
Osborne

3 medium onions, finely chopped
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 cup crushed walnuts
3/4 cup breadcrumbs blended with cold water to a
purée
2 tablespoons paprika (or 1 teaspoon chili powder for a very
hot
muhammar) or 1 small can hot pepper
purée
Pinch of ground cumin
Salt
1 tablespoon pine nuts sautéed in a little oil

Using a deep skillet, sauté the onions gently in
the oil until soft and golden.
Add the walnuts, the breadcrumb
purée, the pepper (chili or purée), the
cumin and salt to taste.
Continue to sauté gently on a
low heat until the ingredients are well blended - about 12 minutes.
Remove from the heat, place in a bowl and garnish with pine
nuts.

Muhammara is eaten as a dip with bread.
It can also be used as a
spicy dip with kebabs, grilled meats and fish.
The Lebanese also
eat it as a spread on toast.

Serves about 6.

Qady Qooda (Meatballs in Batter)

Source: Saudi Arabia Magazine (an official publication of
the Information Office of the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia),
Winter 1997

3/4 pound ground meat
2 eggs
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
1 tablespoon baking powder
4 tablespoon rice
1 teaspoon yeast
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Salt
1 cup flour
Oil (for frying)

Mix the meat, garlic, rice, black pepper and salt in a bowl.
Shape into balls half the size of an egg; put in a pan with a
little water and cook over medium heat until ready.

Mix the flour with the baking powder, yeast, eggs and a little
water to form a dough-like batter.
Set aside to rise for at least
two hours.
(Alternative: use pancake mix to make the batter.)

Coat the balls in batter; fry in very hot oil and serve hot.

Serves 3 to 4.