Moroccan Inspired Muffins

Moroccan brioche or "Krashel" are one of my favorite Moroccan bakeries. They remind me of childhood and my grand parents home. The original recipe may take some time, as the raising time is relatively long. I thought I could get inspired from the original recipe and take the Moroccan brioche to another new level. So I decided to mix the traditional muffins recipe with Moroccan brioche basic ingredients and come with muffins "à la marocaine"; the result was really amazing. I loved them, my family loved them, and we all agreed that these muffins have the same taste and almost the same texture of Moroccan "Krashel"! This recipe has become one of my favorites. I hope you will try it out and enjoy the great Moroccan aromas of orange flower water, sesame, and fennel seeds.

Ingredients

- 2 cups sifter flour

- 3 tbsp sugar

- 2 tsp baking powder

- 1/2 tsp salt

- 1 cup milk

- 1/3 cup melted butter

- 3 tbsp orange flower water

- 1 beaten egg

- 1 tbsp sesame seeds

- 1 tbsp fennel seeds

Process

1- Preheat your oven to 200°C and  and lay a muffin tray with paper muffin cases.
    In a small bowl, mix all the wet ingredients together.

2- In a mixing bowl, mix all the dry ingredients together. Make a hole in the mixture and pour the wet batter. Mix until combined. Be careful not to over mix.

3- Fill  muffin cases and bake for about 25  minutes. (cooking time may deffer so watch out)   

 Happy Baking!

 

 

Chocolate Cake

Today I want to share with you my favorite chocolate cake so far. I have tried many recipes before, but I found this one to be the easiest and the moistest perfect chocolate cake. 

The origin of this cake is a vanilla cake recipe I received from a Turkish friend of mine. I have used the recipe in many different ways and I came up with delicious versions of various tastes. I hope you will try it out.


P.S: The over browning of the almonds crisps here was due to the new oven we got as I was not yet familiar with its system -- thankfully that did not affect their taste.
 

Ingredients

- 2 cups of flour, sifted
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
- 1 bag vanilla sugar
- 1 bag baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup chocolate chunks
- Almond crisps

Process

1- Preheat your oven to 180 to 200°C. Grease and flour your cake pan.
2- In a mixing bowl, mix eggs and sugar, then add oil and water, and mix well.
3- Add cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and vanilla sugar. Mix until combined (be careful not to over mix).

4- Sprinkle some flour over your chocolate chunks to prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the cake then add them to the mixture.

5- Pour the batter into your pan, sprinkle some almond crisps (optional).

6- Bake for 25 min (cooking time may differ so watch out). 

Enjoy your treat!

Chicken & Onion Tajin

Today's recipe is a pure Moroccan dish; chicken Tajin. In fact, there are many varieties of the dish, but I chose to present onion and chicken Tajin as it is one of my favorites. You can cook it in no time and it is perfect for lunch or dinner. Moreover, this recipe is light, delicious, and healthy. I hope you enjoy it!

Tips: - for a better taste, soak your chicken in water + salt + vinegar or lemon for at least 
          30 min. Clean and soak it again in water + salt + ginger + vinegar or lemon for at 
          least 15 min. Rinse and let drain. 

Ingredients
       

- Half a chicken, cut (500g)
- 1 bunch of small onions, sliced
- 3 tbsp coriander and parsley, chopped
- 1 onion, cut
- 4 gloves garlic, cut
- 1 quarter pickled lemon
- Some green & red olives
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- Salt, pepper, ginger, turmeric, dried safran.  
- Water

Process

1- In your Tajin, put the chicken, cut onion, half of the herbs, half of the seasonings, and olive oil. Cook for 5 to 10 min and toss from time to time.

2- Place the sliced onions, the other half of herbs, seasonings, pickled lemon, and olives. Add 1/2 to 1 cup of water. Cover and cook in low heat for 30 min or until the onions are well cooked.

 Served with bread while still warm. Enjoy your meal!

Orange Juice Cake

A summer cake par excellence; orange juice cake may be the best choice in these hot days. It is perfect for breakfast, dessert, or simply a delightful snack. I think I will be baking this cake every week during this summer, I can't have enough of it! 

Tips: 1- Dust your dried fruits with little flour to prevent them from sinking.
        2- Refrigerate the cake for at least 1 hour before serving for a better taste.

I hope you try it out soon!

Ingredients

- 4 eggs
- 3 1/2 cups cake flour
- 1 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 sugar
- 2 to 3 tbsp orange or apricot jam
- 1 bag baking powder
- 1 bag vanilla sugar
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- Some dried fruits (such as raisins and apricots)

Process

1- Preheat your oven to 200°C. Grease and flour your cake pan.
2- In a mixing bowl, mix eggs and sugar, then add oil and orange juice, and mix well.

3- Add jam, sifted flour, baking powder, and vanilla sugar. Mix until combined (be careful not to over mix).

4- Pour half of the batter into the pan, sprinkle your dried fruits then pour the rest of the batter. 

5- Bake for 30 min (cooking time may differ so watch out). Allow your cake to rest then flip it over a wire rack to cool. Decorate as you wish. 

 Happy baking!

Moroccan Carrots Salad

Time files! It's been a long while since my last post. However, I am back again and I will try to post new recipes as often as I can.

Today's recipe is Moroccan carrots salad; a spicy side dish to be served alongside any main course. It can be served warm or cold, and it can even be preserved in the fridge for a day or two. As usual, this is an easy, fast, and healthy recipe to try. 

Tips: 1- Carrots maybe substituted with turnips or potatoes. 
        2- Try not to overcook your vegetables while boiling. 
        3- Usually, the veggies are to be diced small, I suggest to use a food processor or a    
            hand chopper to speed up the process.

Ingredients

-  500g carrots, peeled and boiled.

- a bunch of parsley and coriander.

- 4 to 6 gloves of garlic.

- 3 tbsp lemon juice.

- A quarter of pickled lemon.

- 3 to 5 tbsp olive oil.

- Salt, paprika, cumin, chilli flakes, and some dried chillies.

Process

1- Chop your carrots until you reach the small dices form.

2- Chop the remaining ingredients separately, except olive oil, lemon juice and chillies.

3- In a bowl, add diced carrots and the other mixture, then lemon juice and olive oil. Mix until everything is combined together.

4- In a pan, add the mixture, and add the chillies. Toss for 15 to 20 min in low heat. 

Enjoy!

Fish Stew

If you have some fish in your freezer and you haven't decided on the recipe yet, here is a good one; fish stew. It is one of the healthiest ways to cook fish, and it is very delicious. Actually, this recipe is inspired from the Turkish cuisine and it is worth trying out. 

I cooked this stew a while ago and my family loved it. If you are not a fish lover, this recipe may change your mind! I hope you enjoy it.

Ingredients

- 500g white meat fish.
-  3 tomatoes, diced.
- 1 red bell pepper, diced.
- 4 to 5 gloves of garlic, cut.
- 2 tbsp vegetarian oil.
- 3 tbsp olive oil.
- 1 tbsp cedar vinegar.
- Parsley, thyme, and rosemary.
- Salt, pepper, cumin, and paprika.

Process

1- In a hot pan, heat the vegetarian oil. Add garlic, cook until aromatic then add red bell pepper. Season with salt and pepper, and cook again for 2 min.

2- Add tomatoes and cedar vinegar and cook for about 10 min. Add paprika while cooking and add cumin after you turn the heat off.

3- In an oven dish. pour the sauce and place your fish portions on top of it. Garnish with herbs, season with salt and pepper and add your olive oil. Cook in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 min. (cooking time may differ so watch out)

Serve warm and enjoy your meal!

Seafood Quiche

Are you a quiche lover? This is a great recipe to try as soon as possible!

Quiches may be one of the most indulging salty treats. Usually, we use the french dough "Pâte brisée" to make quiche recipes. However, there is a variety of fillings and I am sure everybody has a favorite. One of my favorites is seafood filling, and this is exactly what I am presenting today. So, I hope you like my recipe.

Ingredients

Pâte brisée

- 250g flour, sifted
- 125g butter, softened in room temperature
- 1 egg yolk
- 6 cl cold water
- 1/2 tsp salt

Filling

- 125g calamari, boiled for 10 to 15min (in salt water with a bay leaf)
- 125g shrimp
- 150g canned mushroom
-  1/2 l bechamel sauce (white sauce)
- 4 spring onions, sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, grilled and diced (check my grilling tip here)
- 150g cheese (mozzarella and cheddar)
- 1 tbsp cedar vinegar
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper

Process

Pâte brisée

1-Prepare your dough: mix flour and salt, then add butter and mix gently with your fingers. Add egg yolk and water and mix again until you get a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and freeze for 1 hour for better results.

2- Preheat your oven to 250°C. Stretch your dough and place it in a pie dish then use a fork to tap all around it. Bake for 20 to 25min or until it's done. (baking time may differ so watch out)

Filling

1-In a hot pan, add olive oil, then spring onions. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 3min. 

2- Add mushrooms and calamari, and cook again for 3min.

3- Add cedar vinegar, balsamic vinegar, and soy sauce. Lower the heat and cook for 3 to 5min. Add your shrimp and cook for one more minute. If it is needed, season with salt and pepper again. Allow to cool for some minutes.

4-  Place your filling into the crust and spread it out evenly.

5- Add bechamel sauce. Then add cheese and red bell pepper.

- Bake again for 10 to 15min or until golden brown.

 Enjoy!