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Rock the Casbah
Exotic flavours, bustling fruit-filled carts, hand woven
baskets, fortune tellers and musicians. This winter, bring the rich warmth
of Morocco to your dinner table.
MasterFoods has come up with some ideas for re-creating
the magic of this enchanting
North-African nation at home. “Rock the casbah” and host your
own Moroccan dinner party.
Here are some simple tips to experience a sensory explosion
with the flavours, scents, colours, rhythm and atmosphere of
Morocco – all in your own lounge room:
-
 Give
up the table and seat your guests on brightly coloured
cushions surrounding a low table or blanket
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To keep the eclectic Moroccan theme, serve food on as
many colourful dishes as possible. If you can get hold of
them, use copper pans, metal plates and patterned flats
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Ditch the cutlery and try to pick up small handfuls of
couscous and roll it into a ball using only one hand. This
is a great Moroccan tradition
-
Offer mint tea as a sign of hospitality. Serve it very
hot and sweet in small narrow glasses as guests arrive
-
Turn off the lights and place tea candles in coloured
glass candle holders around the room
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An important part of Moroccan culture
is music. Play some compilation CDs such as Sahara
Lounge and Turkish
Groove – available at most large music
store
-
Sprinkle fake jewels and pearls in
the centre of the table or blanket, around an arrangement
of red roses set inside a wicker basket
A Moroccan party wouldn’t
be complete without the traditional meal. MasterFoods suggests
these easy-to-follow recipes to impress your dinner guests.
 Vegetable Tagine with Chick Peas
Preparation: 15 minutes
Cooking: 20 minutes
Serves: 6
1 tbsp Canola oil
1 Onion, sliced
1 tsp MasterFoods Freshly Crushed Garlic
2 tsp MasterFoods Freshly Grated Ginger
3-4 tsp MasterFoods Moroccan Seasoning
1 MasterFoods Cinnamon Quill
1 cup mushroom stock
400g can tomatoes, diced
400g pumpkin, peeled and cut into 2cm pieces
1 small eggplant, cut into 2cm pieces
1 large zucchini, halved and sliced
400g can chick peas, drained and rinsed
¼ cup freshly chopped parsley leaves
MasterFoods salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 cups couscous
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add
the onion and cook for 3 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger,
Moroccan Seasoning and cinnamon quill and cook for 1-2
minutes or until aromatic
Add the mushroom stock, tomatoes and pumpkin. Bring to
the boil and simmer, covered, for 5 minutes. Add the eggplant
and zucchini and cook for a further 10 minutes. Add a little
more stock if needed
Add the chick peas and stir through with the parsley and
salt and pepper
Cook the couscous according to the packet directions
Serve with couscous
 Moroccan Beef
Preparation: 10 minutes
Cooking: 50 minutes
Serves: 4
2 ½ tbsp Olive oil
750g Beef, diced
1 Onion, sliced
1 tsp MasterFoods Freshly Crushed Garlic
1 ½ tbsp MasterFoods Moroccan Seasoning
2 tsp MasterFoods Coriander, ground
400g can tomatoes, diced
½ cup Beef stock
2 Carrots, peeled and sliced
¼ cup roughly chopped fresh coriander leaves
Heat half the oil in a large saucepan. Brown the meat in
two batched over high heat. Remove and set aside
Add the remaining oil, onions and garlic and cook over
medium heat until soft
Stir in the Moroccan Seasoning, coriander, tomatoes and
stock. Return the meat to the pan and simmer, covered,
for 20 minutes
Add the carrots and a little more stock if needed and continue
to cook for a further 15-20 minutes, or until the meat
and vegetables are tender
Stir through fresh coriander leaves and serve with couscous
 Moroccan Chicken and Apple Salad
Preparation: 10 minutes
Cooking: 15 minutes
Serves: 4
2 chicken thighs
1/3 cup MasterFoods Moroccan Seasoning
3 tbsp Olive oil
240g fresh rocket lettuce
200g fresh mesclun leaves
100g raw peanuts, roughly chopped
2 Lebanese cucumbers, thinly sliced
3 green apples, sliced
200g Fetta cheese, cubed
1 cup Italian Dressing
MasterFoods freshly ground Black Pepper, to taste
Place chicken and Moroccan Seasoning in a bag
and toss lightly until well coated
Heat oil in wok, sauté chicken until tender
Remove chicken from wok and let stand
Combine rocket, mesclun, peanuts, cucumber, apples and
cheese. Toss lightly
Place salad in a large bowl, arrange cooked chicken over
top. Season with black pepper
Drizzle with Italian Dressing and serve
Above recipes supplied by MasterFoods.
Here are some of my recipes that could
also be included.
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