- North Africa and The Middle East
Morocco
Moroccan cuisine is one of the most diverse cuisines in the world, due to influences from Africa, the Middle East and the Mediterranean. Spices such as cumin, cinnamon, ginger and paprika are used often and liberally. Cooking fruit with meat, as found in the recipe below, is a Moroccan trademark. And no Moroccan meal is complete is without hot, sweet, mint green tea. Simply boil hot water with a few mint leaves and add a green tea bag when it is hot. Add as much sugar as you'd like.
Moroccan Chicken with Apricots (serve with packaged couscous for a true Moroccan feast)
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons Olive oil
- 2/3 cup slivered almonds
- 1 Teaspoon minced garlic
- 4 Boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
- 2 cans chicken broth
- ½ cup dried apricots
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (depending on your taste)
- 1 can chick peas, drained
- Salt, to taste
Directions
- Heat oil in large nonstick skillet to medium-high.
- Add onions and garlic to skillet. Cook and toss 2 minutes.
- Add chicken breasts. Cook 5 minutes, stirring onions and turning chicken once.
- Add broth, apricots, cinnamon and cayenne.
- Cover, reduce heat to medium and cook 5 minutes.
- Remove cover, mix in beans and simmer for 3 minutes to reduce liquid slightly.
- Season with salt and sprinkle with almonds to serve.
Jordan
Mealtime in Jordan is not just a time to eat, but a celebration of tastes and community. Meals are a social activity, and it is common to eat in large groups.
Jordanian cuisine includes grilling meats such as shish kebab and stuffing vegetables like peppers and eggplants. Another popular aspect of Jordanian cuisine is the appetizers, or mezze. One famous mezze that is popular, even in America, is hummus.
Hummus
Ingredients
- 3 Cans Garbanzo beans/Chick peas (drained)
- 3 - 4 tablespoons Tahini (Sesame butter)
- 4 - 6 cloves Garlic (chopped)
- 1 Lemon or lime
- 1/3 cup Olive Oil
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- Water
Directions
- Sauté the chopped garlic in oil over a low flame.
- Juice the lime or lemon.
- Blend all of ingredients in a large blender. This could take several minutes. Your hummus will be thick and have a dry consistency. Add water in about 1/8 cup amounts and blend until the desired consistency is achieved.
- Just before eating make an indent in the center of the hummus plate and pour a small amount of olive oil into the indent.
