Moroccan Chicken Tagine

Before we dive into this, I sincerely wanted to thank everyone who read and voted for my first entry in the Project Food Blog Challenge! I am so humbled and excited to have made it to the next round. Me, an amateur cook! :)

With that being said, Round 2 prompts us to "tackle a classic dish from another culture" that is "outside of your comfort zone" -- uh oh.

Obviously French food is no-go for me in this round, given my French heritage and the fact that I grew up on crêpes! Italian would be way too easy. Lately I've been playing around with Asian dishes, so I think that, too, had been ruled out.

I fear that leaves me with Moroccan tagine, dear readers. Used by the nomadic Twarg people in the Moroccan desert, a tagine is typically a portable oven, conical pot and serving dish all-in-one. All the ingredients are cooked together in this vessel keeping all the flavor inside the dish. The name tagine also now refers to the combination of stewed meat with various vegetables, dried fruits and nuts.

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While my feet have never landed on Moroccan soil, I like to think I know a thing or two about its traditional cuisine. And hey, I'm a desert dweller myself! Although half of my dad's family is French, the other half is of Moroccan descent. Without a doubt, I want to dedicate this post to my French-Moroccan family, past and present. It is entirely because of them that I even have a second entry!

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Of Jewish heritage, my family fled European and African soil during and after WWII. They landed here, in America. Through the original members who immigrated here the branches of my family tree have spread from the East Coast, up into French Canada and to my direct family on the West Coast.

Whenever big milestones happened on my father's side of the family, we would always celebrate at Moroccan restaurants! The kind where you sit on pillows and eat with your hands. As a little girl, I dug that. I still do today.

The very first time I dined at a Moroccan restaurant was in California with my great-uncle, Maurice. We had a mini family reunion several years later to meet our Canadian family and guess where we ate? Would you believe me if I said a Moroccan restaurant in Montréal?? When my dad and I coincidentally moved to France to pursue separate jobs in 2007 we'd meet halfway in between our towns and catch up at swanky French restaurants and eateries owned by Moroccan and Algerian immigrants. Although I fancy myself an avid lover of Moroccan cuisine, I've never tackled it myself. I think I'm more apprehensive to make/ruin Moroccan food because I know how it should taste. And I want to do my family's heritage justice.

I watched my mom make it time and time again as a little girl and it's unfortunate I've waited 25 years to create my own Moroccan dish!

So here it goes. My first ever attempt at Moroccan Chicken Tagine.

It's really not as scary as it sounds! Moroccan food is lovely. It has far away spices with incredibly complex aromas and flavors that instantly wrap me in memories of my family.

And belly dancers.

My dad, the restaurant's belly dancer and my great-uncle -- in Montréal

But seriously. It really doesn't have to be that difficult to make. Most grocery stores already have boxed couscous with spice blends and marinades. Just fluff couscous up like rice, heat the sauce, add meat and voilà -- you have a semi-home made tagine with couscous. You don't even need a tagine to make the dish at home. Clean-up and prep are very simple because everything goes in one pan. Although, it wouldn't hurt to have a tagine dish to make it look absolutely beautiful and authentic ;) I should have "accidentally packed" my mom's tagine before I moved down to Arizona. Now if you're ready to try it entirely on your own...

Moroccan Chicken Tagine * adapted from Simply Recipes:

• 2 t paprika
• 1 t ground cumin
• 1 t ground ginger
• 1 t tumeric
• 1 t curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 8 pieces of chicken (I used about 4 thighs)
• Salt
• 1 medium to large sweet potato
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• Lemon peels, cut into thin strips
• 1 c green olives, pitted
• 1 c water
• 1/2 c raisins
• 1/4 c dried black currants
• 1/4 c dried apricot
• 1/4 c chopped cilantro

Directions: Heat one cup of water on the stove. Once the water comes to a boil, add all the spices. Reduce heat and let simmer over a medium low flame until the mixture thickens. Thaw/dry chicken pieces and marinate in about half of the spice mixture for 35 minutes to an hour in the fridge.

While the chicken is marinating, peel and chop the sweet potato. In a large pan heat olive oil on medium high heat. After the meat is done marinating, add the chicken with the marinade to brown chicken for five minutes. Lower the heat to medium-low, add the garlic, sweet potato and onions. Cover and let cook for 15 minutes.

Turn chicken over. Add the lemon peels, olives, dried fruit and 1/2 cup water. Bring to a simmer on medium heat, then lower the heat to low, cover and cook for an additional 30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and quite tender. When it is the meat should shred easily into bite-sized pieces.

Mix in fresh parsley and cilantro right before serving. Adjust seasonings to taste. Serves 4 to 6. Serve atop a plate of couscous and enjoy!!

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To go with my tagine I made a quick Feggous and Tomato salad, the recipe for which can be found here.

As I said earlier, Moroccan food is not eaten with utensils! So serving the meal with a piece of flat bread offered a creative way of eating the veggie salad.

And of course, no Moroccan meal is complete without sweet mint tea!

This was such an amazing journey. Thank you to all the people at Foodbuzz, the judges and of course, my wonderful readers for giving me a chance to move to this round and explore my family's cuisine! Oh yeah, and also the excuse to purchase some beautifully-hand painted dishes for my collection.

Now it's your turn! Give it a try :) Morocco doesn't have to be as far off as it seems. I can almost smell the fruity hookah wafting through the air...

Like what you see? Then please vote for my entry at Foodbuzz (and sign up if you're not a member)! Voting runs from Sept. 27 to the 30th.

♥ This post is in memory of my Moroccan grandfather and my great-uncle. I miss them! Thank you for helping to bring me up with vast horizons. Someday, I would like to visit the land you once called home.

Thank you • merci • shukran • شكرا

My gastronomical travels

I am not a professional chef. I've never cooked for a dinner party larger than four people. I've never even had any training in the kitchen whatsoever. And I've never been in an industrial or a professional grade kitchen.

This image is so foreign to me! (Source)

But I have eaten some pretty damn good food in my life.

I consider myself to be very lucky. I've had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to live abroad -- twice. Compelled by my love of the French language, its literature and my French roots, I studied abroad in Nice, France, as an undergrad. Enchanted by the food -- which seriously changed my life -- sights, people and culture, I vowed to return. Upon graduating, I did just that. I taught English to elementary school students in France the year after college, but that was all just a ruse to take my taste buds on a whirlwind tour of Europe. While most people I traveled with shared pictures of world-renown monuments, I snapped photos of my extravagant and beautiful meals. No wonder I'm now actively blogging about foods I eat and fun recipes I stumble across. It was in France that I really spread my wings in my own kitchen and tried recreating magical meals I'd experienced in five-star restaurants.

Before my travels I was on a first-name basis with my microwave just like any college student. That, and frequent trips home to lavish in my mom's fabulous cooking. I can't believe how far from that I came after moving to France.

To say I ate my way across Europe would be an understatement. But looking at some of the pictures I saved from France, do you blame me??

île flottante - meringue, custard and a passion fruit syrup

a typical cheese display at the marché

pizza and wine in Italia

kir, one of my favorite apéritifs in Europe

tabbouleh at a Lebanese restaurant

caprese salad and bread sticks in Cannes, France

Well, after eating, cooking and baking to my heart's content, I eventually had to return home.... with a little more weight than I wanted to carry around. I've always considered myself to be a healthy eater, but the gourmande within got the best of me in France. Though literally meaning "glutton," I'm a little let down that the English translation for does not have an equally beautiful thought for this word. Glutton brings to mind a guiltless pig mindlessly stuffing his face with Lay's potato chips in front of the T.V. Whereas gourmand(e) conjures images of one who appreciates plump juicy berries ripe in their summer prime, the crunchiness of crisp green zucchini, the velvety feel of a rich chunk of chocolate rolling off the tip of your tongue or the fruity, yet peppery aroma of a finely-aged wine accompanied by the perfect blend of creamy cheeses.

In short, a gourmand(e) is one who appreciates the food he experiences on a daily basis. And unlike its English counterpart, to be gourmand is not a sin. Though after my trip, maybe it should have been!

Long story short, when I returned home, I vowed to continue cooking for myself and cut down on the American conveniences of eating unhealthy fast food and microwave dinners. I quickly realized that it's not only easy to cook delicious, healthy meals at home, but also saves me a ton of money! Recently I've begun experimenting with new recipes, tweaking classics and of course, playing with Julia Child's cookbook I received for my 25th birthday. My boyfriend and I still taste amazing food on a daily basis, either plates we've cooked ourselves, or through exploring decadent new restaurants. More often than not, I find myself venturing to try recipes that appeal to my traveler's soul.

I still try to recreate my European gastronomic travels in my own kitchen in Arizona. I've had some pretty amazing meals in my 25 years on this planet. While I still love to indulge in amazing meals and cuisines from around the world, I'm trying to eat healthy and balanced meals to keep the French word "gourmand(e)" in its purest sense -- far, far away from its American counterpart.

By creating my own healthy, beautiful meals inspired by cuisines from around the world, I've been able to drop those extra pounds and decrease my cholesterol. I'm healthy, happy and ready to travel the world with my fork.

I'm Monique, and I would be soooo humbled if you voted for me as the Next Food Blog Star! But then again, if you don't, I'd settle with us having blog exchanges and sharing recipes!

Food is a journey. I hope you travel it with me!

I am not a professional chef. I've never cooked for a dinner party larger than four people. I've never even had any training in the kitchen whatsoever. And I've never been in an industrial or a professional grade kitchen.

What is this even?! (Source)

But I have eaten some pretty damn good food in my life.

I consider myself very lucky. I've had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to live abroad -- twice. Compelled by my love of the French language, its literature and my French roots, I studied abroad in Nice, France, as an undergrad. Enchanted by the food -- which seriously changed my life -- sights, people and culture, I had to return. Upon graduating, I did just that. I taught English to elementary school students in France the year after college, but that was all just a ruse to take my taste buds on a whirlwind tour of Europe. While most people I traveled with shared pictures of world-renown monuments, I snapped photos of my extravagant and beautiful meals. No wonder I'm now actively blogging about foods I eat and fun recipes I stumble across. It was in France that I really spread my wings and tried recreating magical meals I'd expereinced in my own kitchen.

Before that I was on a first-name basis with my microwave just like any college student. That, and frequent trips home to lavish in my mom's fabulous cooking. I can't believe how far from that I came after moving to France.

I think the best way to get to know someone is to find out how they eat. Especially people from different cultures. To me, food and cooking will always surpass any language barrier on the planet! With this mindset, I ate and I ate and I ate to my heart's content. I've had some pretty amazing meals in my 25 years on this planet. During my return stateside, I wised up a bit and changed my eating/exercise habits to follow a healthier lifestyle. While I still love to indulge in amazing meals and cuisines from around the world, I'm trying to eat healthy and balanced to sustain training for my first ever half-marathon. Now, if only my knee injury would cooperate...

My grandparents immigrated to the United States from France during WWII. The very first thing I learned how to cook were sugared crepes. Just the smell of crepe batter cooking on a grill takes me back to my childhood. That said, another staple in my pantry is extra virgin olive oil, fresh from the Mediterranean region! Everything my grandma and my mom cooked was always in EVOO. I use it as a dressing base with mustard rather than buy dressings at the grocery store. And last but not least, garden-fresh vegetables. There is nothing in the world like exploring the French markets. Farmer's markets are celebrated and locally-accepted as a daily event and most French food shines around local seasonal veggies. Ratatouille is the first thing that comes to mind in the South of France. I have had the pleasure of traveling to France nearly 10 times in my life, including living there for a year, twice. Nothing excites me more than the passion the French (my family) have for fresh, local ingredients. Dining is such an event, they reserve two hours in the middle of the day to celebrate food. It's no wonder I'm such a foodie, it's in my genes!

I'm Monique, and I would love if you voted for me for the Next Food Blog Star! But then again, if you don't, I'd settle with us having blog exchanges and sharing recipes! Food is a journey. Get lost in it. Lord knows I always do.