Tag: lemon

za’atar lemon grilled chicken

za’atar lemon grilled chicken

If I had to live with just one spice in my kitchen cabinet, it has got to be za’atar. Don’t get me wrong, I love all spices and it would be a tough choice to make, but za’atar has always been my favorite. Za’atar is 

blueberry chia seed jam

blueberry chia seed jam

Jon and Gabriel both love jam on bread for breakfast, and as I’m all for healthy substitutes, I decided to start making my own jam at home — minus the sugar and all the empty calories. You can make jam out of pretty much any 

moroccan spiced cooked carrot salad

moroccan spiced cooked carrot salad

I’ve been very into carrots this winter, cooking them in stir-fries and soups and grating them raw to serve as a salad with a citrus vinaigrette. One of my favorite Moroccan salads is a simple cooked carrot salad, one that seems to be so complex in flavor but that is actually really easy and quick to put together. The carrots are first cut into coins and boiled in salted water for 10 minutes until they soften but still retain a slight crunch. Once ready, they are then cooked again in olive oil with onion and garlic and lots of warm spices: ginger, coriander, cumin and preserved lemon. This salad tastes delicious when served warm or at room temperature, as a side dish or as a starter and is perfect for any occasion — whether winter, spring, summer or fall.

moroccan spiced cooked carrot salad
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Recipe type: Salad, Side
Cuisine: Moroccan
Serves: 4 to 6
Ingredients
  • 1kg carrots, peeled and cut into 0.5cm coins
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • ½ teaspoon ground coriander
  • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 small preserved lemon*, skin chopped
  • Fresh coriander, chopped
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
  1. Boil water with salt in a pot. Add the carrots, cover, and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes until the carrots soften but still have a slight crunch. Drain and set aside.
  2. While the carrots are cooking, heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Cook the onions for 5 to 7 minutes, until they begin to golden, then add in the rest of the ingredients including the cooked carrots. Cook for another 5 minutes, stirring from time to time. Adjust seasoning if needed.
  3. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
*If you don't have preserved lemons, you may replace them with lemon zest (about 1 teaspoon).

 

roasted bell pepper and cashew pesto

roasted bell pepper and cashew pesto

Why buy pesto at a supermarket when you can make so many delicious varieties at home? I love to experiment with different pairings — I always use a fresh herb, a vegetable and a nut. Add some lemon juice, garlic, olive oil and seasonings and 

lemon pudding cakes

lemon pudding cakes

It feels like I haven’t shared a dessert recipe on the blog in a while; not that I haven’t indulged in anything sweet since my last cake recipe, but I just haven’t photographed any of the desserts I’ve made lately. I wanted to make something special for 

baba ganoush

baba ganoush

I can’t believe that Summer is coming to an end and that we’re almost in September. Time has flown by so quickly this year; it feels like yesterday that I announced my pregnancy on the blog and now I’m already in my sixth month! Pregnancy has been such an amazing adventure so far and I’m still in awe about how beautiful and perfect nature is. The third trimester is around the corner and I couldn’t be more excited for it to be Winter — for the first time ever.

Continue reading baba ganoush

tahini parsley sauce

tahini parsley sauce

We just came back from a couple of days in sunny South of France, where we attended the wedding of very close friends. It was so much fun being reunited with all of our friends for such a beautiful occasion in a gorgeous setting like 

shredded broccoli and spinach quinoa salad (+ news!)

shredded broccoli and spinach quinoa salad (+ news!)

It has been a while, dear readers, and although I’ve missed you tons I promise that I have a great excuse for my recent absence from the blog. I’ve taken a bit of a break from cooking and writing because I’ve been busy growing something