Baked Eggs with Mediterranean Vegetables Recipe

Eggs are easy to make in the tagine and are a good source of protein for vegetarian meals. This dish is colorful, fresh and very easy to make. It’s another workday lunch or quick dinner. I always use farm fresh large brown eggs in this dish.

Recommended Equipment:
Medium tagine

Ingredients:
3 tbsp avocado or olive oil
1 onion, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tbsp Baharat Spice Blend or store bought garam masala
3 red or yellow bell peppers, cut into thin strips
2 cups sliced mushrooms
20 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
5 green olives, thinly sliced
4 large eggs

Preparation:

1. In the bottom of a flameproof tagine, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and spice blend and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Stir in bell peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes and olives. Cover with tagine lid, reduce heat to low and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
2. Using a wooden spoon, move the vegetables around to make round pocket spaces for eggs. Crack eggs into pockets, cover with tagine lid and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes or until whites have turned opaque and yolks are glossy and thick.

Tips:
Serve with warmed pita triangles, bagels, or flatbread. To increase servings, use a medium to large tagine, add another tomato and pepper and a couple more eggs.

Makes 4 servings.

Recipe courtesy of 150 Best Tagine Recipes by Pat Crocker

Morocco [ print this recipe ]

Roasted Red Peppers and Goat Cheese Recipe

Use this as a warm dip for raw vegetables, pita points or crackers.

Ingredients:
4 red bell peppers, halved and seeded


1/3 cup olive oil
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
6 large basil leaves, thinly sliced crosswise
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced lengthwise
2 oz creamy goat cheese, cut into 4 slices
1 tbsp Moroccan Cinnamon Spice Blend

Preparation:

1. Place bell pepper halves cut side down on a baking sheet. Broil in preheated oven on top rack directly under heat, turning pan often, for 5 to 8 minutes, until skin is evenly charred.
2. Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, basil and garlic. Set aside.
3. Remove blackened peppers from oven. Set baking sheet on a cooling rack and cover peppers with a clean towel. Let cool. Remove the charred skins from the peppers. They should slip off easily when rubbed. Slice pepper halves into 1/2 inch (1 cm) wide strips and place in bowl with oil mixture. Toss pepper slices to coat evenly. Cover dish tightly with plastic wrap and marinate for at least 2 hours at room temperature or for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
4. Tip roasted peppers into the bottom of a small tagine. Heat over low heat until bubbling.
5. Place cheese slices on top of the peppers. Cover with tagine lid and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes or until cheese is melted.
   
6. Sprinkle spice blend over cheese and serve warm.

Makes 2 cups (500 mL)

Recipe courtesy of 150 Best Tagine Recipes by Pat Crocker

Morocco [ print this recipe ]

Moroccan Cinnamon Spice Blend Recipe

Very aromatic without being overpoweringly hot, this spice blend is versatile for tangine dishes that include fruit and can even be used in small amounts in sweet dishes and beverages.

Recommended Equipment:
small tagine, spice wok or cast-iron skillet
mortar and pestle or spice grinder

Ingredients:
1 piece(2 inches/5 cm) cinnamon, crushed
2 tbsp cardamom seeds
2 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tbsp cumin seeds
2 tspn black peppercorns
3 whole cloves
1 star anise
1/4 tspn ground nutmeg

Preparation:

1. In the bottom of a small tagine, spice wok or skillet, combine cinnamon, cardamom, coriander, cumin, peppercorns, cloves and star anise. Toast over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, for 4 to 5 minutes or until lightly colored and fragrant. Remove from direct heat just as the seeds pop; do not let the spices smoke and burn. Let cool.
2. In a mortar (using pestle) or small electric grinder, pound or grind toasted spices until coarse or finely ground. Add nutmeg to ground spices and mix well.
3. Store in an airtight (preferably dark) glass jar with lid in a cool place for up to 3 months.

Makes 1/4 cup (60 mL)

Recipe courtesy of 150 Best Tagine Recipes by Pat Crocker

Morocco [ print this recipe ]

Baharat ( بهارات ) Spice Blend Recipe

A general word for "spices," Baharat may be used to designate several spice blends.

Recommended Equipment:
small tagine, spice wok or cast-iron skillet
mortar and pestle or spice grinder

Ingredients:
2 tbsp coriander seeds
4 tspn cumin seeds
1 piece (1 inch / 2.5 cm) cinnamon, crushed
5 whole cloves
1/2 tspn cardamom seeds


2 tbsp paprika
1 tspn ground sumac, optional(see caution below)
1/2 tspn ground nutmeg



Preparation:

1. In the bottom of a small tagine, spice wok, or skillet, combine coriander, cumin, cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom. Toast over medium heat, stirring frequently, for 3 to 4 minutes or until lightly colored and fragrant. Remove from direct heat just as the seeds pop; do not let the spices smoke and burn. Let cool.
   
2. In a mortar (using pestle) or small electric grinder, pound or grind the toasted spices until coarse or finely ground. Transfer to a small bowl and stir in paprika, sumac (if using) and nutmeg.
3. Store in an airtight (preferably dark) glass jar with lid in a cool place for up to 3 months.

Makes 1/4 cup (60 mL)

Caution: Purchase sumac from specialist grocery stores selling Middle Eastern ingredients. Some members of the sumac family (found mostly in North America) have poisonous berries.

Recipe courtesy of 150 Best Tagine Recipes by Pat Crocker

Morocco [ print this recipe ]

Moroccan Sweet Potato Puree Recipe

Moroccan sweet potato puree is easy to make and takes just over an hour to prepare since the sweet potatoes require between 45 minutes to an hour of baking time. You can use it as a side dish with almost any kind of entree. In addition to its versatility, Moroccan sweet potato puree is also a very healthy choice since sweet potatoes have substantial quantities of beta-carotene which increases the body's immune function and reduces cholesterol accumulation in the arteries.

Recommended Equipment:
food processor

Ingredients:
3 or 4 medium sweet potatoes
1/2 tspn ground ginger
1/4 tspn cinnamon
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Put sweet potatoes on a baking sheet. Put baking sheet in the oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Potatoes are done when you can easily insert a fork into the top of the potato.
3. Remove potatoes from the oven and place them in a large bowl to cool.
4. Remove the skins from the potatoes.
5. Add the olive oil, cinnamon, and ginger to the bowl. Mash all of the ingredients together until they form a creamy puree. You may want to use a food processor for this step.
6. Season with salt and pepper.
   

Morocco