And off to London i go..

So i arrived back in London last night, to see my family and friends for a few days, Birthdays to celebrate and lots of eating and cooking to be done! I can't describe how nice it is to be surrounded by those familiar old comforts, to be back in my old room, be pampered and enjoy mum's cooking, it's such a warm feeling, especially now with the Christmas lights up, London looks so beautifully lit up and festive. After a slightly stressful few days, ( my laptop breaking down on me, my plane ticket being delayed and a few other problems i won't bore you with the details of) this is a welcome break and a chance to just enjoy some quality time with the people i love. That doesn't mean i'm not missing Marrakech, i always feel sad leaving even if it's just for a few days, but i think that happens to us all at some point, that feeling of being so connected to two different places that are a huge part of you.

Hopefully i'll be showing off the new dishes i have learned to cook in Marrakech, if my days go according to plan, which they very rarely do, and making some old favourites like cakes and crumbles and pies that i haven't had the advantage to bake in Marrakech, oh and a nice cup of tea!

Microwave tea-cup cakes in 5 minutes

The title may put you off, it's certainly put me off in the past, but keep reading. There are many microwave cake recipes i have come across in the past and i have never been tempted to try one, worried by the fact that i would end up with something rubbery and completely inedible and besides i never felt the need to try when i had a perfectly good oven and baking equipment to hand. Now in Marrakech with a very small oven, no baking equipment, none of my trusty cookbooks and desperately craving cake i was really tempted to try this.

I found a good recipe on an amazing and reliable blog that i regularly read ' Z Tasty Life' , the results will never be the same texture as a cake baked in an oven, but when your craving cake on a week night and you don't have the time or want the fuss of baking then this is the recipe to go to and it's good enough to satisfy your sweet tooth. The added bonus is that you don't get carried away eating cake after cake, you have just one little portion. I used little tea-cups and filled them half way so they would rise just to the top but not spill over, i cooked them one at a time in the microwave on high for 2 minutes, any longer and i think they would have come out dry and over-cooked, i found 2 minutes just right. I would also advise eating them hot out of the microwave while they are nice and soft served with a scoop of ice-cream or fruit, the lemon recipe below would also be great with some vanilla custard.

Lemon Tea-cup cakes adapted from ' Z tasty life'

1 tsp Baking powder

4 tablespoons flour

3 tablespoons sugar

a pinch of salt

1 tsp lemon zest

1 egg

4 tablespoons butter, softened

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1. Combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and lemon zest in a small bowl.

2. In one of the tea-cups you will use whisk the egg.

3. Add the butter, lemon juice and vanilla extract to the egg.

4. Pour into the flour mix and combine well.

5. Divide the mix into two tea-cups, filling each about halfway.

6. Cook one tea-cup at a time on high for 2 minutes.

7. Serve with ice-cream or custard.

Loubia ( with a little more heat)

Saturday night with the family, around the table, eating the food mum has prepared in only the way that she can,   ( chicken most likely), enjoying every bite with that warm satisfied feeling.This is just one of the things i miss, and i have noticed since moving away i have taken more of an interest in Indian cooking, food that i rarely made in London. I would always watch mum making the dishes from scratch, with no recipe to hand, just from memory, knowing exactly what ingredient came next and how much of it, working her way around the kitchen quickly and effeciently. The kitchen was always spotless at the end, every surface clean, no trace of the preperation that had gone into that dish, just the aroma of it filling the house.

It's hard to explain but in some ways i feel like my new interest in Indian cooking, all my experimenting, is a way for me to feel like i'm still connected to my family life in London, not missing out on anything and trying to imitate mum's actions. 

So on this Saturday i took a moroccan recipe and 'Indianized' it slightly, served it with coriander rice, in the hope that in my mind it would transport me back home. It did just was needed.

Loubia 

1 can of cannellini beans

1 red onion chopped finely

1 tablespoon chopped coriander

1-2 small cloves  crushed garlic

1/2 teaspoon finely chopped root ginger

1 heaped teaspoon cumin

1 heaped teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon hot/garam masala

1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder

a large pinch of turmeric

1/2 teaspoon salt

pepper to taste

4/ 5 tablespoons tomato puree ( i use passata)

1-1/2 cups water

1 tablespoon olive oil

1. Add olive oil to your pan, on a medium heat  cook the onions for 2-3 minutes. Add the crushed garlic and ginger and continue to cook for a further 2 minutes, stirring constantly. 

2. Add the tomato puree ( passata) to the pan and stir into the onion mix. Add all the spices in to the pan and cook for 2 minutes. 

3. Wash and drain the cannellini beans and add to the pan along with the coriander. 

4. Stir the cannellini beans in and add in your water ( i normally add 1 cup of water). Put the lid on your pan and cook for 30 minutes, checking the pan from time to time and giving the beans a stir. 

5. After 30 minutes you should have a nice thick sauce. Serve hot with bread or rice!

Lazy days and a salad...

My early resolution of trying to get out of bed early and do more with the day hasn't quite stuck and is very hard to do when you only manage to get to sleep at 2am in the morning. So there have been many lazy mornings, late starts and breakfast at noon, i would use this as an excuse for why i have been eating so much junk food lately, chocolates, biscuits and anything else high in sugar and fat. Normally my choice of snacks are fruit and yoghurt but the healthy part of me is tired and has not fully registered that i'm not on vacation, that will be changing very soon! or so i hope....

Meanwhile i have been experimenting more with traditional Moroccan cooking, the Moroccan food i'm used to eating out in restaurants and cafes is nothing like home-cooked food, sometimes lacking in flavour and spice ( my opinion any way, but maybe that's because my tastebuds are used to more spicy food in the Indian way). I decided to put a little twist on a classic Moroccan salad/side dish, i always love eating this out in the local cafe's all you need is bread for dipping.

The original recipe was found on http://www.cookingwithalia.com/, it's a great site with so many wonderful Moroccan recipes, simple and easy to follow with video's to watch how it's done.

Zaalouk  - Adapted from cookingwithalia.com

2 small eggplants ( Aubergine's)

2-3 tomatoes peeled and diced ( i used 2)

2 tablespoons Coriander ( cilantro)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 clove crushed garlic

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon hot (garam ) masala

1/2 teaspoon paprika

salt and pepper to taste

1. peel and dice the eggplant, boil the eggplant cubes in salted water for 30 mins.

2. Drain eggplant cubes from the water and press with a spoon until all excess water is released.

3. On a medium heat, add the chopped tomatoes, eggplant, olive oil, garlic and spices to a pan and cook for 30 mins. Crush the eggplant and tomatoes with a wooden spoon while cooking until you end up with a puree. 

Can be served hot or cold with fresh bread. 

Happy Diwali to all

Grey skies have arrived in Marrakech, the nights are getting colder, although it's not quite the same feeling of Autumn in London, Summer is certainly over here. I love watching Marrakech wake up on early misty mornings, coming home from work in the evenings to a nice warm apartment and with the change of seasons has come a change of food. Colder days make me crave hearty, richer, comfort foods. On one such day armed with my mum's recipe, i decided to make 'Keer' or rice pudding for the first time. Mum always makes it on special Occasions such as today, Diwali, it's creamy, comforting and full of flavour. This recipe is very simple and doesn't take much time either.

My photography has not been great lately due to lack of light ( most of my pics are taken at night when i have more time) and a camera that is slowly dying on me :(

Keer

1 pint ( 1/2 litre) semi skimmed milk ( you can use full fat, semi skimmed is what i used)

1 small espresso size cup of short grain rice

1 small pot (250ml) single cream (i used light )

2/3 cardamom pods

a couple of saffron threads

1-2 tablespoons sugar ( granulated)

1) In a large saucepan bring milk to the boil, turn gas to low heat and add the rice, cardamom, saffron and simmer for 45 - 50 mins until rice becomes soft, stir occasionally to prevent rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan. ( if it is looking a little too thick add some more milk).

2) Add the sugar and cream after 45 mins and stir for 5-10 mins until creamy and all the sugar has dissolved. 

can be served hot or cold, enjoy!

Sweet memories

This is for my dear friend Cleo, back home in London, we would meet up every few months for an Italian lunch followed by extravagant, buttery pastries and coffee at patisserie Valerie. Over lunch we would talk about the past , the future, travel, family, Morocco and of course food. Cleo loved to talk about her fond memories of Morocco on visits with her family, having been bought up in London she savoured the taste of Moroccan food and life, she hasn't re-visited the country for a long time and we always discuss my visits to Marrakech at length, marvelling at the changes over the years.

 Cleo was one of the first people i told when i made the decision to move to Marrakech, i felt her joy and happiness for me instantly, i also felt sadness at the thought of no more lunch dates or pastries with her anymore something i miss so much, but i know she is only an email away and reading this blog waiting for some new pictures and updates.

While eating a plate of the famous Moroccan pastries and a hot cup of sweet tea i think of her, Kaab el Ghazal ( gazelle's horns ) are her favourite as i remember and turning out to be one of my favourites also.

For you Cleo

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wwny/4686608165/

Jemaa el fna - a Foodies dream place

Jemaa El Fna in Marrakech is one of those places that amazes you every time you visit, the entertainment, the people, the sounds, the colours and most importantly the wonderful array of culinary delights on offer really makes this a foodies dream. Walking through the narrow alleys of the Medina with the sous chef, camera in hand and on the lookout for some delicious little treats, a rather touristy trip but like i say it's magic every time.

Here's just a few of my favourite things i captured on camera today, with more to come.