What are we eating ? | Exotic and sunny cuisine

Just before the weekend, all readers who cook ask themselves this eternal question: what are we going to eat? In order to inspire you, The Press suggests some suggestions for seasonal recipes that will make your mouth water.

Indulgence: green chermoula

Chermoula is a typical recipe from Morocco which normally comes in two variations, explains Otman Amer, Moroccan of origin and owner of Darna, bistroquet, in Rosemont: the traditional chermoula (known as “red”), which is used rather with fish, and green chermoula, which is more suited to grilled red meats such as lamb or veal, and offers more acidity. In both cases, chermoula is used as a marinade and incorporates herbs such as coriander and parsley. “The word comes from the Moroccan expression ‘chermel’, which literally means ‘to season’ or ‘to marinate’”, explains Mr. Amer. For this article, he offers the recipe for green chermoula, ideal for summer, and “very fresh and aromatic with the use of mint and coriander seeds”.

Ingredients (for about 1 cup)

• 1 bunch (about 175g) coriander
• 1 bunch (about 175g) flat-leaf parsley
• 10 mint leaves
• 3/4 cup (190 ml) olive oil
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1 C. cumin seeds
• 1 C. coriander seeds
• 1 C. salt
• Zest and juice of one lemon
• 1/4 cup (65 ml) apple cider vinegar
• 1 C. smoked paprika

Preparation

• 1. Thoroughly wash and spin dry the fine herbs, then thin out the coriander and parsley.
• 2. Finely chop the herbs and finely chop the garlic.
• 3. In a skillet, heat the cumin and coriander seeds over medium heat to roast them, about two minutes, until fragrant and the seeds begin to change color. Be careful not to burn them.
• 4. Cool the spices, then grind them using a mortar.
• 5. In a bowl, mix all the ingredients well using a large spoon.

Use

Place the meat of your choice in a large Ziploc bag, then add the chermoula. Leave to marinate for at least an hour. Remove the meat from the bag, keeping the excess chermoula, add at the end of cooking for maximum freshness.

Source: recipe from Otman Amer, owner of Darna, bistro

Published on lapresse.ca on June 13, 2020.

Quickly done well done: reinvented tabbouleh

In honor of Canada’s new Food Guide, I made a version of tabbouleh that contains more vegetables. We only see fire! To make it a meal, I served it with roasted chickpeas. Makes six to eight servings.

Ingredients for the bulgur

• 1 cup brown bulgur (the largest, ideally)
• 1 cup of water
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 pinches ground cloves
• Salt

Ingredients for vegetables

• 1 small bunch kale, chopped
• 2 cups curly parsley, chopped
• 1 bell pepper, diced
• 1 large tomato, seeded, diced

Ingredients for the vinaigrette

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Juice and zest of 1 lemon
• 1 C. maple syrup
• 4 good pinches ground cloves
• Salt pepper

Ingredients for the chickpeas (optional)

• 1 can (540 ml) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• A drizzle of olive oil
• 1 small minced garlic clove
• Salt pepper

Preparation

• 1. Bring the water to a boil, then add the bulgur, bay leaves, cloves and salt. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for ten minutes, or until the liquid is completely absorbed. Let cool completely.
• 2. In a skillet, toast the chickpeas in a drizzle of olive oil over medium-high heat for a few minutes. Add the garlic clove, season well and set aside.
• 3. Mix all the ingredients for the vinaigrette, season well and set aside.
• 4. In a large bowl, combine the bulgur, parsley and vegetables, then season well. Pour the vinaigrette, toss and serve with the roasted chickpeas.

Posted in The Press+ on January 31, 2019.

Call me boss! : udon noodles with grilled prawns and pineapple

Eating grilled pineapple brightens up November evenings. This recipe has pleased our family, for whom I cook daily with my husband. Everyone—kids, teens, and adults—loved this simple, tasty dish for lunch the next day. To make it more nutritious (my hobby), we added peppers and replaced the udon noodles with soba.

Servings: 4

Preparation: 20 minutes

Cooking: 20 to 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 very sweet pineapple, preferably Gold
• 1 red pepper
• 1 orange bell pepper
• 1 drizzle of canola oil
• Pepper
• 1 bag 3/4 lb (340 g) prepared shrimp, preferably wild, thawed
• 400g dry udon noodles or 800g, or 4 packets, pre-cooked udon noodles
• 1 cup (125 g) frozen shelled edamame beans
• Ingredients for the vinaigrette
• 1/4 cup (15g) mixed fresh mint, coriander and lemon balm (optional)
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) canola oil
• 2 tbsp. (30 ml) fish sauce
• 2 tbsp. (30 ml) tamari or soy sauce
• 2 tbsp. (30 ml) maple syrup
• 1 C. (15 ml) grated fresh ginger
• Juice of 1 lime
• Pepper
• Sriracha sauce to taste

Preparation

• 1. Preheat barbecue to 400°F (200°C)*.
• 2. Slice both ends of the pineapple and remove the skin and eyes. Then cut each half into 3 wedges and remove the core from each. Cut the peppers in 2, remove the stem and seeds, slice again in 2 and place on a plate with the pineapple. Drizzle canola oil, coat well and season with pepper.
• 3. On the grill, cook the pineapple for 8 to 10 minutes and the peppers for 5 minutes, turning them halfway through cooking. The wedges should be caramelized and lightly roasted. Remove from grill and set aside in a large bowl.
• 4. Take metal or wooden skewers (previously soaked in water for 10 minutes) and skewer the prawns. Coat them with a little canola oil and pepper.
• 5. Cook the shrimp skewers on the grill for about 5 minutes, turning them halfway through cooking, or until they are all pink. Remove the shrimp from the skewers and put them in the same bowl as the pineapple and bell pepper. Reserve in the refrigerator.
• 6. Fill a large saucepan with water, salt and bring to a boil. For dry noodles, put them in water, bring it back to a boil and cook for 6 minutes. Add the edamame beans and continue cooking for 6 minutes. If the noodles are precooked, first put the edamame beans in boiling water, cook them for 5 minutes, then add the precooked noodles to reheat them, about 1 minute.
• 7. Drain the noodles and run them under cold water, stirring.
• 8. Prepare the dressing. Chop the mint, coriander and lemon balm. In a bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the vinaigrette.
• 9. Cut the pineapple into small pieces and the peppers into thin strips and return everything to the bowl. Stir in udon noodles and edamame beans and mix. Pour in the dressing and mix again. This dish is served hot or cold.

* Note

To avoid using the barbecue, we grilled the pineapple and peppers under the broiler. We also chose pre-cooked northern shrimp, instead of grilling shrimp skewers.

Published on lapresse.ca on November 23, 2019.

Guilty Pleasure: Simple Key Lime Pie

If there are as many recipes as there are Floridians, key lime pie is hard to miss. Unless you don’t use the “real” lime from the Keys, says David L. Sloan, author of a book on the famous pie.

“If you use limes, it becomes a lime pie. It’s very different in terms of acidity. If you can’t find fresh Key limes, it’s best to use bottled juice,” says this purist.

Ingredients for the graham cracker crust

• 1 1/2 cup crumbled graham crackers
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 6 tablespoons melted butter

Preparing the graham cracker crust

• 1. In a bowl, combine cookies and sugar.
• 2. Add butter and stir until cookies are well coated.
• 3. Press mixture evenly into pie pan.
• 4. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before adding filling.

Ingredients for the filling

• 1 2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 4 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup lime juice*

Preparation of the filling

• 1. Preheat oven to 350°F
• 2. Combine condensed milk and egg yolks. Mix well.
• 3. Slowly stir in lime juice.
• 4. Spoon mixture into cookie crust.
• 5. Bake at 350°F for 8-10 minutes.
• 6. Cool, then refrigerate until firm.
• 7. Garnish with homemade whipped cream.

* To extract the juice from the limes easily, it is recommended to wash them, then heat them for about fifteen seconds in the microwave.

Where can I find Key Lime?

You will probably have to look a little to find limes in Quebec grocery stores. We have found that some supermarket chains and greengrocers offer it in some branches, but not in others! To spot them, look for small bags: limes are often sold in bundles. Most come from Mexico. If you can’t find a lime, David L. Sloan suggests replacing the lime juice with a mixture of equal parts lemon juice and lime juice.

Source: recipe from the book The Ultimate Key Lime Pieby David L. Sloan.

Published on lapresse.ca on March 12, 2014.

Health ! : mexican margarita

Ingredients

• 30ml tequilla
• 30ml lime juice
• 15ml Cointreau
• 1/2 egg white

Preparation

• Put all the ingredients in a shaker with a few crushed ice cubes.
• Pour into a glass whose rim has been soaked in a little lime juice and then in the salt.

Source: recipe from La Distillerie.

Published on lapresse.ca on May 13, 2009.