Lately I've been hankering for some well spiced foods. I'm a
fan of Thai and Indian, but I wanted to branch out a bit and try something new.
I don't own a tajine, so this cut down my options a bit...
but I have a bunch of fresh mint growing on my balcony and decided I could
figure something out!
I did some research and whipped up two different types of
spice for my meal. A sweet and sour shrimp dish, and a harissa and mint spiced
corn on the cob dish. Served with a side of couscous, we were ready for a
Moroccan feast!
Both dishes were incredibly easy to make and other than the
Harissa, I had everything in my kitchen already. Can't complain about that!
Lets start with the Corn
Harissa and Mint Corn on the Cob (Serves 4)
Harissa is a hot, chili pepper spice mix that finds its home
in foods in Northern Africa. It's a common ingredient in all sorts of dishes.
This was my first time cooking with it, and I think I will be using it more
often. It has a nice level of spice without burning off your taste buds, and I
think would be especially nice with a whitefish meal. But on to the corn!
Ingredients:
- 3 tbsp harissa spice
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tbsp roughly chopped mint leaves
- 4 ears corn, shucked (I also snapped mine in half)
Directions:
1) Bring a large pot
of water to boil on the stove. Once boiling, place corn in pot and cover,
lowering heat to medium. let sit for approx. 8-10 minutes
2) While the corn is boiling, combine harissa, cumin, coriander,
lime juice, garlic, oil and mint leaves in a small bowl and stir.
3) Remove corn from the pot and rinse. Place corn in large
pan over med-high heat on stove, and spoon your harissa and mint mixture onto
the corn.
4) Cook Corn on the
pan, coating in the spice mix, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from stove and serve immediately
while still hot!
Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy! Now lets talk shrimp
Sweet and Sour Moroccan Shrimp (serves 4)
Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp flour
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1 1/2 tsp brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/8 tsp black peper
- 6-10 cardamom pods (optional)
- 1 1/2 lb shrimp cooked
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
1) Mix flour and spices together in a small bowl
2) Add the cooked shrimp (peeled) to the spice mixture and toss well
3) Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp to the pan and fry until shrimp is hot and spices are well baked onto the sides of the shrimp (3-4 minutes). Remove from stove and serve while hot!
