Moroccan Chickpea Stew with Preserved Lemon

My good friend Deborah gave me a beautiful gift, recently: preserved lemons. She had written to me awhile ago to say that she had a bounty of riches, with too many lemons to use. What could she do with them?

I suggested pie, of course, because one can never, ever go wrong with pie. I happen to adore lemon pie (not that I was hinting!). But that wouldn't use up very many of the fruits.

So then I dared to offer the notion of preserved lemons, a classic of Moroccan cuisine, that are brined and sometimes spiced. Essentially, they are lemon pickles. Not too many folks would think this was a viable option, but Deborah is an adventurous cook who cares deeply about ingredients. She was the perfect person for this project!

Deborah happily accepted the challenge, and then very generously shared the results with me. So, of course, I delved into cooking something novel and exotic with this novel and exotic item.

I happen to be a huge fan of Moroccan food - stews, lamb, chicken, dried fruits, salads, breads, mint tea, and spices. But I've never made my own preserved lemons before, so I'd never had an opportunity to use them.

So I assembled my collection of ingredients and started cooking. Even though I own an authentic tagine [tah-ZHEEN] - a terra cotta cooking pot, and also the name of the stews cooked within them - I simply used a large skillet, figuring that it would be more readily found in others' kitchens than the more esoteric cookware; then I wouldn't have to worry about accommodating timing differences for cooking in the different utensils, etc. But, of course, I had to serve this in the right vessel!

With many thanks to Deborah for inspiring, and contributing to, this spicy, flavorful dish in honor of Ann Arbor Veg Week which begins today. I have signed a pledge to eat a vegetarian/vegan diet this week, and this is a lovely way to start things off! And also with thanks to my friends Rob and Ellen, for the lovely gift certificate to Spice Merchants, a beautiful store where I was able to buy the fragrant Moroccan spice blend I also used to make this dish.


Moroccan Chickpea Stew with Preserved Lemon

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small red onion, chopped
1 small red pepper, chopped
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon Spice Merchants Moroccan Blend (contains garlic, onion, chilies, salt)
2 tablespoons garlic paste
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes with jalapeno peppers
1 15.5-ounce can chickpeas, drained, rinsed
1 cup chopped sweet potato
1/2 preserved lemon, chopped fine
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
couscous, for serving

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, pepper, cumin, paprika, red pepper flakes, salt, and Moroccan spices; cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.

Add the tomatoes, chickpeas, sweet potato, and lemon; bring to a boil, turn heat to low, cover, and cook for 45 minutes until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Sprinkle with parsley.

Serve over couscous.

Makes 4 servings.

Note: If you don't have any preserved lemons, or any friends who will share theirs with you, I think a spritz of lemon juice and some finely grated lemon zest would be good substitutes.

The Next Best Thing to a Free Lunch

I think we all know I'm a frugal girl.

That's not the same as cheap - I expect some value for my expenditures. I'm not just trying to save money, I'm also trying not to waste it. I shop sales, and am the Queen of the Thrift Stores. I also love Manager's Specials - deals at the grocery store when foods are near their expiration date, so that they're being pushed off the shelves at half-price or less. There's nothing wrong with the food, it's just that new stuff is moving in to take its place if the old stuff will go away to make some room. I'm happy to help, and do a little tour of the store each time I'm there - I'm on a mission to look for the prized orange stickers indicating reduced prices.

So, needless to say, I'm also a fan of leftovers. Sometimes I'll eat them "as is," and sometimes I'll re-purpose them. Jeremy and I watched an episode of "Chopped" recently in which the entire show was devoted to leftovers; most of the chefs groused and whined, whereas I was in my glory coming up with ideas!

When I happened to have a number of items to combine into one stellar meal recently, I made myself a lovely lunch to take to work.

Having enjoyed a fabulous Indian meal from Curry Up, I had extra sambhar sauce that had been served with lentil dumplings. Having also eaten a great Chinese meal from the Evergreen Restaurant, there was plenty of rice waiting for a new lease on life.

I also had a small carton of coconut water that my friend Deborah had given to me. She remembers having visited her grandfather in Puerto Rico when she was young, and his having cracked open a coconut for her to drink from; the fresh beverage was amazing! So when she found coconut water for sale at the market, she instinctively bought some ... too bad. She said herself that she didn't know what she was expecting or thinking, but this stuff was not even remotely close to what she remembered. So she gave it to me, confident that I could find some use for it. I'm still contemplating a really noble purpose that lets it shine; but in the meantime, it definitely served me here.

And the final piece to my ridiculously inexpensive dish was a can of chickpeas that I'd bought on sale for less than $1.

Who would have thought such a mishmash of items would make such a fabulous, nutritious lunch to bring with me one cold day when hot food was very much appreciated???

Curried Chickpeas with Spinach

• 1 cup leftover Sambhar sauce (or use a jarred curry sauce)
• generous pinch of red pepper flakes
• generous pinch of kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
• 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup coconut water
• 1 cup baby spinach leaves
• leftover rice from a Chinese dinner, reheated for serving

Place the sauce, red pepper flakes, salt, curry powder, chickpeas, and coconut water into a medium saucepan; bring to a boil, then lower heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes. Stir in spinach just until wilted. Serve over rice.

Makes 2 servings.

Frugal Floozie Friday - Ayse's Cafe

I had dinner recently with my friends Marcie, whom I've known and loved for 5 years, and Stacy, who is new to my extended family and welcomed wholeheartedly.  We ate an utterly sublime meal at Ayse's Cafe, today's Frugal Floozie Friday feature.

Ayse [EYE-shuh], the owner and cook, is Turkish, and she makes luscious food that is distinctly different than anything you've eaten before.  Yes, there is familiarity if you've eaten Middle Eastern or Greek food; but the spice blends and ingredients are unique to Turkey.  The cuisine has been greatly influenced by the country's situation between both Europe and Asia, surrounded by such diverse neighbors as Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Georgia, Iran, Iraq, and Syria; it is also bordered by the Aegean, Black and Mediterranean Seas.

Fruits and vegetables are essential elements of Turkish cooking, as are lamb (pork is generally not eaten, as Turkey is a mostly Muslim country), chicken, and fish.  The spice blends are complex, but the food is not spicy; there is an underlying sweetness to many dishes.  Milk-based desserts are enormously popular, and puddings are quite varied.  Baked sweets are essential to accompany intense, dark coffee.

By the way, if you've ever eaten baklava, Turkish delight candies, shish kebab or rice pilaf, then you, too, have experienced just a hint of the great joy of this fabulous cuisine!

But now that a bit of background has been provided, let's get back to the girlfriends' dinner ....

For $4.95 - within our mandatory $5 per person Frugal Floozie Friday budget - Stacy and I each ordered the red lentil soup for which Ayse is justly famous.  Sprinkled with a subtle dusting of slightly sour sumac to stir in, its flavor is richly and deeply spiced but without being at all spicy.  It tastes as though it has simmered all day long until the lentils have melted together with the flavorings to create a beautiful, golden, bowl of deliciously supreme comfort.

In addition to the soup, I also thoroughly enjoyed the Spinach Chickpea Stew pictured above.  It cost only $3.95 for what is called a "side order," but it was easily more than a measuring cup's worth - an ideal size for a light meal.  The chickpeas were exquisitely tender while still retaining their shape; the spinach had been cooked down until it it had been nearly reduced to just its flavorful essence.  I truly wished I'd ordered a full entree, it was so good!

The cost of the main dishes exceeds our Frugal Floozie Friday mandate, but Ayse's still offers lots of options for cost-conscious diners.  Each of the salads - which greet you as you walk in the door - is available for $3.95 as a side dish.  You can choose from cabbage, beet, chickpea, green bean, lentil, and other options.  It's terribly difficult to choose, as the visual display is so tempting and the aromas wafting through the restaurant are so seductive!

There are also boreks, vegetarian or meat "pies" made with phyllo dough, which cost $3.95.  And small sausage-shaped lentil rolls can be enjoyed for only $1.  A multitude of desserts is available, from brownies to yogurt cake to pumpkin and carrot-walnut treats (prices vary), in addition a variety of puddings for just $3.25.  You can enjoy a simple, creamy rice pudding or the Turkish favorite - Noah's pudding - which features grains and dried fruits.

Marcie, unfortunately, suffers from a number of food-related allergies, intolerances, and other miseries; she is a fabulous cook and a consummate food enthusiast, and yet, eating has become difficult for her.  Much to the restaurant's credit, Ayse and her staff truly took personal care of Marcie and made sure to help her sort out what items she could enjoy.  The cafe offers many vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free dishes which accommodate customers with special diets.  Our waitresses went back-and-forth repeatedly to find answers about ingredients and to ask questions of Marcie to narrow down some options so that she could eat a fabulous meal.

It was great fun to sit and talk about food - from the novelty of black rice to Southern matzah balls made with Creole spices and pecans - with two women who are integral to Ann Arbor's food community.  Marcie is the charming hostess who offers walking and tasting tours of the city with Savor Ann Arbor; and Stacy is the extraordinary cook and visionary behind What's Cooking, which lets customers order healthy, freshly prepared meals for delivery.  To enjoy a luscious dinner with such fabulous company was a great treat!

Ayse's Cafe is bright and cheerful, offering tremendous hospitality and amazing food.  You can indulge in many exceptional items there without breaking your budget.


Ayse's Cafe
1703 Plymouth Rd.
Ann Arbor, MI 48105
734-662-1711
Lunch: 11 a.m. - 2 p.m., Monday through Friday
Dinner: 5 - 9 p.m., Monday through Saturday




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Chickpeas with Chorizo

Last week, I wrote a blog post that mentioned my dream of someday travelling to Morocco.  It's been ages since I cooked anything from that region ... and why?  I adore Moroccan food, with its vivid spices and flavors. I've been so busy with holiday cooking, writing about cookbooks, judging events, and other missions; and, of course, I have to accommodate other eaters in my life, who aren't necessarily terribly adventurous.  So much food to cook and eat, so little time!

This recipe is traditionally Moroccan in that it is stew-like and reminiscent of a tagine - a beautiful conical dish that simmers foods, as well as the dishes that are cooked in the utensil (the name can be used for both); this is indicative of influence from the Berbers of North Africa.  It is also Moroccan in that it has been strongly influenced by Spain, which is evident in the use of both chorizo and paprika.  Spain and Morocco are only 8 miles apart, across the Strait of Gibraltar.

To make this a vegetarian dish, I used a lovely soy chorizo that is available at Trader Joe's; it isn't a firm sausage, but rather a crumbly one.  It offers good flavor and color, and is great in many recipes (such as the Sloppy Joes that I'm told are a friend's family favorite).  You could easily use traditional meat chorizo, which is sliced rather than ground; of course, while that ingredient would be indicative of Spanish influence, it would also be an affront to Morocco's Muslims with its forbidden pork.  So many cultures, so much history, such a melange!

But whether you're serving carnivores or vegetarians, this simple, fragrant, fabulous dish is one you should absolutely try.

Chickpeas with Chorizo

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 small red onion, quartered, sliced
1 small roasted red pepper, quartered, sliced (from a jar is just fine)
6 ounces chorizo (soy or pork)
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained, rinsed
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
juice of half lemon
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon kosher salt
generous pinch freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add the garlic and onion; saute for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onion is softening.  Add the remaining ingredients and bring just to a boil.  Cover the saucepan, turn heat down to low, and cook for 10 minutes until most of the liquid is absorbed.

Serve "as is" with bread, or serve it over couscous.  Serves 2-4.

Iraqi Salad

Okay, we've enjoyed our indulgence. We've eaten turkey and stuffing and yams and mashed potatoes and gravy and green bean casserole and rolls and cornbread and pie and more pie and just one more sliver of pie. We're ready to burst!

The Thanksgiving leftovers should be gone by now. Today, we return to moderation and restraint. Today, we reaquaint ourselves with vegetables.

But who said that vegetables have to be boring? Why do salads have to be bland bowls of lettuce, carrots, and croutons?

To demonstrate that plain ol' vegetables can be transformed into something amazing, today I'm offering a gorgeous and flavorful salad featured in the beautiful cookbook Ma Baseema: Middle Eastern Cooking with Chaldean Flair. As I wrote in my recent post about Cardamom-Scented Shortbread Cookies, Chaldeans [kal-DEE-uns] are Iraqi Christians. They cherish their extended families, sharing large meals with multiple generations of loved ones, and they are noted for their hospitality.

And this Iraqi salad is highly representative of Chaldean cuisine, as it features many vegetables but gives them a unique twist. The familiar cucumbers and beets and onions are taken into a new realm of flavor with a simple but vibrant dressing, as well as the addition of a sprinkle of mint.

Rather than feeling deprived today as you recover from the holiday feast, try this salad and enjoy something that's nutritious but enticing.

Iraqi Salad
(slightly adapted from Edward Korkis' "Zalata d'Iraqia" featured in Ma Baseema)

Salad:
1 large cucumber, seeded, cut into 1/2" dice
1 small red onion, chopped
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 15-ounce can shoestring beets, drained
3 large scallions, chopped
2 Roma tomatoes, cut into eighths
1 teaspoon dried mint (available at Middle Eastern markets; substitute parsley, if need be)

Dressing:
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
juice of half lemon
2 ounces extra-virgin olive oil
1 ounce red wine vinegar

Combine all salad ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Combine all dressing ingredients; mix well, then pour over salad. Stir to combine all the ingredients, then let the salad rest for 30 minutes before serving.

Serves 6-8.

Breaking the Fast on the First Day of Ramadan

Islam's holiest month, Ramadan, began last night. Tonight at sundown, therefore, will be the end of the first day of fasting, with denial of food and water during daylight hours this month being one of the Five Pillars of Islam.

The month of Ramadan is the time during which The Quran "was sent down from heaven (to provide) guidance unto men, a declaration of direction, and a means of Salvation ...," according to RamadanKareem.org. Fasting, then, is a form of self-denial intended to encourage reflection, introspection, patience, humility, and rejuvenation. And Ramadan is an extremely auspicious month, considered to be filled with blessings.

Iftar - the evening meal to break the fast - is one that is ideally shared with family and community. And it is necessarily both nutritious and fairly light. It is traditional for many to first eat a date when they sit down to their meal; this is then followed by a wide variety of foods, dependent upon country and culture.

I cooked up this chickpea dish over the weekend and offer it as an option for breaking the fast. It's quick and easy to make, features spices which are commonly used in the Middle East (the birthplace of Islam, of course), and is absolutely delicious!

Chickpeas, Tomatoes and Spinach

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small red onion, chopped
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 large tomato, chopped
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon sumac (available at Middle Eastern markets)
1 teaspoon shawarma spices (available at Middle Eastern markets)
1/4 cup chopped parsley

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are translucent. Add the chickpeas and tomato; cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, sumac and shawarma spices; cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in parsley.

Serve over rice or stuffed into a pita or placed into a hollowed-out tomato.

Serves 2-4.

Please note: You can squeeze the juice from half-a-lemon onto this in place of the sumac. And you can substitute a mix of cumin, garlic powder, and a pinch each of cloves and cinnamon for shawarma spices.

Spice Girl

I think we all know how much I love Indian food; if you're new here and didn't realize it, let me assure you that this is one of the constants in the universe.

I've eaten at virtually every Indian restaurant in Ann Arbor, and have an assortment of spices -- Fenugreek, Cumin, Garam Masala, Saffron, Cardamom -- which help when I have a craving and need to cook something fabulous and fragrant.

And this was precisely the scenario one morning last week, when I could hear the Siren song of Indian food but would have no opportunity to go out at lunchtime and find some. I had no convenience items in the freezer and no leftovers from dinners out. It was up to me to save myself.

And so, I started to saute ... and I opened a couple of cans ... and I stirred and I simmered ... and voila! A quick and easy meal that smelled amazing as it cooked and as it reheated, and which was absolutely delicious with just enough "oomph" from the spices without burning my tongue.

Good thing I'm pretty limber, as I pat myself on the back for this one ... :)

Curried Chickpeas and Tomatoes

2 cups + 1/4 cup water
1 cup jasmine rice
2 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon garam masala
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 tablespoon cumin seed
1 small red onion, quartered, sliced
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 15-ounce can chili-ready diced tomatoes

Bring 2 cups water to a boil in a small saucepan; add rice, cover, lower heat to "simmer." Cook for 20 minutes without peeking.

Once the saucepan with the rice is covered and simmering away .... In a 10" skillet, heat oil and butter over medium heat. Add red pepper flakes, salt, garam masala, curry powder, and cumin seed; saute for 1 minute. Add onion and stir to coat with spices; cook for 1 minute. Add 1/4 cup water and bring to a boil. Add chickpeas.


Stir to combine, then cook for 2 minutes. Add tomatoes.


Bring to a boil, turn heat to "medium-low," and cover the skillet. Let this mixture cook while the rice cooks.

Place the rice onto a serving platter and top with the chickpea-tomato mixture. Serve with naan or roti, or just "as is."

Serves 4-6.

My New Favorite Indian Restaurant

I adore -- absolutely adore! -- Indian food!!!  It's a complete sensual indulgence, from the rich colors to the gorgeous aromas, from the tactile experience of eating many items with your hands rather than with silverware to the vibrant tastes dancing on your tongue.

I've eaten at every Indian restaurant in Ann Arbor, I think, and it's been pretty difficult to pick one over another: Jeremy and I went to Temptations for my birthday this past year, and he finally fell in love with Indian food there (after much debate over the years) ... my very dear friend Jayne, who has lived in India and Sri Lanka for periods of her life, prefers Madras Masala, which offers a very fine and extensive buffet for indecisive people like me who love to try everything ... Raja Rani also provides an excellent buffet, in the charming old house with a porch that's perfect for summer lunches ... and Shalimar holds a special place in my heart because Tom and I ate dinner there on our first date, which had begun with breakfast at The Broken Egg, meandered into tea at Sweetwaters (the one on Washington) later that afternoon, and continued through dinner and late into the night as he kissed me while snow fell around us.  I'm always happy to eat Indian food, to cook Indian food, to shop at Indian markets, and to immerse myself in one of my favorite cuisines.

So when Tom's very dear friend Alan invited us to meet Heidi, the wonderful woman who has captured his heart and for whom he'll soon sadly be leaving Ann Arbor (trust me -- she's worth it!), I was thrilled when he recommended Neehee's -- which serves vegetarian street food -- despite the schlep to Canton when we have so many fabulous options here in our own little burg.  A new place on the radar was not a problem, especially since we also needed to visit that wretched circle of hell IKEA to get picture frames for some of Tom's digital photographs; one place was just down Ford Road from the other.

We met Alan and Heidi in the parking lot, having arrived just moments after they had.  She was wonderful -- with a radiant smile despite the cold drizzle, and after having visited with many people throughout the weekend -- and Alan is clearly very smitten with her.  They both seem to be adventurous eaters, which I always like to see -- picky eaters, as I mentioned in my very first post here, are the bane of my existence.  Although Alan had eaten at the Farmington Neehee's and could make some recommendations, he seemed as overwhelmed by the extensive -- well over 100 items! -- menu as Tom and Heidi and I did.  Everything sounded good, the photos posted on the walls of various items (with descriptions) looked amazing, and the aroma of freshly cooked food was tantalizing as we perused our many, many options.

Tom and I had been thinking of potatoes or perhaps spinach as we drove to the restaurant, so it wasn't too difficult (well, it was difficult but not wrenching!) to settle upon splitting the Masala Dosa -- a gigantic, crispy and yet pliable, lentil and rice crepe with a luscious spiced potato-onion filling.  It came with two chutneys as accompaniment, one coral-colored (presumably tomato-based) and the other a pale green (possibly a coconut variation, from my after-the-fact research online); both were delicious and spicy without being too hot.  And it also came with a soup which contained a variety of vegetables; we had no idea what it was, though I now know it was sambhar -- a broth made with tamarind -- which I also might have found out if I'd read the fine print on the menu.  We debated whether to ask, but frankly were too immersed in relishing our food to be able to move from our table.  I used it in a fashion similar to the "jus" of a sandwich served "au jus" ... in other words, I happily dipped my dosa in it.  Please forgive me my ignorance, but I just simply was engrossed in what I was eating!  Remember, I'm not a reporter seeking investigative details; I am merely a near-omnivore seeking to share my varied and blissful dining experiences.

We also split the Aloo Tikki Chole, some fabulous spiced potato pancakes (aloo tikki) smothered in a gravy with chickpeas (chole) and beautiful red onions, with crispy vermicelli on top.  It was absolutely divine -- spicy but not too hot, and readily complementing bits of the dosa (crepe) which I used to pick up portions of the dish.  We had originally thought we'd start with just a few things, reserving the option of going back up to the counter to order more -- with service being so quick that it would hardly be worth going back to the table to wait.  But the quantities of food for astoundingly fair prices ($4.99 for a crepe twice as big as the plate, accompanied by soup and chutneys and the fabulously generous serving of potato filling!) more than filled us up.  We did finish our lunch, but dinner was not going to be necessary.

Alan had initially recommended the Bhel Puri (pictured at the top of the page), which we all shared; it's a salad-like snack made with puffed rice, chutney, tomatoes, and onions.  It's crispy, it's very fresh-tasting, and it's a unique combination of ingredients that just really seems to work in unison.  He and Heidi had also ordered the Special Chaat (sorry, I forgot to take a picture of it!), which were like Indian nachos: crisp triangles topped with chutney and potatoes and onions and cheese, which were tremendously good!

Neehee's is in a strip mall on Ford Road just west of Canton Center Road, and conveniently located right next to a fabulous Indian market that I need to visit again and devote some time to perusing.  The seating capacity is 15, and take-out is absolutely an option.  The service is quick and efficient; and the trays, paper plates and plasticware not only make the self-bussing easy, but they clearly demonstrate that the focus -- in terms of time, labor and money -- is devoted to the fabulous, fabulous food.  What the place lacks in ambience it more than makes up for in amazing dishes that I will likely dream about as I doze off in a little bit (being so enthused about writing this to share the information that I'm up even past my own ridiculously late bedtime) ... :)