Moroccan Slow-Cooker Turkey Meatballs

I have serious doubts about how authentic (or not) meatballs are as a Moroccan staple. Including the dried apricots and the spice mix give these turkey meatballs (the poultry, not the country!!) a bit of 'Moroccanish flavor'.

Ingredients
2 lbs ground turkey
½ C bread crumbs
2 T heavy cream
¾ C chopped fresh parsley (or mix of parsley & cilantro)
3 garlic cloves
½ tsp each: cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg
1 T paprika
¼ tsp cayenne
1 14oz can diced tomatoes
½ C chicken broth
½ C chopped, dried apricots
1 small onion, minced or grated
¼ C pomegrante molasses
2 T lemon juice
2-3 scallions
salt & pepper

Directions
In a large bowl, combine turkey, bread crumbs, heavy cream, 1 clove garlic - minced, ½ cup chopped parsley (or parsley-cilantro mix), 2 teaspoons paprika, ¼ teaspoon each cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and cayenne, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Set aside.

In slow cooker, combine tomatoes, chicken broth, apricots, onion, 2 garlic cloves - crushed or minced, 1-2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon paprika, ¼ teaspoon each cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg, remaining chopped parsley, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Stir.

Roll turkey mixture into 1-1½ inch metballs; place gently in sauce in slow cooker. Cover; cook on high at least 3 hours.

Before serving, drizzle meatballs with remaining pomegranate molasses and garnish with thinly sliced scallions.

Traditional South African Melk Tert

I've made a melktert before, with my Culinary Arts class during our African foods unit. Here's a slightly different version (traditional family recipe) with what is probably a more authentic crust -- which is not actually a crust at all.

Filling Ingredients
3 T cake flour
4 T cornstarch
1 C sugar
1 liter milk
125 grams butter
4 eggs
1 T vanilla
          cinnamon

Crust Ingredients
2 T butter
2 T sugar
1 egg
3 T flour
1 tsp baking powder

Directions
Preheat oven to 400.

Begin Filling: In a large saucepan, mix cornstarch, flour and sugar. Slowly add in milk, stirring to combine dry ingredients smoothly. Bring slowly to a boil, stirring constantly until it just begins to boil, and thickens. Add butter, stirring until butter melts; stir in vanilla. Set aside to cool while preparing crust.

Prepare Crust: Cream together butter and sugar. Blend in egg. Stir in flour and baking powder. Smear evenly over bottom and up sides of a pie pan.

Complete Filling: Whisk egg whites into stiff peaks. Stir half the egg whites into filling; gently fold in the remaining egg whites. Pour filling onto pie pan; sprinkle with cinnamon.

Bake 15-20 minutes; center will still be slightly 'loose' (jiggly) in the center.

South African Melktert (Milk Tart)

Of Dutch influence, there are various versions/recipes of this African dessert -- basically a vanilla 'cream'/milk pie. Here's a very typical recipe from food.com. My World Lit students are just finishing up our African Literature unit and this was on the menu as part of the celebration.

Without the support of a Culinary Arts class this semester, I used store bought pie crusts. I'd prefer homemade, but there's only so much I have time for as we're nearing finals.

JULY 2017 Update:
Here's another melktert recipe. Probably a bit more authentic...a South African family's recipe.

Quinoa Bark

My World Lit students are currently in our African literature unit reading Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart. At one point, the tribe rejoices as locusts 'invade' -- ready to be roasted for a tasty, crunchy treat. I often provide ethnic dishes for the students to try, and they jokingly asked in class about the possibility, including comments of "I'd maybe try them...if they were chocolate covered!" 

Well, culinary grade locusts are hard to come by here (not that I've ever given it any serious effort!!) but when I saw chocolate quinoa bark in this month's Cooking Light, I thought it would be fun to see if my students would eat a roasted, crunchy, chocolate covered snack...before I told them exactly what it was. :)

1/2 C uncooked quinoa
1/3 C turbinado sugar
7 oz dark chocolate
1/4 tsp sea salt

Photo and complete recipe from Cooking Light this month.

Evil Jungle Soup

Sheree Johnston's recipe.

3 stalks lemon grass, cut into 1" pieces
4" piece of fresh ginger, sliced thinly
4 cloves garlic, cut into quarters
8-10 cups chicken stock

1 garnet yam, peeled, cut into 1-2" cubes
1 onion, diced
2 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, sliced
3 handfuls fresh spinach
1 jalapeno or Serrano pepper


Combine lemon grass, ginger, garlic and chicken stock in a pot. Simmer for 40 minutes; strain. Add the yam and cook 10 minutes. Add chicken and vegetables, simmer until the yams are soft (about 24 minutes). Makes 8 servings.

African Yam-Peanut Stew

This is another recipe I make routinely for my World Literature classes. We're just starting our Africa unit, reading Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart -- in which their primary cash crop is yams.

3 cloves garlic
1 cups loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves
28 oz can diced tomatoes
1 C peanut butter (chunky or creamy)
2 tsp cumin
1½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp salt
3 lbs (4-5 medium) sweet potatoes
15 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
16 oz canned or frozen cut green beans

Peel sweet potatoes and cut into 1 - 1½" chunks.

In blender (or food processor with knife blade) blend garlic, cilantro, tomatoes with their juice, peanut butter, cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, and salt until smooth.

Pour peanut butter mixture into 4½ to 6 quart slow cooker; stir in 1-2 cups water or broth. Add sweet potato chunks and chickpeas; stir to combine. Cover slow cooker with lid and cook on low setting for 8-10 hours, or on high setting 4-5 hours...or until potatoes are tender.

10 minutes before serving, cook/heat green beans. Gently stir beans into stew.
Serve. Garnish with chopped peanuts if desired.

Ethiopian Spice Crusted Chicken

This makes a fairly spicey coating. Delicious, but if you like milder flavors you may want to reduce the amount of spices (or increase the bread crumbs) to soften the flavor.

3/4 C bread crumbs
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp cayenne
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp cardamom
olive oil
optional: lemon wedges

Combine bread crumbs and spices in a plastic baggie. Lightly brush chicken pieces with olive oil. Place chicken pieces in baggie with spiced bread crumbs; shake to coat. Bake in baking dish sprayed with non-stick coating at 350° (or fry) until chicken is completely cooked through and no longer pink.

Serve with lemon wedge garnish.

Serving suggestions: good with couscous, lentils, cucumber salad...

Spicy Beef Berbere

My World Lit classes were kicking off a new unit (new region) and I always bring in food (& music) as they work on the introductory worksheet packet (maps, author bio's, cultural research, etc.).
This time it was an Ethiopian recipe that calls for beef stew meat. When I've made it before--for friends at home--I've used a beef roast that, after cooking a few hours in the crock pot, easily pulled apart into tender strings and chunks; very nice. :) My students are not typically a highly discriminating bunch, though I appreciate their willingness to try unfamiliar dishes. I used ground beef. (It's cheap.)

Spicy Beef in Berbere Sauce
2 medium onions
1/4 C butter
1 Tbls minced fresh ginger
1 Tbls paprika
1 Tbls cayenne
1 Tbls cinnamon
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp fenugreek*
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp allspice
1 14 oz can crushed tomatoes
1/4 C dry red wine
2 1/2 lbs beef stew meat
salt

Pulse onions in a food processor until very finely diced, almost pureed. Melt butter in large pan; add onions and stir until browned (about 10 minutes). Add spices and stir until fragrant (about 1 minute). Add tomatoes, wine and beef; bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until beef is very tender (about 2 hours). Salt to taste.
I dump this into the crock pot to take it to school. (Or if you're heading to a potluck, etc.)

* Fenugreek is a spice (a seed actually) that has a mild, sweet flavor. You might be able to find it at a Middle Eastern market if you really want to. It's not exactly the same, but I pitch in a little extra cardamom and call it good.

Serving suggestion: Eat with your hands. This is great served with (scooped onto) injera -- Ethiopian flatbread, somewhere between a French crepe and Indian naan. Recipe below (somewhat modified for us Americans...it uses club soda). Again, a couple months ago with friends over for dinner...I made it. Recently, I wasn't quite up to cooking enough for 50 students. At school we made do with whole wheat tortillas.

Injera

1 1/2 C all-purpose flour
1 1/2 C buckwheat flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs, beaten
3+ C club soda

Whisk together flours, baking powder and salt. Add eggs and club soda and whisk until smooth. It should resemble pancake batter in consistency; if needed, add more club soda.

Spray a nonstick fry pan lightly and set over medium heat. When hot, pour 1/3 C batter into pan, tilting to spread batter. Cook until flatbread is bubbly and dry on top, 2-3 minutes. (NOTE: Traditionally, the injera is only cooked on one side. I like it briefly flipped and browned, but do what you want.)

Keep warm in a 200° oven until ready to serve.