A taste of the exotic

By Diane

For those who love traveling as I do, I believe they find that in each country some food and fell in love with- a meal or dish- and, they end up introducing it in their diet and cuisine. Honestly, I have lived in something like 20 countries so far. In some countries, I stayed for a short time like 6 months, in some cases longer than a year. In each of them, I have taken something, a meal, a dessert, or a way of cooking that I have integrated into my cooking technique. Living in Europe for years now, most of the time you hear people saying that what does not belong to their cuisine is called "exotic". Especially if it comes from Africa or the Middle East. When I feel nostalgic about a place, I always make a meal that reminds me of that place.

Today, I am suggesting an exotic meal from North Africa countries. I have never been there; however, I used to know a young Moroccan woman, who loved cooking their traditional meals and shared with me some tips about their cuisine.  I have made a Couscous for lunch with some vegetables and adding the right spices, at the first bite you feel the sun and smell of Morocco just there.

All you need is:

-         2 cups of couscous

-         1 leek medium size

-         3 carrots

-         2 large zucchinis

-         1 paprika

-         ½ red onion

-         1 clove of garlic

-         100 gr of plum tomatoes (cut in half)

-         2 spoons of curry powder

-         Salt and pepper

-         Olive oil

-         200 gr fish

-         300 gr of canned chickpeas

-         1L of boiling water

Cut your veggies into medium-sized cubes, chop the onion, garlic and leek. In a saucepan, heat some olive oil then add the chopped onion, garlic, and leek. Let it cook for a few minutes before adding your sliced fish and cook each side for about 5-7 minutes. Remove the fish and reserve on a plate. Add your veggies and stir for a few minutes.

Add the drained chickpeas, then the curry, salt and pepper as desired.  Add some water, and let it boil for a minute; then add on top the precooked fish. Cover and let cook for about 10 to 15 mn. Stir from time to time to avoid it sticking to the bottom of the saucepan.

In the meantime, in a bowl, prepare your couscous as usual. How I prepare it: I normally do 1 cup of water per one cup of couscous with some olive oil to keep it granular. When your veggies are ready, remove from the stove and serve it hot. Enjoy and have fun.

Let me know how you like it.