Spicy Moroccan Carrots (Parve)

This recipe is not for the faint of heart [or for most Ashkenazi guests]. It has bold flavors: spicy, tangy, and sweet, that somehow meld together perfectly. It is fairly easy to make, filling, colorful, paleo, and low carb.

Moroccan carrots vary depending on who’s making them, I’ve had versions that were thinly sliced and seasoned with just lemon and other versions that featured thickly sliced giant pieces of carrots in an oily tomato based sauce. This version leans closer to the fairly modern Israeli version and does not contain tomato paste or strong notes of cumin. If you prefer a more traditional version of Moroccan carrots I recommend adding a tablespoon of tomato paste and another tsp of cumin.

This dish can be served as a standalone salad or you can use it as a filling for falafel sandwiches or as a topping for other salads. If you like sweeter salads, feel free to add some chopped bell pepper.

When shopping for ingredients, make sure to look for carrots that have a fairly large circumference and not thin carrots – in this case, size does matter and will impact the taste. And please do not use baby carrots – the taste will not be the same and the overall presentation of the dish will look sloppy.

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Serves: 4 people

Ingredients:

3 large carrots

2 tablespoons of fresh cilantro leaves (washed, destemmed, and chopped finely – can substitute parsley)

1 tablespoon of fresh parsley leaves (washed, destemmed, and chopped finely)

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp Pipelchuma spice (substitute 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper if you don’t have it)

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tsp raw garlic very finely minced

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh jalapeno (make sure to handle carefully and deseed)

1 tsp white vinegar

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1 tsp salt

Instructions:

1. Wash and peel the carrots, cut off and remove the end and tops of the carrots.
2. Using a steamer or large stock pot, either steam or boil your carrots for about 5-7 minutes. You’re looking for a fairly firm texture – do not let them get mushy or too soft.
3. Remove the carrots from steamer and let cool for ten minutes.
4. Once cool, slice your carrots thinly, about a 1/4 of an inch thick.
5. Place cut carrots in a bowl, add the rest of the ingredients and toss well. Add more salt, pipelchuma, lemon or pepper per your taste.

Serve immediately at room temperature.

 

Moroccan Fish (Parve)

 

Moroccan fish, also known as chraime is a traditional Sephardic dish served on Shabbat and other Jewish holidays. It’s a light, yet filling, easy to make dish, that has a lovely lemony and tomato flavor and is perfect for Shabbat lunch since it reheats well.  It’s also Paleo and low carb. My version  omits quite a bit of the oil found in traditional Moroccan versions and focuses more on creating a flavorful sauce.

Cook time: 2.5 hours

Serves: 4 people (main course) or 6-8 as an appetizer

Ingredients:

4 white fish fillets (I like tilapia or flounder)

1 small sweet onion

4-6 garlic cloves (or more depending on taste)

1 tablespoon capers (optional)

1 red bell pepper (you can also use 1 cup of chopped roasted red peppers)

1/2 cup of fresh cilantro finely chopped (stems discarded) – if you hate cilantro you can also use parsley

2 slices of preserved lemon (or add 1 more lemon, 1 tsp salt and a tsp of lemon rind)

1 large can of tomato sauce (unflavored – don’t use marinara)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small can of chickpeas rinsed well (optional)

2 large wash and peeled potatoes (if you’re on paleo or low carb either do not add or add another vegetable like cabbage, white mushrooms, eggplant, etc.)

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon harissa or cayenne pepper (you can add more depending on spiciness preference)

1 tablespoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/3 cup lemon juice

1/2 lemon for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Chop up the onions, garlic and pepper pepper into small pieces – it’s okay to leave large chunks of the pepper but try to get the garlic as finely minced as possible.
3. You can also finely chop your preserved lemon at this point or insert it whole – depends on preference. Just note that since preserved lemons are very salty you won’t have to add as much salt to the dish.
4. Wash and peel the potatoes, then slice them concentrically into small circles (about a 1/4 of an inch). Note if you’re omitting potatoes you can add another vegetable on the bottom at this point or just skip this step completely.
5. Heat oil in a pan and add onions, garlic and red pepper pieces, cook until the onions are transculecent, then add tomato sauce, spices (cayenne, turmeric, paprika), capers,  chickpeas, parsley, cilantro, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, harissa, preserved lemon pieces and the lemon juice. Let the sauce simmer for ten minutes – taste it – you’re looking for a tangy and spicy lemony flavored tomato sauce. Add more lemon, salt, or cayenne/harissa per your taste.
6. Let the sauce cool. As the sauce is cooling take a baking tray and layer your potatoes (or other vegetables) on the bottom to completely cover the bottom of the pan. Lay the four fish slices on top. Then cover the fish with the sauce.
7. Take your lemon and make thin slices using a knife or mandolin – add on top as a garnish.
8. Cover the fish with tinfoil and let cook for an hour and a half on 375 degrees. Uncover and let cook without tinfoil for 15 minutes.
9. Remove from the oven and let cool. You can eat this dish hot or warm, recommend serving with couscous or rice.