Finally Moroccan Chicken with Preserved Lemons

The preserved lemons are finally ready and this weekend I made Moroccan Chicken. I wasn't sure what to expect because I haven't eaten much Moroccan food. I was surprised by the subtlety of both the "stew" and of the lemons. The dish was very simple just a cut up chicken, minced onions, garlic, cilantro, parsley, cumin, salt and lemons. Essential you brown the chicken and then braise it with the rest of the ingredients, except the lemons they get put in after the chicken is cooked. I served it with leftover brown rice(that I reheated in the bamboo steamer) and beet greens and Noodle Kugel for dessert. A very nice meal. However, this only used 1 of the lemons so I have to think of some more uses for them. I am thinking that I might try a lemon risotto.

Hummus

I have been feeling uninspired the last few days in terms of the culinary arts. However, even when I feel uninspired we all still get hungry. So one of my main fall backs is Hummus. Here it is pictured with some spices: paprika, cumin and turmeric. To go with it I made Greek Stuffing for Pita out of La Leche League's Whole Foods for the Whole Family, which has also become a staple recipe for us. It has tons of oregano and mint. Yum!

So one of my secrets for Hummus is to cook my own garbanzo beans but I don't love cooking beans on the stove. So I make them in the Crockpot. This is so easy. Just put beans and water (usually around a 1-3 ratio or 1-4) then cook on high for 3 1/2 - 4 hours. I have heard some say that beans are creamier if you cook them via the stove but really this is about 10 times easier and if there is a difference it is minimal. Also I never pre-soak beans. No matter what my mother says I really don't think they need it:) Though I disagree with my mom on pre-soaking, I learned a very valuable trick from her in regards to garlic. I like garlic but raw it has too much bite for me. So what my mother does is macerates the garlic with salt. In others words chop/smash it up with salt and then let it sit for a couple minutes. It takes away the harshness. When you do this you will notice that the garlic changes consistency a little bit it gets kind of(I hesitate to use this word but..) gelatinous.

I don't use a recipe for Hummus but when I make it these are the ingredients:

Garbanzo beans (canned or home cooked)
Tahini (or sometimes I use toasted sesame seeds)
Olive Oil and lots of it (you can even drizzle some on at the end)
Garlic
Lemon Juice
Salt
Spices: Cumin, Cayenne or Paprika or whatever strikes your fancy

Hummus is so versatile. I made some Chipotle Hummus this time. My friend Molly brought me over some her husband made with Kalamata Olives. You can use sun-dried tomatoes, cilantro, basil... the possibilities are endless.

Later this week I will post a blog featuring my friend Vyd's Italian Ex-Boyfriend's Mother's Tiramisu. Maybe I better get her permission in the meantime :)