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Moroccan Lentil Soup with Baby Spinach and Feta
Special Salmon with Cumin, Coriander and Ras al Hanout, Tomato and Cilantro Topping
Green Shakshouka with Chard, Onions and Harissa topped with Baked Eggs
Baby Greens, Fennel, Endive and Mixed Citrus Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette
Pear Fondant Cake
About the Class
There has been so much interest in my January 16th "Moroccan" class that I'm teaching another Moroccan-inspired menu on February 15th. Neither menu is archetypally Moroccan but rather my take on the cuisine. They eat much salmon in Morocco and certainly the Pear Fondant Cake is typical French comfort food. In any case, I love each recipe and if you want to be a bit more traditional, cook lamb instead of salmon and I can suggest a more North African dessert. I just can't resist teaching this particular cake as it's simple, simple and way more delicious than the sum of the very basic parts.
Lentils, on the other hand, are very North African and this lentil soup is marvelous. I first tasted it years ago at the home of a journalist, food journalist and fabulous cook. She shared the recipe and I've been making it (mildly tweaked) ever since, I always cook up a triple batch as the soup freezes perfectly. Just add the spinach and feta last minute. An ideal main course as well for a cold weather lunch or simple supper.
The succulent salmon filet is super flavorful. Marinated in a concoction of Moroccan spices, onion, garlic, cilantro, lemon zest and olive oil, it's divine on its own - hot, warm or room temperature - it's even better topped with the flavorful tomatoes, kind of a Moroccan salsa.
For those of you who don't know it, Shakshouka is a Magrebi dish of eggs poached on a base of tomatoes, olive oil, peppers, onion, and garlic and harissa. However, there are endless variations. Ours replaces the tomatoes with Swiss chard. You can add sausage, ground lamb, feta and almost anything else once you get the hang of it. Again, increase the quantities and serve it as a main course.
A crisp salad of spicy greens, fennel, endive, capers, orange and grapefruit (dressed with citrus) perfectly complements the richness of the other dishes. You can serve it alongside or between the main course and dessert.
Pears, dark rum, eggs, sugar, butter, vanilla extract and a small amount of flour combine to produce one of my favorite desserts ever. Line a springform pan with sliced pears, pour over a simple batter and bake. After a few minutes of baking, another simple batter (made in the same bowl, no need to wash it) is poured over and the cake is baked until done. Served slightly warm or at room temperature, the dish is a melange of cake, pear tart and custard. The absolute best!