Moroccan Inspired Potato Salad with Harissa and Preserved Lemons

Some of the Common flavors from Morocco are Spicy Harissa, Preserved Lemon and Olives so those are the flavors I need to put in this Potato side dish. It might be best at room temperature,  warm or heated. The salad will absorb much of the Harissa sauce but this recipe makes about 1/4 more Harissa than you need so you can either freeze extra Harissa or use for eggs or grilled meat. Or just reduce the Harissa ingredients by 1/4. The flavors marry better after a day. The lemon seemed slightly dominate on day one and I was going to change the recipe but by day two is tasted perfect to me so I was glad I didn’t change it.

Ingredients for about 6 generous servings

3 lbs red potatoes – peeled and cut in half

1 hot pepper cut in half long ways (to flavor boiling potato water)

3 garlic cloves (to flavor boiling potato water)

2 Tablespoons sea salt (for boiling water)

4 roasted red bell peppers – skin, seeds and core removed – peppers chopped (and use red pepper juice that came out of fresh roasted peppers) (for Harissa)

1 teaspoon cumin (for Harissa)

2 teaspoons caraway seeds (for Harissa)

4 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (for Harissa)

6 garlic cloves – chopped fine (for Harissa)

2-6 hot peppers – (usually jalapeño) (preferably red in color) (depending on the heat of the pepper and your heat tolerance) – chopped (for Harissa)

4 Tablespoons tomato paste (for Harissa)

4 Tablespoons lemon juice (fresh squeezed) (for Harissa)

4 Tablespoons red wine vinegar (for Harissa)

1/2 teaspoon black pepper (for Harissa)

1 teaspoon course sea salt (for Harissa)

8 green olives -preferably a quality olive – pit removed – cut each olive in 4 pieces

2 preserved lemons – scrap out insides and pith really well. Chop in small pieces.

1/4 sweet onion – chopped

1 celery rib – chopped

6 XL eggs boiled at a rolling boiled about 6 minutes, shell removed

1/4 cup fresh cilantro – chopped

fresh ground sea salt – to taste

fresh ground black pepper to taste

Directions

Fill a sauce pot with cold water to a little over half way. Add the potatoes, hot pepper that’s cut in half (longways) 3 garlic cloves, 1/2 onion and 2 Tablespoons sea salt. Add water to cover the potatoes if needed. Bring pot to boil. Reduce to a medium boil. Wash eggs and place them gently on top. After 6 minutes remove the eggs and put them to the side. Let the potatoes go till just past fork tender. About 9 minutes more or for a total of around 15 minutes. The timing will vary depending on size of potatoes and your cookware.(among other things) When the potatoes are done scoop them out with a slotted spoon into a large bowl. Throw away the onion, garlic and hot pepper used to flavor the potatoes. Set the bowl to the side.

In your blender or blending bowl add the roasted peppers, sweet juice from the fresh roasted peppers, cumin, caraway, extra virgin olive oil, garlic cloves, a few of the hot peppers (you need to taste when done and add more hot peppers at the end till you have it right), tomato paste, lemon juice, vinegar, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Blend it all up. Decide if you want to add more hot peppers and add them one at a time till the Harissa is the right heat for you.

Pour 3/4 of the Harissa over the potatoes. It might seem over sauced to you but it will soak in pretty fast. (Save the remaining Harissa and either freeze or use it on eggs or grilled meat.)  Add to the potato mixture the olives, preserved lemons, sweet onion, celery, cilantro. Mix. If you have very large pieces of potatoes break them up a little but not too much.

Peel the eggs and cut into quarters.

Top the potato mixture with the eggs and top with a light sprinkle of fresh ground sea salt and black pepper to taste.

Moroccan Inspired Potatoes with Harissa and Preserved Lemon

Moroccan Inspired Potato Salad with Harissa and Preserved Lemons

Tasty and delicious!

The Forking Truth

Butternut Squash Risotto

Butternut Squash Risotto is easy to prepare. I like to roast up the squash in small cubes and half I mash up when I add it to the risotto so it’s creamy butternut in every spoonful. I usually don’t use heavy cream when I make a risotto because I don’t need the cream taste. Unless it’s a truffle risotto I usually pass on cream.  I think this risotto is usually creamy enough. Feel free to substitute a cup of cream for a cup of stock if you care to. The risotto comes out creamy and flavorful with sweet chunks of butternut squash. The Butternut Squash Risotto holds up better than regular risotto for re-heating.

Ingredients for about 6 servings

1 small butternut squash (mine weighed 1 lb. 10 oz before removing skin and seeds)

1/2 large sweet onion – chopped close to fine

1 cup arborio rice

2 Tablespoons sweet butter

4 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 cup dry white wine

2 garlic cloves – ground to paste

5 cups hot vegetable stock

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

big pinch saffron

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 cup parmesan cheese – shredded

1/4 fresh nutmeg – grated (mine was a smaller nutmeg)

1 Tablespoon fresh marjoram – chopped fine

2 Tablespoons fresh sage – chopped fine

fresh ground sea salt – to taste

fresh ground black pepper – to taste

Directions

Set oven to 350 degrees

Peel butternut squash and chop into small cubes….(around frozen peas and carrot size) put in a medium size bowl and mix with 2 tablespoons olive oil to coat squash. Put squash on a baking sheet(s) in a single layer on top rack. Roast till tender about 25 minutes. When squash is done mash 1/2 with a potato masher. Set to the side till your ready to add it to the risotto.

In your sauce pot on medium high heat add the butter and remaining olive oil. when the butter is melted add the onions and rice and fry it for about 5 minutes. Then add the garlic and stir it around a little till you smell it. Now add the wine and keep stirring till it absorbs. Add a cup of stock and stir till it absorbs. Repeat 3 times till you only have one cup left. Now all the remaining ingredients and and squash except for the fresh herbs. Add the last cup of stock and the fresh herbs last. Stir it a few times and taste it. Adjust with fresh ground sea salt and black pepper to your liking.

Butternut Squash Risotto

Enjoy!

The Forking Truth

Sweet Jalapeño Stuffed Acorn Squash

I wanted to come up with a delicious and DIFFERENT way to serve Acorn Squash. I happened to have a bunch of crazy hot jalapeño peppers in the house that I cooked with sugar, carrot, apples and some seasonings. I discovered that I made the painfully hot jalapeño peppers edible but sweet and I thought they’d be delicious with the squash and they are! I do note that acorn squash are very hard and might be too difficult or dangerous to cut for some people. The Acorn Squash and the Jalapeño Peppers can both cause injury. You need a decent sharp knife and some strength to cut Acorn Squash. I do find that the acorn squash that turn slightly orange are slightly softer. You should wear gloves and maybe eye googles to protect your hands and eyes when you work with a large amount of Jalapeño Peppers. The heat from the peppers can actually burn your hands and be painful.

Ingredients for 6 generous servings or 12 small servings depending on the sizes of your squash.

3 acorn squash – washed well, cut in quarters with seeds and membranes removed

12 oz. jalapeños – washed well, stems and seeds removed, chopped

1/2 sweet onion – chopped

1 carrot – peeled and shredded

1 apple – peeled, cored, chopped

1 garlic clove – ground to paste

1 1/2 cups water

1 Tablespoon lime juice

1 1/2 cup sugar

pinch sea salt

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

non stick spray

4 oz. stick unsalted butter

Directions

Turn oven on to 350 degrees F

Set Squash and baking sheet(s) and set to the side.

To a sauce pot on medium high heat add a little non stick spray and add the jalapeños and onion and cook till the onion is transparent.

Then add the rest of the ingredients except for the butter.

Bring to boil and then reduce to a medium heat. Stir occasionally and you need to keep your eye on the pot to prevent boiling over or burning and let it go about an hour.

Take the stick of butter and cut in half and then cut each half in thirds and cut each third in half like this.

Put a pat of butter into each squash.

Stuff the squash with the sweet jalapeños.

Bake 35 – 45 minutes till baked, caramelized and slightly browned.

Sweet Jalapeño Stuffed Acorn Squash

You will be left some some delicious sauce at the bottom of the pan that you should serve over the squash.

This is a unique but delicious way to serve Acorn Squash!

The Forking Truth