Combine in these proportions:

1 Tbs ginger
1 Tbs black pepper
1 Tbs tumeric
1 tsp cinnamon 
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 Tbs cumin
 

PINCHITO MARINADE (as Side dish)

Mix well in bowl:

4 Tbs Lakama
2 Tbs cumin
1 tbs Coriander
1 tbs Paprika
1/4 cup Onions, chopped fine
1/4 cup Parsley, chopped fine

Dip hands in lemon juice, and work into meat
(1/2 lb. lamb, beef, liver, cubed or ground).
Refrigerate 2-3 hours, preferably overnight.
Sprinkle meat with more cumin just before cooking.
Dip skewers in lemon juice to keep the meat from
sticking and broil away. 
 

HOT SAUCE FOR DIPPING

Combine in small serving bowl:

2 Tbs Olive Oil
3 Tbs Vinegar
1/4 Cup water
1 tsp crushed Red Pepper
12 green olives, chopped
1 Tbs chopped Parsley
Pinch of Salt

Serve as side dish with slices of French bread or pita. Nice with cous cous, excellent with hommus, essential with pinchitos.
 

HOMMUS

Drain and save liquid from:

16 oz. can Garbanzos

Turn beans to a blender. Add:

1/4 cup toasted Sesame Seed
2 Tbs Olive Oil

(For a Near Eastern taste, substitute 2 Tbs each toasted Sesame Seed and Sesame Oil)

3 Tbs Lemon Juice
1 Clove Garlic (large)
1/4 tsp Cumin

Pour in 1/4 cup of Garbanzo liquid and blend until smooth like pancake batter.
Refrigerate until ready to serve. Turn hommus into bowl and stir in:

1 Tbs Lemon Juice
1 Clove Garlic, mashed
1/4 tsp Cumin

Salt and Pepper to taste.

Sprinkle with Paprika. Garnish with fresh Parsley and serve.

MORROCAN CRUDITES

Bring to a boil:

1 lb. Carrots, peeled and sliced 1/2-inch thick
Or: 1 lb. Irish Potatoes, peeled and sliced thick
Water to cover

Reduce heat, simmer about 15 minutes until tender but slightly firm. Drain and put in a bowl. Add:

1.5 Tbs Lemon Juice

Mix well. In a separate bowl, combine:

1 tsp Cumin
1/4 tsp ground Coriander
1/2 tsp Sugar (unrefined is best)
1/4 tsp Salt

Mix the spices, add the vegetables, and toss well. Fold in:

2 tsp Olive Oil, extra virgin
1 Tbs fresh Coriander, chopped

Pepper to taste, cover and chill at least 6 hours before serving.

A nice variant is using raw grated carrots instead of cooked. Just add the lemon juice and proceed as above.
 

GREEK SADEKI DIP

Yogurt drained in cheese cloth.

4 cloves garlic, minced.
Cucumber; grated, let drain overnight.
1/2 tsp dill.
2 Tbs Olive oil.
Salt and pepper.

If using instant cous cous, start with the broth. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, and add meat and spices. Simmer 10 minutes, add sauteed onions and garlic, simmer 5 minutes. Add cous cous and proceed with remainder of the recipe as written. This works with all Mom's recipes and saves a lot of time.

To save even more, add the specified amount of cumin, salt and pepper for each recipe. But substitute an equal amount of Lakama for all the rest of the spices.

Mix well in bowl:

6-8 Tbs Cumin (or cumin and  lakama in equal amounts)
1 bunch fresh chopped Parsley
1 chopped Onion
1 whole Garlic, crushed and chopped
Salt to taste (1-2 Tbs)
Pepper to taste (about 1 Tbs)

Dip hands in lemon juice, and work into:

2-2.5 lbs. Lean Beef, finely ground 

Refrigerate 2-3 hours if you like.
Dip skewers in lemon juice and mould the meat onto skewers.
Broil over charcoal. 
 

LIVER AND STEAK PINCHITOS

Chop and cube:

2 lbs. Veal, Liver, or Beef Steak

Cut out and separate the suet. Cut in small pieces and set aside. 
Mix well in bowl:

6-8 Tbs Cumin (or cumin and lakama in equal amounts)
1 bunch fresh chopped Parsley
Salt to taste (1-2 Tbs)
Pepper to taste (1-2 Tbs)

Dip hands in lemon juice, and work into the meat. Refrigerate 2-3 hours, preferably overnight. Sprinkle meat with more cumin and parsley just before cooking. Dip skewers in lemon juice. Arrange meat on skewers with small pieces of suet between the chunks. Charcoal broil.
 
 

HARIRA ("Ramadan Soup")

If using dry beans, soak overnight and remove tough skins before
adding to soup. If using lentils, modify recipe to 1/2 cup total.
Cut into small cubes:

1/2-3/4 lbs. mutton or beef stew meat

Chop:

1/4 cup chopped Celery (leaves and stalk)
1/2-3/4 cup chopped Onions
2-3 sprigs Parsley, chopped (dried is OK)
1 clove Garlic, chopped fine

Brown meat in 2 Tbs butter or oil. Add chopped vegetables and:

8 oz Tomato Sauce
3-4 tps Lakama
1 cup total: Garbanzos / Chickpeas
and/or Lentils
and/or Rice
Pinch of Salt

Simmer 10-15 minutes or until rice is tender.
Mix following in small bowl:

4-6 T flour
1/2-1 cup water

Just before serving, add mixture to desired consistency. Then add: 

2 eggs slightly beaten

Stir eggs lightly into soup. Simmer just until strings of yolk firm up.
Slice thin:

1 lemon

Put one lemon slice in each bowl. Pour soup over lemon and serve.
 
 

CHICKEN COUS COUS WITH ZUCCHINI AND APRICOTS

Sautee in 1/4 cup Hot Olive Oil until transparent:

3 medium Onions, Sliced
2 Cloves Garlic, Minced

Reduce heat and add:

1 Tbs Turmeric
1/2 tsp Allspice
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp crushed Red Pepper

Cook 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Cut up and add:

2-3 lbs. Chicken

Cook each side 5 minutes and add:

3 Cups Chicken Broth

Heat to boil. Cover and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in:

1 Cup Cous Cous

Cover and cook 10 minutes. Add:

3 small Zucchini, sliced
1/2 cup Dried Apricots
1 Cup Dark Seedless Raisins

Cover and cook about 10 minutes until vegetables are tender and liquid is absorbed.
Stir in:

1/2 Cup Almonds, toasted & slivered

Serves six.
 
 

CHICKEN COUS COUS WITH CARROTS AND BABY TURNIPS

Sautee in 1/4 cup Hot Olive Oil until transparent:

3 medium Onions, Sliced
2 Cloves Garlic, Minced

Reduce heat and add:

2 Tbs Turmeric
1/2 tsp Allspice
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Cinnamon

Cook 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Cut up and add:

2-3 lbs. Chicken

Cook each side 5 minutes and add:

3 Cups Chicken Broth

Heat to boil. Add:

3-4 sliced Carrots
1/2 cup Dried Apricots
1 Cup Dark Seedless Raisins
1 Cup blanched Almonds
1 Cup Baby Turnips

Cover and cook until chicken and vegetables are tender.

Place in a bowl:

1 cup cous cous

Sprinkle with water until well dampened. Steam in colander until tender.
When slightly cool mix in:

2 tsp Butter

Put meat and vegetables on a dish. Mound cous cous on top.

Make a well in top of the mound and pour in sauce. Place carrots perpendicularly on sides of the mound and serve.
 
 

VEGETABLE COUS COUS WITH PUMPKIN AND CABBAGE

Sautee in 2-3 Tbs Hot Olive Oil until onions are transparent:

2 Onions, Thinly Sliced
4 Cloves Garlic, Minced

Reduce heat and add, stirring constantly:

1/2 tsp Turmeric
1 Tbs Cumin
1/2 tsp Cloves
1/2 tsp Coriander
1/2 tsp Ginger
1/2 tsp Cinnamon

Transfer to large pot and add:

6 Cups Vegetable Broth

Add over low heat:

3 Tomatoes, chopped
1 Carrot, sliced
1/2 lb. Pumpkin (or Sweet Potato), chunked small
2 small Red Potatoes, quartered

Simmer 15 minutes. Add:

1 Turnip, peeled and sliced
1 head Cabbage, cut in chunks
1/2 lb. Green Beans
2 Zucchini, thickly sliced
1.5 cups Garbanzos, cooked & drained

Cover, cook 20 minutes, and remove from heat.
Place in a bowl:

2 cups Cous Cous

Sprinkle with water until well dampened. Steam in colander until tender.
Remove 2 cups of the broth and pour over the cous cous. Add:

1/2 Cup Dark Seedless Raisins

Cover, let stand 10 minutes. Mix in:

2 Tbs Butter or Oleo
1 Tbs Rose/Orange flower water

Fluff cous cous with a fork. To serve, layer larger vegetables on each plate. Mound cous cous on top. Make a well in top of the mound and pour in broth and smaller vegetables. Serve with Harissa Sauce or a good mustard on the side.
 
 

COUS COUS SALAD (with Zucchini)

Combine in a heat-proof bowl:

1 cup instant Cous cous
1/2 cup boiling Water

Separate the grains with a fork. Stir in:

1 Tbs Olive Oil

Refrigerate 30 minutes with frequent stirring. In another bowl, combine:

2 cups Zucchini, diced
2 Tbs fresh Mint, minced
2 Tbs fresh Parsley, minced
1/4 cup Lemon Juice
1 Tsp Olive Oil

Fold zucchini mixture into cooled cous cous and chill at least 30 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.
 
 

TAJINE OF MEATBALLS

Form into walnut-sized balls:

2 lbs. lean Ground Beef

Arrange in a single layer in a wide saucepan or casserole. 
Cover with a layer of:

1 medium Onion, sliced thin

Add the following:

2 cloves Garlic, minced
1 Tbs Cumin
1 tsp Coriander
1 tsp Paprika
1/2 tsp Allspice
12 Green or Greek Olives
Salt and Black Pepper to taste

Cover with just enough Water to cover. Simmer uncovered about 30 minutes until sauce has reduced to a thick gravy. Just before serving, fry sunny side up, with minimal amounts of the white:

4 Eggs

Spoon out tajine onto bowls or plates, preserving the layers. Top each with one egg. Sprinkle with:

2 Tbs fresh coriander, chopped
1/2 dozen fresh Olives

Serve with fresh French bread and Morrocan hot sauce on the side. Traditionally, the guests would dip bread into the tajine and eat communally without forks. The unadventurous cook can skip the eggs and olives in the recipe. 
 
 

COSIDAS MADRILENAS

Chop and section:

1 medium Onion
1 head of Cabbage
2 cloves Garlic

Boil cabbage til tender and drain.
In a deep sauce pan, combine onions with:

8 oz tomato sauce (or V-8 juice)

1 16 oz can Garbanzos
4 or 5 Pork Chops
Irish Potatoes (one per person)
1 tsp Cumin
Salt & Pepper to taste

Cook til meat is tender and potatoes are done (about 1/2 hour).
Sautee drained cabbage in olive oil with the garlic.
Serve with cabbage at one end of plate, pork chop on the other. Pour beans and sauce over both. Sprinkle with vinegar and oil, salt and pepper.
 
 

PAELLA (SPANISH CHICKEN AND RICE)

Sautee in oil:

1 lb. cut up Chicken 

Add: 

1 Onion chopped fine
2 cloves Garlic.

Sautee 2 mins. Add:

1/2 tsp. Paprika
3 medium Tomatoes chopped (with seeds removed)
1 pkg. frozen Peas
1 pkg. Artichoke hearts(optional)
1 tsp. Saffron (may sub. tumeric)
Salt and Pepper to taste.

Cook 20 mins. with water to cover meat. Add:

2 cups rice
4 cups liquid from chicken stock.
1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley leaves.

Stir until boiling, then reduce heat and cook until water is gone (approx. 20 mins.) Garnish with:

Chopped Red Pimento 

Let stand covered 5 mins. before serving.
(Dinah likes to cook 1/2-1 cup stuffed green olives in with the rice.)
 
 

TORTILLA ESPANOL

Peel and slice fine:

3-4 medium potatoes

Sautee in hot oil til light gold on both sides. Remove and drain.
Shred thin:

2 Onions 

Sautee til translucent. Remove,drain, and combine with onions. 
Blend the following in a bowl:

4 eggs
2-3 Tbs Dry White Wine
about 1/4 cup Water; add gradually til smooth

Run oil up around the sides of a clean frying pan. Cover bottom with
layer of potato/onion mix and coat with eggs. Repeat to top of pan.
Cook over low heat 5 minutes. Place a plate over top of pan and flip over, then slide contents back into pan and cook some more. Repeat til both sides of tortilla are golden brown (about 15 minutes).
 
 

CHORIZOS EN CIDRA GALICIANOS

Sautee 2-3 minutes in 3 Tbs preheated Olive Oil:

2 Cups Chorizo Sausage cut in chunks

Add and sautee 1 minute, stirring frequently:

2 Cups Pears, peeled and chunked

Add, cover and simmer 10 minutes:

1 cup Apple Cider (unfiltered if possible)

Add and simmer uncovered 10 minutes, stirring occasionally:

1/2 tsp Salt
1 slice Lemon

Serve as a topping or side dish to rice, or as tapas with toothpicks.
Good hot and cold.
 
 

MS. CASTIEL'S MARINATED BABY SARDINES

Carefully scale:

1 lb. fresh Sardines, none larger that 3 inches

With a sharp knife, split the fish. Remove innards and bones by pulling spine from head to tail. Remove heads and tails. Wash and pat fillets dry with paper towels. Flatten fish in a glass or ceramic dish, skin sides down. Drizzle with half the juice of:

6 lemons

Cover and refrigerate 4 hours. Drain off all liquid, and drizzle with remaining lemon juice. Drain again, refrigerate until ready to serve. Drain once more and arrange the sardines on a platter. Sprinkle with:

2 cloves Garlic, chopped
1/4 cup Parsley, chopped rough
1 tsp Black Pepper, crushed

Drizzle with:

1/4 cup Olive Oil

Set aside for 20 minutes and then serve. Nothing fishy in how they taste.
 
 

ENSALADA DE COHOMBROS

Blend the following as dressing:

2-3 cloves Garlic, chopped fine
1/4 cup chopped Onion
1/4 tps black pepper
3/4 Tbs Olive Oil
3-4 Tbs Honey

Cut and mix in a bowl:

12 Cherry Tomatoes, halved
1 Green Bell Pepper, chopped coarse
4 Cucumbers, chopped or sliced

Add dressing and toss.
 
 

MOM'S SHEPHERD'S PIE

In a large skillet, fry 5 minutes:

1 Large Onion, chopped
2 Tbs Oil

Stir in:

1 lb. ground Beef
1.5 oz. Flour

Blend and remove from heat. Stir in:

3/4 pt. prepared Gravy

Add:

1 tsp Mixed Herbs
liberal dash Worcestershire Sauce

Cook 10 minutes. In a large saucepan, peel and boil:

1 lb. Potatoes

When potatoes are soft, mash and add:

2 Tbs milk
1/2 oz. Butter
Salt and Pepper to taste

Blend until smooth. Turn meat into large oven-proof dish. Cover with mashed potatoes and bake 25-30 minutes until crisp and brown.
 
 

DINAH'S SHEPHERD'S PIE A LA PACA

In a large skillet, brown

1 lb. ground Beef

Drain in collander. Pour off grease in skillet and sautee until transluscent:

1 Large Onion, chopped
2 Tbs Oil

Stir in the drained meat. Add to taste (measurements approximate):

3-4 Tbs Cumin
1/2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Pepper
2-3 dashes of Nutmeg

In a cup of water, dissolve:

1-2 cube Beef Bouillon

Add to skillet. In the cup, mix:

1 tsp Cornstarch
1 tsp Water

Stir into the meat. Cook uncovered until sauce thickens. Stir in:

1-2 cups Green Peas 

Cover and simmer 3-5 minutesuntil the peas are tender.
In a large saucepan, peel and boil:

1 lb. Potatoes

When potatoes are soft, drain, mash, and add:

2 Tbs milk
1/2 oz. Butter
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 dash Nutmeg

Blend until smooth. Make a depression in a large dollop of potatoes on each plate, and fill with the meat and pea mixture.
 
 

GAZPACHO

Blend in food processor:

3-4 tsp Olive Oil
2-3 Cloves Garlic
1/4 tsp Pepper
2-3 Tbs Honey

Add and chop fine:

1/4 cup Onion

Add and chop coarse or to taste:

12 Plum Tomatoes
1/2 Green Bell Pepper
3 Cucumbers

Refrigerate and serve chilled. Keeps about a week in sealed container.