Here are recipes I mention in the March/April edition of the Kasbah Chronicles. I hope you enjoy them

I love getting feedback, so if you like them or have a question, please contact me or post a request on the page

A bas le corona virus

Kitty’s Fight the Virus Vegetarian Harira with Kale

Serves 8

I use my crockpot!

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 medium onions, sliced

1 (14-ounce) can whole tomatoes

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon turmeric

8 Spanish saffron threads, crushed

½ bunch cilantro

10 sprigs flat-leaf Italian parsley

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

6 cups vegetable broth

1 cup wheat berries, soaked and preferably, pre-cooked

1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans

4 cups chopped kale leaves (or chard)

Wedges of lemon

In a slow cooker or soup pot, heat the oil and cook the onions until wilted.

In a blender or food processor, process in increments until fairly smooth, the tomatoes, ginger, cinnamon, turmeric, saffron, cilantro, parsley, salt, and pepper. Add this mixture to the onions and bring to a boil. Add the broth and wheat berries and cook until tender.

About 20 minutes before serving, add undrained garbanzo beans and kale.

Serve in large soup bowls. Squeeze a little lemon juice into each bowl. Leftover harira freezes very well.

Adapted from 365 Ways to Cook Vegetarian by Kitty Morse

You will also find variations of this recipe using lamb in Cooking at the Kasbah: Recipes from my Moroccan Kitchen (Chronicle Books 1999) and Mint Tea and Minarets: A Banquet of Moroccan Memories (La Caravane 2014.)

Kitty’s  What’s in my Fridge

Kale Soup with zucchini and onion

Leftover roasted zucchini

3 boiled baby potatoes

1 cooked sweet potato

4 to 6 leaves Kale or Swiss chard, broken up

½ onion

Make 2 cups broth with BETTER THAN BOUILLON!

In a small pan, cook all ingredients except bouillon until tender. Let cool.

Blend until smooth, adding bouillon in increments. Salt and pepper to taste

Kale with Chermoula:

Serves 2 or 3

Adapted from From Cooking at the Kasbah: recipes from my Moroccan Kitchen, p. 59

I  blanch the leaves for a minute or two. I strain them and let them cool. Using scissors, I chop them into small strips. Then, I am ready for action! Kale ( or chard, or mallow (bokkola in Morocco, or spinach)  with Chermoula. This is a dish dear to Moroccan hearts.

1 bunch baby kale

5 or 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons sweet Hungarian paprika

Preserved lemon rind, finely diced, to taste (refer to my video on YouTube)

½ cup water

Blanch the kale, and strain. Cut into thin strips.

In a small pan or skillet over medium heat, combine olive oil, garlic, cumin and paprika. Stir to blend and do not burn or the spices will turn bitter. Add kale and water. Cover and cook until kale is very tender, 15 to 20 mns. Add diced preserved lemon rind to taste, and a pinch of salt, if necessary. Stir again. Remove from heat. Serve at room temperature.

Easy Overnight Vegetarian Lasagna

Adapted from 365 Ways to Cook Vegetarian by Kitty Morse

Prep:  35 minutes

 Cook:  1 hour 30 minutes 

Stand: 8 to 24 hours

Serves about 6

You can prepare this the day before and refrigerate until cooking time.

I sometimes spread fresh or creamed spinach or fresh diced tomatoes over the zucchini.

Note: I like to mix red sauce and white sauce. I sometimes add dabs of basil pesto on my layers (Costco has a delicious)

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 large onions, diced

1 red bell pepper, seeded, and cut into strips

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 cups prepared spaghetti sauce

1/2 cup red wine

1 (14 1/2-ounce) can Italian-style diced tomatoes

2 cups sliced button mushrooms

1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon dried oregano

9 to 10 uncooked lasagne

4 medium (about 4 cups) peeled zucchini, very thinly sliced

Shredded parmesan cheese

1. In a 6-quart Dutch oven, heat olive oil. Cook onion, pepper, and garlic over medium heat, stirring occasionally until softened, 3 to 4 minutes.
2. Add spaghetti sauce, wine, stewed tomatoes, and mushrooms. Cover and cook over medium heat, 15 to 20 minutes.  Remove from heat. Add parsley and salt and pepper.
3. Cover bottom of a lightly oiled 9×13-inch baking dish with a thin layer of sauce. Arrange 1/3 lasagne over sauce.  Top noodles evenly with zucchini slices.  Cover zucchini with a little sauce.  Repeat procedure in the same order until all ingredients are used. Cover final layer with sauce.  Sprinkle with cheese

You should have 3 layers of lasagna. Cover tightly with aluminum foil, and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.

4. Preheat oven to 350°F. Bring dish to room temperature. Bake, covered, for 1 hour and 30 minutes.  Let stand 15 minutes before cutting.

Bon appétit!