Thursday, July 31, 2008

0 Ras El Hanout Spice Blend Recipe


There are many different ways of making a traditional Ras El Hanout Moroccan spice blend.

Here I make my version of Ras El Hanout using a mixture of fennel, clove, cayenne peper, black pepper, cumin, coriander, ginger, paprika, cardamon, turmeric and cinnamon.

You can use this spice blend recipe for marinating and cooking chicken or vegetables.

See my Moroccan chicken recipe here that uses my Ras El Hanout recipe.





Ingredients for Jeenas Ras El Hanout Recipe
1/2 tsp Fennel Seeds
1 Clove

1 + 1/2 tsp Cumin Powder

1 + 1/2 tsp Coriander Powder

1/8 tsp Black Pepper Powder

1 tsp Paprika
1 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1 tsp Ginger Powder

1/4 tsp Cardamon Powder
1/2 tsp Cinnamon Powder
1/2 tsp Turmeric

note...If you want a more mild spice blend use 1/2 -1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper instead of one teaspoon.


How to make Ras El Hanout Spice Blend Jeena Style


Place all ingredients into an electric grinder and blend into a powder. You can use a pestle and mortar it will take a lot longer to grind than the electric grinder.



0 Moroccan Chicken Recipe


Tonight we ate my easy Moroccan chicken recipe and it tasted fantastic.

The fragrant warm Moroccan spices mingle together with the vegetables and chicken; bursts of intense sweetness from the apricots compliments this North African dish along side the flaked almonds and fresh coriander leaves and soft cooked chickpeas, just wonderful.

I cook the Moroccan sauce first then pour it over some seared chicken breast and oven bake it until the chicken is cooked.

If you love spices combined with natural sweet flavours then you will love my Moroccan chicken recipe.




Ingredients for Jeenas Moroccan Chicken Recipe

2-4 Chicken Breasts
2-3 Carrots (sliced)
1 Onion (chopped)
2 Tomatoes (chopped)
1 Sweet Pointed Red Pepper (chopped)
1 Celery Stick (peeled all over, chopped)
Handful of Slivered/Flaked Almonds
Handful Fresh Coriander Leaves
6 Dried Apricots, I used unsulphured apricots (cut in half)
1 + 1/2 Cup Hot Water
1/2 Stock Cube (chicken or vegetable)
4 tsp Ras El Hanout
2 Garlic cloves (crushed)
1/2 Tin Chickpeas
1 tsp Honey
Olive Oil



How to make Jeenas Moroccan Chicken Recipe


Gently simmer the onions in some olive oil.



After 5 minutes add the onions and garlic, keep simmering.



After 10 minutes when the onions and tomato start to soften add the 4 tsp of Ras El Hanout spice mix.



Add carrots, apricots and sweet red peppers stir well.

Add the stock cube mixed with the hot water, simmer for 15-20 minutes.



Add honey and flaked almonds.



Turn off the heat and pour the Moroccan sauce into a jug or dish.



Sear the chicken breasts in some olive oil on either side for a few minutes.



Place chicken into a large oven dish.



Pour the Moroccan sauce over the chicken and cover with tin foil.

Place into a hot oven at 200C for 20-30 minutes or until chicken has cooked through.



Minutes before the Moroccan chicken is ready to be taken from the oven add the chickpeas so they just heat through.

You add them now because they are pre cooked and you want the chickpeas to be soft in texture and not over cook.



Tear fresh coriander leaves and sprinkle over the Moroccan chicken.



Enjoy Jeenas delicious Moroccan Chicken Recipe with fresh bread, rice or just as it is.




For more chicken recipes see my chicken recipes index page

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

0 Healthy Rye Pizza Recipe

If you like wholewheat pizzas then your will love my rye bread pizza for sure.

I use my healthy rye dough recipe which consists of rye flour, wholewheat flour and flax seed powder for the healthy pizza base; for the topping I use fresh vegetables and brie cheese, if you want to be extra healthy to can omit the cheese and the pizza still tastes great. I find that Brie and Camembert cheese go fabulous on pizza because they melt into an indulgent creamy thick texture rather than stringy.

In the tomato base I add fresh chopped parsley leaves as they are very healthy and high in vitamins and minerals, you can use fresh basil or neither it is suites your taste.

Taste the sweet red peppers and sweet corn with soft melted cheese on my delicious healthy pizza recipe.

Ingredients for Healthy Rye Pizza Recipe
Jeenas Healthy Rye Bread Dough
1 Sweet Red Pointed Pepper (chopped)
1 Tin Sweetcorn or Fresh Corn (drained)
1/2 Leek (washed, sliced fine)
1/2 Cup Tomato Passata/Creamed Tomatoes
1 tsp Tomato Puree
Bunch Fresh Parsley/Basil
Fresh Brie Cheese
Salt and Pepper

Picture of fresh parsley leaves.



How to Make Jeenas Healthy Rye Bread Pizza Recipe



Take a piece of rye bread dough and roll into a thin flat circle slightly bigger than your pizza tray.



Grease and flour a pizza oven tray and place the rolled out rye dough onto the pizza tray.



In a small bowl place creamed tomatoes with fresh parsley. add the puree and mix well.

You want the tomato sauce to be quite thick, this is to prevent the pizza base becoming to moist.



Spread the tomato and parsley sauce onto the bottom of the pizza base.

Do not use too much tomato sauce as you do not want the pizza base to be too soggy once cooked.



Evenly sprinkle the chopped leeks.



Add the chopped peppers.




Then the sweetcorn.

Make sure the sweetcorn is not damp when adding it onto the pizza, dab try with kitchen towel before placing the tinned sweetcorn onto the pizza, this is to that the pizza does not become to moist.



Break pieces of brie cheese and evenly place onto the pizza.




Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper (optional).



Place into a hot oven at 220C for 10 minutes or until pizza crust it golden and cheese has melted.



Enjoy Jeenas delicious healthy rye bread pizza recipe with healthy oven chips and chilli sauce or eat as it is.


 
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