Hello hello! Back from lovely Morocco with a bag full of yummy recipes! Now, if only I could actually cook....:)

------------Moroccan Eggplant Salad-----------------

5 small eggplants, sliced
salt
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp sweet red pepper
1 tsp vinegar or lemon juice
1/2 tsp garlic, chopped
1 Tbsp Italian parsley, chopped
2 lg tomatoes, skinned and minced
lemon quarters

Salt eggplant slices generously and leave to drain for 30 minutes. Rinse well under running water and pat dry on paper towels.

Saute eggplants in oil until just golden. Add salt to taste, along with the peppers and the rest of the ingredients except the lemon quarters. Cook and mash gently for 10 to 12 minutes, or until excess liquids have evaporated. Adjust seasoning. Allow to cool and then
serve garnished with lemon quarters.

(here's the alternative eggplant salad recipe...I havent made either yet, but they both were similar, and sounded correct)

--------------Eggplant Salad II--------------------
1 1/2 lbs aubergines, peeled and cubed
5 garlic cloves, peeled
salt
3 large beef tomatoes, peeled and chopped
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons wine vinegar
1 teaspoon harissa (If you can't find harissa, add 1 tsp paprika and a good pinch of cayenne.)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 bunch parsley, flat leaf

Boil the aubergines and the garlic in a pan of boiling, salted water for 30 minutes or until they are very soft.
Drain, then chop the aubergines with the garlic in a colander, mashing down with a fork, pressing all the water out.
Put the tomatoes into the emptied pan and cook on low heat for 20 minutes, or until reduced to a thck sauce. Stir it occasionally.
Mix with aubergines and the rest of the ingredients.
Season to taste.


-----------------Jus d'Avocat-----------------
1 litre of milk
1 ripe avocado
3 spoons of sugar

Just blend all ingrediants together!

------------------Harira (yummy traditional soup!)----------------------
1 cup whole dried fava beans
1 cup dried garbanzo beans
2 liters water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 cups onions, minced
1/2 lb lamb, cut in small pieces
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons sweet paprika (the best most vibrant you can find)
1/2 teaspoon finely ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon finely ground caraway seeds
3/4 cup tomato paste
1 lemon
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
1/4 cup fresh coriander leaves, chopped
1 cup lentils, soaked for 1 hour 1 in cold water and drained
1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
2-3 teaspoons cooking salt
2 cups vermicelli, broken into 1/4-inch pieces
lemon wedges, for serving

Rinse and pick over fava beans if you can't get these then use dried broad/lima/butter beans and chickpeas. Soak overnight in water to cover. Quick soak method; place beans in large soup pot and add 2 litres hot water. Bring water to a rolling boil for 5 minutes. Turn off heat and soak beans for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Squeeze each fava bean and chickpea between your thumb and first two fingers to remove skins. Set aside.
In large soup pot over medium heat, cook the onions and meat (chicken can be used as well as beef or no meat at all though NEVER pork) stirring occasionally, until onions are soft and translucent.
Add turmeric, ginger, paprika and 2 litres water. Cover and bring to rolling boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, add fava beans, chickpeas and cook, covered, until beans are tender. 1 to 1 1/2 hours depending on your beans.
Finely chop together tomatoes, parsley and cilantro. Add this mixture along with the tomato paste, the lentils, pepper, juice of the lemon and drop in 1/2 of the squeezed lemon and salt to taste. Cover and cook until lentils are tender 20 to 25 minutes.
Bring back to the boil and make a fairly thick slurry (flour and water) with the 1/2 cup of flour. Add this to the boiling soup stirring very briskly to avoid lumps. Boil one minute stirring constantly. Add nutmeg and caraway. Bring the soup to medium heat, you just want a nice slow bubbling.
Add pasta (orzo or small soup pasta can be used as well though I always prefer vermicelli) and cook until soft. Taste and add salt to taste and adjust pepper. When soup is heated through, ladle harira into individual soup bowls. Serve immediately with lemon wedges, Moroccan flat bread ("My Rough Khoubz works well) or crusty french baguette. This soup should be velvety, not overly thick.
Prep time does not include soaking the beans.

---------Grilled Green Pepper and Tomato Salad---------------
4 green peppers
8 large ripe tomatoes
4 spring onions, chopped (scallions)
2 tablespoons olive oil
lemon juice, the equivalent of 1 lemon
1 pinch ground cumin, to taste
salt & freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
black olives, to garnish

Preheat the oven to 200C, 400F, gas mark 6; when the temperature has been reached, roast the peppers and tomatoes for 30 minutes until tender.
Skin the tomatoes and remove the seeds; remove the skins from the peppers (to loosen the skins, put the peppers in a plastic bag and seal it; after 5 minutes you can remove the skins easily with a knife); cut tomatoes and peppers into small cubes.
Mix the peppers, tomatoes and spring onions with the olive oil, lemon juice and cumin; season with salt and pepper.
Sprinkle with chopped parsley and garnish with olives