going moroccan...

Surprisingly, when I decided to do a Moroccan theme for tonight's dinner, the hubby liked it a lot! The idea popped into my head when I saw the bag of lentils that I had bought to try a recipe out. I've never tried making lentils before so this seemed like a good recipe to start with. I'm all for quick and simple. :)

Looking over the ingredients list, it kind of reminded me of something I made before. I really liked the flavors but I wasn't too sure if the hubby would. But I decided to say, "Fuck it!" and then thought of what to make with it. So googled "Moroccan" and saw this salmon recipe and decided to give it a go. Made a few changes along the way, but not too much. Pretty tasty and now I have spice to make some hummus! Yay!

Moroccan Baked Salmon
(adapted from SparkRecipes)

For the Spice:
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp paprika
1/2 tbsp smoked paprika
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tbsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp cayenne
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp crushed cardamom
1/2 tsp crushed anise
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds

For the Salmon:
4 oz wild skin-on salmon fillet
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp Moroccan spice

Make the Moroccan Spice:
In a spice grinder or mortar, combine all the "spice mixture" ingredients, grinding well to a powder. Remove 1 tbsp of the mixture for the salmon and store remaining blend in a tightly covered container for later use.

Make the Baked Salmon:
Line a small baking sheet with foil. Combine olive oil and reserved Moroccan spice mixture then spread on flesh side of the salmon and place skin side down on lined sheet. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 450F and bake fish 10-13 minutes, to desired level of doneness. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil before serving.

 

Lentils with Smoked Paprika and Coriander
(adapted from How To Become A Vegan Domestic Goddess)

3/4 cup dried lentils
2 cups water
1 bay leaf
olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup frozen peas
1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large tomato, diced
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp butter
cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
handful of parsley, chopped

Place the lentils in a sauce pan and add the water and the bay leaf. Bring to a boil on high then turn down to the lowest heat. Simmer for 20-25 minutes until al dente. Drain.

Heat some oil in a skillet on medium heat. Add in the onions, ground coriander, and cayenne pepper, cook until fairly translucent. Add in the garlic, cook for 2 minutes then add the tomatoes, salt and pepper. Cook until the tomatoes break down, about 5 minutes. Add in the drained lentils and frozen peas and mix. Throw in the smoked paprika and parsley and mix well. Taste, add in more salt and pepper if needed.

To serve, spoon the lentils in the serving dish and sprinkle more smoked paprika on top.