Morocc' and Roll

As someone with roots from Mediterranean Europe, it is easy for me to fall into the trap of always cooking food using the same types of ingredients and styles. Recently I took a detour south, making a meal with Northern African influences. The eclectic mix of spices required tested out the depth of my cupboard as well as produced some of the most amazing smells my tiny kitchen has ever had the pleasure of having. I suggest to any cooks out there to try out these cuisines as they will certainly re-energize your creativity in the kitchen.  

I made Curried-Yogurt Chicken with Moroccan-Style Zucchini and Lentils. To see the recipe I used for lentils, check out one of my prior posts here.

                                              Ingredients (serves 2):

For the chicken:                      For the zucchini:

                                     4 chicken cutlets             2 zucchini

                                     6 oz. yogurt                    1 chopped tomato

                                     2 tbsp. olive oil              1 chopped clove garlic 

                                     2 tsp. curry powder         1/2 lemon juiced

                                     1/2 lemon zested            1 tsp. ground cumin

                                     1 tbsp. parsley                1/2 tsp. cinnamon

                                     1/2 cup chopped basil     1 tsp. paprika

                                     sea salt & black pepper    1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

                                                                          1 tbsp. olive oil 

                                                                          sea salt

1. Prepare the chicken marinade. Add the yogurt, olive oil, curry powder, lemon zest, parsley, and basil to a mixing bowl. Mix for 1 to 2 minutes until all of the ingredients are evenly worked in.

2. Season your chicken with sea salt and black pepper before adding to the bowl with the marinade. Mix in the chicken so that it looks as below, and let it sit in the refrigerator for an hour or two.

3. Prepare your zucchini marinade. Add the chopped garlic, lemon juice, cumin, cinnamon, paprika, red pepper, and olive oil to a mixing bowl. Mix for 1 to 2 minutes until all of the ingredients are evenly worked in.  It should be a nice paste.

4. Halve your zucchini stalks horizontally then slice into quarters. You should have nice sized wedges. Season with sea salt and add to the bowl with the marinade.

5. Mix in the zucchini so that it looks as below then add the chopped tomato.

6. Preheat and oven to 400 degrees, and add the chicken and the zucchini, in separate cooking trays, at the same time. If you are using chicken thicker than cutlets, you will want to start cooking it before the zucchini.

7. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes. Then serve with your lentils. Enjoy!