low-carb

Spicy Chermoula!

Jennifer Leave a comment

chermoula

While working at Dimes in NYC, I’ve been learning quite a bit. The menu draws inspiration from various types of cuisine. I had never heard of chermoula before, but have had to make it for the restaurant a few times and finally made my own version of it at home. It originates from Morocco and is traditionally used as an herb marinade for fish or seafood. Similar to a pesto or chimichurri, this can be used as a sauce on veggies, eggs, chicken, fish, or mixed into grains or pasta for an instant flavor upgrade 🙂

Spicy Chermoula

Yield: about 1 pint

Ingredients:

4 cloves of garlic

1 habanero pepper, seeded

1 red hot cherry pepper, seeded

1 bunch cilantro

1 bunch parsley

4-5 large curly kale leaves, de-stemmed

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup olive oil

2 teaspoons cumin seed, toasted and ground

1 teaspoon fennel seed, toasted and ground

1/2 teaspoon coriander seed, toasted and ground

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Procedure:

1. Process everything in the food processor. The herbs and kale may have to be added in batches. For a smoother chermoula, use a Vitamix. 2. Adjust olive oil for smoother, looser consistency

Cauliflower Couscous!

Jennifer Leave a comment

cauliflower couscous

While in culinary school, one of my classmates mentioned making a cauliflower fried rice which sounded really interesting. That’s what prompted me to try this unique recipe. Cauliflower is a cancer-fighting crucifer and an excellent source of Vitamins C and K. Even my Mom, who is always skeptical of my healthy food, liked it! Success!

Cauliflower Couscous

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

1 head cauliflower, broken into florets

½ cup almonds, toasted and roughly chopped

1 bunch cilantro, de-stemmed

1 bunch parsley, de-stemmed

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Juice of 1 lemon

ÂĽ cup sliced habanero-stuffed green olives

Salt and pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. In a separate large bowl, make an ice bath.

2. While the water is heating, place some of the cauliflower florets in a food processor. Working in batches, pulse until the cauliflower has broken down into coarse pieces around the same size as couscous.

3. Transfer the cauliflower to a large fine-mesh strainer and carefully submerge into boiling water for 1 minute. Transfer the cauliflower (still in the strainer) to the ice bath until completely cool; remove and drain well. Place the cauliflower onto a clean kitchen towel and squeeze to remove excess moisture.

4. Mince the parsley and cilantro leaves in food processor.

5. In a large bowl, whisk the olive oil, red pepper flakes, and lemon juice. Then add cauliflower, almonds, cilantro, parsley, and olives. Stir together ingredients, breaking up any clumps of cauliflower.