Chef Abby in Morocco!

Home cooked meals from the hostel in Morocco

During my two months living in Anza, a quiet coastal neighborhood just outside of Agadir, I ended up doing a lot of cooking. Eating out was cheap, but sometimes you just want a home cooked meal, or in my case, you just want to cook. I took my time in the kitchen here. Maybe it’s something in the air — a slower paced lifestyle means nothing is rushed, so you can actually take your time in the kitchen and enjoy yourself.

One of my favorite parts of the day quickly became going to the souk. To be honest, I’ve never liked grocery stores (my family and roommates can definitely confirm this), so the outdoor souk was such a refreshing change of pace. It became part of my daily rhythm: deciding what to cook, walking to the souk, and picking up fresh veggies, beans, pasta, or whatever I needed for the night’s meal. I love the feeling of walking into the souk with an idea of a meal and building off it based on what I can actually get my hands on, it feels like a never-ending farmers market.

I also noticed a few differences in how people eat here compared to what I’m used to in the States. For one, there’s a lot less meat. Don't get me wrong they still eat a fair bit of it, but it’s usually only once a day. There’s a bigger focus on cooked vegetables, legumes, bread, and oil. And in seaside towns like Anza, lots of fresh fish.

Most of all, though, the food is fresh. Need tomato sauce? You buy tomatoes and grate them. Want peas? You sit and shell them. Beans? Unless you’re going to the supermarket, you won’t find them canned, but you will find big sacks of dried beans in nearly every shop at the souk.

Because of the ingredients available (or not available), my cooking ended up looking pretty different from what I usually make, but honestly, I loved it. Everything was fresh and simple, and I came up with some damn good recipes that I’m excited to share (and also document so I don’t forget how to make them later!).

All of the recipes below serve between 2-3 people because another thing about Morocco is they love to share food here. So I always make an extra plate or two incase someone walks through the door.

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Creamy Lemon & Chickpea Pasta

A bright, fresh pasta dish made from scratch with caramelized onions, zucchini, lemon, and chickpeas. I also made a few different variations of this pasta with different types of beans and vegetables, for example one night we had it with lentils and broccoli, which was also delish!

Ingredients:

• 3/4 raw chickpeas

• One large white onion

• Four cloves garlic

• Two small zucchini

• 1/2 cup raw peas (or frozen)

• One lemon

• Fresh parsley

• Three tbsp cream cheese

• Pasta (enough for three servings)

Method:

1. About two hours before cooking, wash and boil the dried chickpeas. Check periodically for firmness and that the water level is good. Once they’re tender, drain, lightly smash them with a potato masher or the bottom of a mug, and discard any loose skins.

2. Shell the peas while the chickpeas cook (or don’t if you’re using frozen).

3. Slice the onion root to stem into thin slices. Add to a large frying pan with a bit of olive oil over medium-low heat and begin to caramelize. Stir occasionally and add a splash of water if they start to dry out or burn.

4. While the onions are caramelizing, slice the zucchini into thin semi-circles.

5. Once the onions are nearly done, add in minced garlic and cook until soft and fragrant.

6. Boil the pasta, and save some pasta water.

7. Remove the onions and garlic from the pan and set aside. Add a bit more oil to the pan, turn the heat to high, and sear the zucchini slices until browned on both sides.

8. Lower the heat, then add the caramelized onions, garlic, peas, chickpeas, juice of one lemon, a bit of zest, and the cream cheese to the pan. Stir to combine. If the sauce feels too thick, add a splash of reserved pasta water to loosen.

9. Add in the pasta and some fresh chopped parsley, season with salt and pepper, mix and then enjoy!

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Chickpea Tuna “Ceviche”

In my opinion, this might be the best meal for a summer day. It’s light, refreshing, cooling, but still super nourishing and satisfying. If you like bell peppers, definitely throw some in here too! The only reason I don’t is because I am allergic (sad).

Ingredients:

• One cup dried chickpeas

• 300g canned tuna (in water or olive oil)

• One cucumber

• One ripe mango

• Two tomatoes

• One small red onion

• Two small avocados

• One lemon

• Handful of fresh cilantro

• Olive oil

• Salt and pepper to taste

• Optional: one small spicy pepper

Method:

1. Rinse and then boil the chickpeas for about 2 hours, or until tender. Drain and let cool.

2. Dice the cucumber, mango, tomatoes, and avocado into small cubes. Finely mince the red onion and optional spicy pepper.

3. In a large bowl, combine the cooled chickpeas, drained tuna, chopped veggies and mango, lemon juice, chopped cilantro, and a good drizzle of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

4. Enjoy chilled or at room temp. It’s perfect on its own, or you can use it as a dip with bread or chips.

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Moroccan “Omelette”

This is not an omelette. But I think it's better than an omelette, mostly because I dont really like my eggs scrambled. In Morocco, if you order an omelette at a restaurant, this is what shows up served with some warm bread on the side to scoop it up. It is kind of similar to shakshuka (which I love), but a little fresher and less spiced. Nonetheless, still cozy, simple and satisfying.

Ingredients:

• Three tomatoes

• One medium onion

• Four cloves garlic

• Six eggs

• Salt and pepper

• Optional: cumin and paprika for extra flavor

• Fresh parsley (for garnish)

Method:

1. Grate the tomatoes into a bowl, discard the skins.

2. Dice the onion and mince the garlic. In a pan with some olive oil, cook the onion and your spices of choice over medium heat until soft. Add in the garlic and sauté until fragrant.

3. Add the grated tomatoes to the pan and let the mixture cook down for about 5 minutes, until it thickens slightly.

4. Make little wells in the tomato mixture and crack the eggs directly into the pan. Cover with a lid and let them poach until the whites are just set and the yolks are still a bit runny (or however you like them).

5. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and enjoy with plenty of fresh bread.

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Fresh Lentil Salad

I know what you’re thinking — this girl again, always with the lentils. But listen, lentils are so good. You won’t change my mind. But this recipe might change yours. It’s earthy, refreshing, and bright, with the freshly grated carrot bringing this perfect touch of sweetness and crunch. Like all of the best salads, this one has no lettuce, plus it gets better with time in the fridge.

Ingredients:

• One cup dried brown lentils

• Two large carrots

• One large cucumber

• One small red onion

• One lemon

• Parsley, cilantro, mint (one large handful of each)

Method:

1. Wash and boil the lentils for around 45 minutes or until tender, then drain and set aside. You want the lentils to still have some firmness to them so they don’t fall apart in the salad.

2. Grate the carrots.

3. Peel the cucumber and cut into small cubes.

4. Finely chop the red onion and fresh herbs.

5. Add everything to a bowl.

6. Dress with olive oil, the juice and zest of one lemon, salt, and pepper. Mix it all together and let it sit for 10–15 minutes (or even overnight) so the flavors can seep into the lentils.