Healthy Moroccan Food

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The North African cuisine of Morocco combines Middle Eastern, Mediterranean and African influences. The meals in Morocco are often healthy since they mix grains, such as couscous and quinoa, with vegetables and meats like lamb and chicken with a variety of spices. Moroccans tend to enjoy meals as a group, and families often spend a great deal of time picking out ingredients, cooking and eating together.....

Moroccan Swiss Chard Salad

Moroccan cooks make Swiss chard salad year-round and particularly during Rosh Hashanah when Moroccans pray over a variety of traditional foods, including squash, pomegranates, the head of a lamb and Swiss chard. Heat olive oil in a pan and saute four cloves of minced garlic. Add two bunches coarsely chopped Swiss chard. Add a dash of salt, 1 tsp. cumin, 1 tsp. paprika and 1 tsp. harissa, a North African hot sauce, and cook for one minute. Add 1/4 cup lemon juice and cook for an additional minute. Toss with 1/3 cup peanuts and sprinkle with freshly ground pepper and salt to taste.

Healthy Moroccan Couscous

A Moroccan meal is not complete until it includes a grain commonly used in northern Africa called couscous. Couscous is a semolina grain Moroccans use similarly as rice is used in Asia. In a medium saucepan, bring 1 1/2 cups chicken broth, 1 tbsp. butter, 1/2 tsp. saffron and 1/4 tsp. salt to a boil. Stir in couscous. Remove from heat, cover tightly, and let stand 10 minutes. In a separate pan saute 1/3 cup sliced carrots for about five minutes. Toss couscous with carrots and 1/4 cup chopped toasted almonds and serve warm.

Moroccan Chicken

The main dishes in Morocco often include chicken or lamb with vegetables and spices. Prepare a traditional Moroccan chicken recipe by adding 1 tbsp. olive oil to a large skillet, heat over medium-low heat, add two slivered cloves garlic and cook about one minute. Add two coarsely chopped tomatoes, 3/4 tsp. ground ginger, 1 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. pepper, 1 tbsp. cilantro and 2 tbsp. water. Bring to a boil and simmer, stirring occasionally for six to eight minutes. Stir in 1 1/2 tbsp. honey, two sliced chicken breasts and two medium chopped zucchini. Cover and simmer. Turn the chicken once. Cook until the chicken is slightly brown on each side and the zucchini is tender.

Moroccan Citrus Fruit Salad

Desserts in Morocco often include citrus fruit, pastries and cream. A healthy spin on a northern African dessert is a citrus fruit salad. Peel four navel oranges and two pink grapefruit. Remove pith from fruit and slice fruit into bite-size pieces. Squeeze juice from pith into a bowl and mix with 3/4 cup fresh orange juice, 3 tbsp. orange flower water, 2 tbsp. honey, a vanilla bean and 1/2 tsp. cinnamon. Pour the juice mixture into a strainer over the fruit and chill for at least two hours. Garnish with mint leaves.