Feasting with the Family

Our big family dinner this trip was Moroccan style again. It's just so tasty, I never get tired of it. We had lemon olive chicken (with the olives on the side for Abi and dad), couscous with veggies, and b'stilla. Jami and I were cooking for 3 hours, but it was so worth it.

For dessert, we made baklava with toasted pecans and a thin honey syrup. Served with vanilla bean ice cream and fresh figs drizzled with honey, it was a perfectly refreshing summer dessert.




Baklava

2 cups pecan bits, toasted
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp cinnamon
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup honey
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
1 roll of phylodough, thawed
1/4 cup butter, melted

Toast the pecans in the oven at 350F for about 6 minutes, or till fragrant. Cool completely, then process with sugar and cinnamon but only to a coarse grind. Meanwhile, stir the 3/4 cup sugar and water together and set over low heat till bubbly to make a thin sugar syrup. Stir in the honey, cinnamon and allspice. Let this cool.

Melt the butter. With a brush and working quickly, brush the bottom and sides of the baking dish. Lay in 3-5 sheets of phylodough and brush generously with butter again. Sprinkle in 1/3 of the pecans. Repeat till the phyllo and pecans are used up. Brush the top layer with butter, and score completely through into lozenge shapes with a very sharp knife.

 Bake at 350F for 25 min with tinfoil laid losely over it, then 15 without the foil. Remove from the oven when golden and allow to sit for just a moment before pouring the sugar-honey syrup slowly over it. Allow to cool for atleast 20 minutes before cutting and serving.

We had coconut prawns and take-out spring rolls from Thai Cuisine one of the last nights before the kids and I returned to California. They were pretty easy, and very tasty.

Coconut Prawns

20 prawns, cleaned and tail on
1/2 cup corn starch
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground ginger
2 eggs, beaten well
1 cup unsweetened coconut shavings
Oil for frying - about 1/2 inch deep in the pan works well

Mix the corn starch and spices and put in one bowl. Beat the eggs in another. Put the coconut shavings in a third bowl. Drege the shrimp then dip in the beaten egg. Finally roll them in the coconut and fry till golden. Serve hot with sweet chili sauce.