Recipe: Magical Moroccan Vegetable Jewel Stew in a Mug + Crispy Couscous

Magical Moroccan Vegetable Jewel Stew in a Mug + Crispy Couscous

Happy & Healthy Cooking,

Fun-Da-Mentals Kitchen Skills

• chop :

  to cut something into small, rough pieces using a blade.

• microwave :

  to heat or cook food or liquid quickly in a microwave oven, which uses high-frequency electromagnetic waves to generate heat in the food's water molecules.

• season :

  to add flavor to food with spices, herbs, and salt.

History of Stew!

• Humans have been making stew since ancient times! Food historians say there is evidence of a stew made in Japan sometime during the Jōmon period (14,000-300 BCE). Tribes from the Amazon Rainforest used turtle shells to cook stew over a fire. Other cultures used the shells of mollusks to boil their stew.
• A stew is a combination of solid foods, usually tough meats and vegetables, cooked on the stove or in the oven in a liquid, like water or stock, sometimes with added wine, at low temperature for one to three hours. The meat becomes tender, and gravy is created due to the slow cooking process, making the stew thick and hearty.
• Brown stews are made with seared red meat, browned and diced vegetables, browned flour, brown stock, and sometimes red wine. The diced vegetables are called a "mirepoix" (MEER-pwah), part of French cuisine, typically consisting of carrots, celery, and onions. A stew may also include legumes, noodles, rice, or potatoes.
• White stews can be called "blanquettes" or "fricassées" and consist of lightly seared but not browned lamb, poultry, or veal cooked in a white stock. Diced, braised vegetables with light color, like celery, cucumber, green lettuce, parsnips, or potatoes may be added. 
• Many countries have stews in their cuisine. France has "beef bourguignon" or "beef Burgundy," a dish of beef stewed in burgundy wine. They also have a fish stew called "bouillabaisse." Vietnam has "bo kho," a richly-seasoned beef stew. "Feijoada" is a bean, beef, and pork stew from Brazil and Portugal. "Főzelék" is a thick vegetable soup from Hungary. South India has a stew made with lentils and vegetables called "sambar."
• What's the difference between soup and stew? Soups are typically cooked in less time and are thinner in consistency than thick stews.

Let's Learn About Morocco!

• The Kingdom of Morocco is in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa. It shares an eastern border with Algeria and its southern border with the disputed area of the Western Sahara. Morocco claims Western Sahara as its own and refers to the area as its Southern Provinces. The Mediterranean Sea borders Morocco on the north and the Atlantic Ocean on the west. 
• How big is Morocco? It is 172,300 square miles, a little bigger than the state of California in the United States. If you include the disputed Southern Provinces, it is 274,460 square miles. 
• There are almost 38 million people in Morocco. The majority of Moroccans are either Arabs or Berbers. The Berbers are indigenous people from Northern Africa and call themselves "Amazigh" or "the free people."
• The official languages are Standard Arabic and Amazigh (or Tamazight). Spoken languages include Moroccan Arabic, Hassaniya Arabic, other Berber languages, and French. French is used in business, official government documents, and international relations but is not an official language.
• Rabat is Morocco's capital city, and Casablanca is its largest city. You may be familiar with Casablanca from the 1942 film by that name. 
• Morocco has a unitary parliamentary semi-constitutional monarchy with a king, prime minister, and parliament.
• Most of the country has hot summer Mediterranean and hot desert climates. However, the mountains can have an alpine environment that supports ski resorts, and the moist valleys have lush forests. Morocco's range of climates is similar to Southern California's.  
• The Barbary lion is a national symbol of Morocco. These great, majestic animals used to roam the lands but are now extinct in the wild. There are only a few Barbary lion descendants left in zoos.
• The city of Marrakech is famous for its souks (bazaars or open markets) and is known as the "Capital of Culture" in Africa! It is actually illegal to cut down palm trees in the city of Marrakech, which is why you can find so many palm trees throughout the city.
• Morocco's culture has Arabic, Berber, Jewish, French, and Spanish influences. Its food is a blend of Mediterranean, Moorish, and European cuisines. 
• Argan oil is abundant in Morocco. It comes from seeds of the Argan tree and is also used in many beauty products and food. Funny fact: the goats in Morocco love to climb Argan trees to reach the tasty fruit!
• In May, Morocco hosts a three-day celebration called the Festival of Roses. The streets are filled with rose petals and their scent. A rose queen is crowned, and people celebrate with music, dancing, and delicious food.
• Some Moroccan food staples include lentils, chickpeas and fava beans, couscous, dried fruits, and meat (beef, lamb, and chicken). Spices are essential to their cooking. Mint tea is generally served everywhere and at any time of day!

What's It Like to be a Kid in Morocco?

• If you were a child in Morocco, you would attend school from ages 6 through 15. School is free there and mandatory!
• Football (soccer) is the most popular sport for kids to play. They may also participate in athletics (track and field), basketball, tennis, and swimming. 
• Traditional games include "dinifri" (a Berber game where you build a tower of blocks or other small things that can be stacked and try to prevent them from getting knocked down by the other team), "kick and catch" (try to catch a rag ball multiple times without letting it drop), and "ronda" (a fishing card game). 
• For breakfast, kids may eat "msemen" (Berber flatbread or pancake) with butter and jam or eggs, goat cheese, olives, and Moroccan bread. They may eat beef, chicken, or lamb "tagine" (stew) or "harira" (tomato-based soup with chickpeas and lentils) for lunch or dinner. A popular fast food or snack is "ma'quda" (potato fritter). 
• A few of the Moroccan desserts kids may enjoy include: "kaab el ghzal," or "gazelle ankles," (a crescent-shaped almond cookie), "chebakia" (a rose-shaped pastry with honey and orange blossom water syrup sprinkled with sesame seeds), and "zucre coco" (coconut fudge cake).