Tchoutchouka: Moroccan Roasted Pepper and Tomato Salad

With a husband who doesn’t eat green peppers and a daughter who doesn’t eat anything green (with the exception of green candy, of course) I had the entire tchoutchouka to myself. Talk about excitement. I would love for them to include the joy of green peppers in their life but I must admit that, secretly, I was happy I had no competition. Next time, I will be less selfish and make it with red peppers so they, too, can experience the wonders of this marvelous dish.

Tchouktchouka is as traditional a Moroccan dish as traditional can get. I kept the recipe authentic and unchanged in honor of generations and generations of cooks who made it the same way in every big town, small hamlet, and nameless village on the map of Morocco.

Dip your bread in it, serve it as a side dish, sandwich spread or Moroccan-style bruschetta on crusty whole-grain bread. It is guaranteed delicious any way you choose to eat it and well worth a try!





















Tchoutchouka Recipe

4 servings

2 medium green bell peppers
2 medium tomatoes, peeled and diced
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
½ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon ground paprika

Roast the peppers by charring them directly on the stove, turning them occasionally, until the skin is blackened and blistered all over, about 10 minutes. Place the peppers in a paper bag and close it, for about 15 minutes, to allow the peppers to sweat and their skin to become softer. Peel the skin off the peppers using your fingers. Discard the stem and seeds. Finely dice the peppers. Set aside.

Place the tomatoes in a medium skillet with olive oil. Add the garlic and season the tomatoes with salt, pepper, cumin and paprika. Cook the tomatoes until they become soft and turn into somewhat of a thick, chunky sauce, 10 to 15 minutes. Mix in the diced peppers and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes.

Serve with bread or crackers.

Couscous Stuffing

Moroccans make the most delicious stuffing. They obviously don’t celebrate Thanksgiving --I hope this doesn’t shock anyone :)--, but they like to stuff their birds for holidays and other festive occasions. Turkey is not typically cooked whole so they prefer to stuff smaller birds such as pigeons or small cornish hens called “coquelets”.

This is also a wonderful a side dish to prepare anytime.


Happy Thanksgiving!

Couscous Stuffing Recipe

8 servings

3 cups water
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons honey
½ cup chopped almonds or pecans
½ cup golden raisins
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground ginger

2 cups uncooked instant couscous (about 2 "10-oz" boxes)

Place the water, butter, honey, almonds or pecans, raisins,parsley, salt, cinnamon and ginger (the first 9 ingredients)in a medium saucepan and bring to just a boil. Add the couscous and remove from the heat. Cover with a lid and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Stuff your bird or serve alongside it.

Caramelized Pumpkin

All of my Halloween pumpkin went into this dish. A Moroccan-inspired caramelized pumpkin recipe. The pumpkin is steamed then lightly caramelized with honey and flavored with cinnamon and orange blossom water. It can be made with butternut squash as well and is perfect for Thanksgiving or any occasion as a side dish.

Miam Miam!


Caramelized Pumpkin Recipe

4 servings

4 cups cubed pumpkin (about 2 pounds)
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon orange blossom water
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper


Steam the pumpkin until tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

Heat the honey and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the pumpkin, cinnamon or pumpkin spice and orange blossom water. Season with salt and pepper and cook until lightly caramelized, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.