Moroccan Squash, Broccoli and Bulgar

I went to see a preview showing of The Queen this afternoon. I enjoyed the film, sitting in the darkened theatre by myself, drinking hot green tea from the concession while Helen Mirren's character complained of her tea going cold.

After spending the afternoon in a dark theatre, I was hungry for a warm, flavourful dinner. Moroccan. Moroccan cuisine is known for spices- cinnamon, coriander, cumin, ginger, turmeric and saffron. For a richer flavour, try using whole coriander and cumin seeds by toasting for a few minutes to release the oils and then grind using a molter and pestle or coffee grinder.

Couscous is another well-known Moroccan dish. For this recipe, you can couscous or bulgar as I have done. Also, I added blanched broccoli and finished with a generous drizzle of olive oil.


Moroccan Squash, Broccoli and Bulgar
(adapted from Deborah Madison's The Savory Way)

Ingredients
1 tbsp butter
1/4 cup scallions, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground corindar
1/4 chili powder
1 pound squash (any variety) cubed into bite-size pieces
1 cup bulgar
1 cup broccoli, cut into bite-size pieces
2-3 tablespoons water
olive oil

Directions
Preheat oven to 350

On the stove top over a medium heat, melt butter in a casserole dish. Saute scallions until translucent and golden. Add minced garlic, paprika, ground cumin, ground coriander, seeds and chili powder.

Add squash and a few tablespoons of water to add a little moisture. When the water begins to boil and the ingredients are brown, cover the dish with tinfoil and transfer into the oven for 30 minutes or until the squash is soft.

Meanwhile, cook bulgar and blanch or steam the broccoli. When the squash, bulgar and broccoli are all ready, toss together and finish by drizzling with olive oil. This is simple and delicious to eat.