Moroccan Beef
These past few weeks I have been craving all sorts of foods, most likely because I am limited in going out for some of my favorite things like tacos, Thai food, or heck even some down and dirty Chinese buffet. My diet is not as much limited but I am limited as to where I can go as I continue to tackle this thing called cancer. I’ve been through this routine once before where I know what I can and cannot do, and that my taste buds might be a bit jacked, along with the overall energy to get things on the table, but I have been doing rather well and getting in what I can each and every meal. Lately I was in the mood for all things vinegar and garlic and hence why I was making things like Filipino adobo, and fried bangus for breakfast, and then came the craving for things like Indian curried lentils, among other unique and wonderful flavors.
As we are trying to use what we have around us and limit our shopping to some degree, it has become my daily challenge in a sense to come up with something new (and sometimes not) and exciting for everyone to hopefully enjoy. Not only that my levels in my blood work were screaming some nutrients that I was not getting, and hence a play on this dish. This is when I decided to make some Moroccan beef as it almost reminded me of a Filipino breakfast I once had known as a torta but with a few extra ingredients.
Let’s get started.
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 lbs ground chuck
- 2 carrots, peeled, diced
- 1 rib of celery, diced
- 2 russet potatoes, peeled, cubed, cooked al dente
- 1/2 cup green lentils, cooked al dente
- 2 shallots, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup dried apricots
- 1 tbsp berebere spice
- 1/2 tbsp ground turmeric
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tbsp salt, to taste
- Â 1 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- Cooked jasmine rice, optional
Start by heating a large skillet or pot on medium heat. Toss in the ground chuck and start breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Continue to cook until it no longer pink. Retain the fat in the pan, about 2 tablespoons. If there is more, remove and discard.
Add in the shallots, garlic, carrots, and celery. Give a good stir. Toss in all of the spices and give that a good stir. The seasonings will start to bloom. Cook for a few minutes, then add in the lentils, apricots, and potatoes. Give this another gentle stir, then add in the chicken stock. Another gentle stir.
Give it a taste and see if it requires any additional salt. You should get getting the warm spice from the cinnamon, the color from the turmeric, and the spice from the bebere. Along with the tender potatoes, lentils, and beef, well you have yourself one very delicious dish. Feel free to try with ground chicken, turkey, or heck just go all vegetables and I’m certain you will still enjoy it.
Moroccan Beef
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs ground chuck
- 2 carrots peeled, diced
- 1 rib of celery diced
- 2 russet potatoes peeled, cubed, cooked al dente
- 1/2 cup green lentils cooked al dente
- 2 shallots diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 cup dried apricots
- 1 tbsp berebere spice
- 1/2 tbsp ground turmeric
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tbsp salt to taste
- 1 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- Cooked jasmine rice optional
Instructions
- Start by heating a large skillet or pot on medium heat. Toss in the ground chuck and start breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Continue to cook until it no longer pink. Retain the fat in the pan, about 2 tablespoons. If there is more, remove and discard.
- Add in the shallots, garlic, carrots, and celery. Give a good stir. Toss in all of the spices and give that a good stir. The seasonings will start to bloom. Cook for a few minutes, then add in the lentils, apricots, and potatoes. Give this another gentle stir, then add in the chicken stock. Another gentle stir.
- Give it a taste and see if it requires any additional salt. You should get getting the warm spice from the cinnamon, the color from the turmeric, and the spice from the bebere. Along with the tender potatoes, lentils, and beef, well you have yourself one very delicious dish. Feel free to try with ground chicken, turkey, or heck just go all vegetables and I’m certain you will still enjoy it.
