Egg Roll from Morocco + Crowd Pleaser Thai Curry
life is hard; food doesn't have to be #80 [vol3, 1.4]
I’ve cooked enough for picky eaters to know that the name of the meal can make or break the deal even before they ever take a bite. When my kids asked, “What’s for dinner?” I said, “Egg Roll in a Bowl with a Mediterranean Saucy Twist.”
After his first bite, my oldest said, “This tastes like something from…what’s that movie named after the city?”
Morocco? Yes, that’s it!
Then we had fun coming up with names for this dish: Taco from Morocco and Egg Roll from Morocco were the top winners.
Regardless what you call it, try this dish. All my kids liked it. My daughter took it to school in a thermos 3 days in a row.
I used a whole red cabbage. Certainly interchange for green. Or buy a bag of pre-cut coleslaw (2 bags if you use 2 pounds of meat).
As the name implies, this is a Mediterranean twist on an Asian classic. All ingredients and portions are merely suggestions. Play with it and find what you like!
Ingredients:
1 T oil, like avocado or toasted sesame
1 medium onion, chopped
3+ cloves of garlic, minced
1.5-2 lb lean ground beef, venison, lamb, turkey, chicken or pork
Head of cabbage, shredded or 2 bags of coleslaw mix
2 shredded carrots, optional
Any veggies that need using in the fridge like roasted sweet potatoes, peppers or eggplant
In a small bowl measure spices - some or all of the the following:
2 t ground cumin
2 t smoked paprika
1 t cinnamon
1 t coriander
½ t black pepper
½ t ground ginger or fresh & grated
Salt to taste, sprinkle a bit as you go, about 2t
Also
6 oz can tomato paste
¼-½ c broth or water, depends on how saucy you like
optional garnishes: sliced radish, sesame seeds, green onions, cilantro, hot sauce
Instructions
In a large pot or wok, saute onion in tablespoon of oil until translucent. Add minced garlic then ground meat. Generously salt the meat and sauté until nearly cooked through. Add the spices. Once they’re incorporated, add tomato paste and broth or water.
Add cabbage and shredded carrots (or coleslaw mix) and continue to cook about 15 minutes until cabbage has shrunk by half. If your pan is smaller, add handfuls of the cabbage at a time until they are cooked. Add more liquid as needed. Taste and adjust spices. Probably needs more salt.
Zinc in Beef
Some of us are taking supplemental zinc in these crazy days to strengthen our bodies against a virus that shall not be named. Did you know that 3oz of ground beef gives you as much as 40% of the recommended amount of zinc?
Not all meat is created equal. The nutrition of meat very much depends on the growing conditions of the animal. Is the animal locked up in a barn and given grain exclusively? Does it have room to roam in fresh air and sunshine with a varied diet? Nutrient density is a common refrain in these letters so it is no surprise that I say again: buy meat from a farmer you know.
Grocery store meat is better than processed meat in a package (hot dogs, Spam, etc.) But best of all is meat directly from the farmer.
Crowd Pleaser Thai Curry
This week I made lunch for 30 hungry high school swimmers. I didn’t keep an official tally but it seemed that every person who walked in the room said, “Oh man! This smells amazing.” A few extra teachers even peeped their heads in the room and said, “What is going on in here?!”
Even if your people say “we don’t like curry” please try this dish ONE TIME. Maybe don’t call it curry. It’s different from Indian curry, which is usually yellow.
I’ve used this little jar with both stew beef and chicken breasts/thighs.
Here’s an easy recipe:
Ingredients
2+ pounds stew beef, boneless chicken breasts or thighs
1-2 cans full fat coconut milk, depends on how saucy you like
jar of Thai Kitchen roasted red curry paste (the green is good too, they taste very similar in my opinion but the red is prettier on the plate.)
giant onion, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
1-2 lbs sweet potatoes or carrots, chopped in 2” chunks
optional nutrition: after everything has cooked and just before serving, toss in a handful of something green like (frozen) green beans or a giant handful of spinach. Both will cook enough in the hot liquid just before serving.
optional: replace one can of coconut milk with broth. Be sure to use at least one can of coconut milk though.
Note: When cooking for 30, I cut the chicken in bite sized pieces for easier serving. When I make this for my family, after it is cooked, I use a fork to tear the meat apart. It’s not exactly shredding but it does come apart easily.
Serve over rice and garnish with cilantro and green onions.
Instructions
Slow cooker: dump everything in. Go low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-6.
InstantPot: dump everything in. High pressure for 12 minutes. If using stew beef, sear first (optional and brings mega flavor), then high pressure with onions, garlic and 1c broth for 12 minutes. Quick release then add everything else and high pressure again for 5 minutes.
Oven: stir everything into a 2 quart baker with lid or 9x13 covered with foil. Bake 60 minutes at 350* or until sweet potatoes are tender.
I used the oven method when cooking for the swimmers and had refrigerated the pans overnight. I didn’t account for the extra cold temp from the fridge and it just about ruined the timing of lunch! If you combine the ingredients beforehand, add an extra 30 minutes to cook time or be sure to bring everything to room temp before cooking.
Life is hard, food doesn’t have to be.
Julie
PS - forward this email to a friend who needs an easy recipe this weekend. Here’s an easy sheet pan dinner or 3 nourishing & easy soups + a breakfast that’s like dessert.