Moroccan Olive Flatbread Food

MOROCCAN OLIVE FLATBREAD

Steps:

• Make the spice mixture by combining all of the seasonings in a small bowl. Set aside.
• Put the flour, sugar, salt, pepper and olives in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine. Add the olive oil and stir vigorously with a fork. Add the water and continue to stir until a ball forms. Sprinkle a work surface liberally with flour and turn the dough out onto the surface. Knead until the dough is velvety smooth, about 2 minutes. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Remove the dough from the refrigerator and flatten into a disk on a floured surface. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out as thinly as possible into an oval. Roll the dough onto the pin and transfer it to a baking sheet that has been brushed with olive oil.
• Brush the dough with extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle with the spice mixture. Place the pan in the oven until the bread is crisp and deep golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, let cool, and break into pieces. The flatbread can be made up to 2 days in advance, wrapped in plastic wrap, and kept in a dry place.

MOROCCAN OLIVE FLATBREAD

Steps:

• Make the spice mixture by mixing all of the seasonings in a small bowl. Set aside.
• Place the flour, sugar, salt, pepper and olives in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine. Add the olive oil and stir well with a fork. Add the water and continue to stir until a ball forms. Sprinkle a work surface generously with flour and turn the dough out onto the surface. Knead until the dough is velvety smooth, about 2 minutes. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• Take the dough from the refrigerator and flatten into a disk on a floured surface. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out as thinly as possible into an oval. Roll the dough onto the pin and transfer it to a baking sheet that has been brushed with olive oil.
• Brush the dough with olive oil and sprinkle with the spice mixture. Place the pan in the oven until the bread is crisp and deep golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, let cool, and break into pieces. The flatbread can be made up to 2 days in advance, wrapped in plastic wrap, and kept in a dry place. Enjoy!
• Note: This goes good with Black Olive Mayonnaise!

CHICKPEA MOROCCAN FLATBREAD

Steps:

• At Stage 2 of the basic recipe, mix in the cumin seeds, coriander seeds and chickpeas and carry on through the recipe as normal until Stage 5, when you should divide your batch of dough into 10 pieces. Roll out each of these to 1/4-inch thick and gently pull out into a slightly irregular oval shape. Cook 1 or 2 at a time, depending on how big your oven is, straight away without second proof, directly on the bars of the preheated oven at 450 degrees F. They take about 4 minutes to cook and puff up beyond belief. Allow to cool slightly for a couple of minutes before serving.;

MOROCCAN CHICKEN WITH APRICOT COUSCOUS AND GREEN OLIVE SAUCE IN FLAT BREAD

Steps:

• To prepare the Moroccan Spice Mix for the Chicken: Combine the cinnamon stick, cloves, cayenne, cumin, fennel, coriander, and paprika in a dry skillet over low heat and toast for just a minute to release the fragrant oils; shake the pan so they don't scorch. In a spice mill or clean coffee grinder, grind the toasted spices together, with 1 1/2 teaspoons of kosher salt and the brown sugar. (A word of advice: make sure you thoroughly wipe out your coffee grinder before you make coffee again - Moroccan spices taste great on chicken but horrible with coffee.)
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Rinse the chicken with cool water, inside and out, then pat it dry with paper towels. Massage the chicken skin with the spice rub; make sure you don't miss a spot. Season the inside of the chicken generously with salt and pepper. Stuff the lemons halves, cilantro, and garlic in the cavity and place the chicken in a roasting pan fitted with a rack. Fold the wing tips under the bird and tie the legs together with kitchen string. Drizzle the oil all over the chicken. If you have time, let the chicken marinate for 30 minutes to really get the flavors down deep into the meat. Roast the chicken for 1 hour; pop an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh; if it reads 160 degrees F, it's done. Allow the chicken to rest for 10 minutes so the juices can settle back into the meat. Remove and discard the skin from the chicken. Pull the chicken from the bone and shred the meat, with your fingers or 2 forks. Put the shredded chicken in a large bowl and squeeze the lemon halves that have cooked inside the bird over the meat to moisten.
• To prepare the Apricot Couscous: Put the couscous in a medium bowl; pour the water over it, stir with a fork to combine. Cover and let sit for 10 to 15 minutes, then uncover and fluff with a fork. Put the apricots, almonds, green onions, mint, and cilantro on a cutting board and coarsely chop everything up; add this to the couscous. Add lemon juice, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Toss gently to combine.
• To prepare the Green Olive Sauce: In a small skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Saute the shallots and chile over low heat for 8 minutes until caramelized, then scrape into a food processor. Add the olives, parsley, vinegar, lemon juice, and 1/2 cup of oil; puree a good 3 minutes until totally smooth.
• To put the whole thing together: put the shredded chicken and couscous on the lavosh bread, add a few spoonfuls of the olive sauce, and roll the sandwich up. Wrap in foil and take the sandwich to a picnic, if desired.

MSEMEN (MOROCCAN FLATBREADS)

Steps:

• Make the dough: Place the flours, salt, warm water and 2 tablespoons oil in a large bowl. Use your hands to mix and form a soft, smooth dough. If the mixture is too dry, gradually add a couple tablespoons of warm water. If it's too sticky, gradually add teaspoons of semolina flour. Once your dough is soft and smooth, lightly dust a work surface with semolina flour and knead the dough for about 8 minutes, until supple and elastic.
• Lightly grease a sheet pan with oil. Divide the dough into 9 equal pieces and form each into a ball. Place the balls on the sheet pan and use your hands or a brush to lightly rub the balls with oil, cover with plastic wrap and let rest in a warm place for 30 minutes.
• In a small bowl, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and melted butter. Generously oil your work surface and place a ball of dough on it. Flatten the ball lightly and spoon about 1/2 teaspoon butter mixture on top. Using your hands, flatten the dough as thin as you can to make an 8- to 10-inch circle and lightly sprinkle some semolina flour over the dough.
• Fold the msemen: Fold one-third of the top and bottom of the dough towards the center as you would to fold a letter, then fold one-third of the dough from the left and right sides towards the center to make about a 2 1/2 to 3 1/2-inch square. Place the folded msemen on the oiled work surface and cover with a clean cloth or plastic wrap. Repeat until you have folded all the dough balls, adding more oil to your work surface as necessary.
• Lightly oil and heat a griddle or a nonstick pan over medium-high. Transfer a folded msemen to the work surface, spoon another 1/2 teaspoon of the butter mixture on top and flatten it using your hands to make a 6-inch square. Gently place the flattened msemen on the warm pan and cook, turning several times and adjusting the heat and adding more oil to the pan as necessary, until golden and starting to puff, 60 to 90 seconds. Transfer to a plate and cover with a clean towel to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining msemen. Serve warm or at room temperature.

MOROCCAN FLATBREAD

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast in warm water in a large mixing bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Add flour and 3/4 teaspoon of salt to yeast mixture; stir with a a mixer equipped with dough hooks or use a wooden spoon until smooth. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead a few minutes, until flour is fully incorporated. Shape dough into a ball; spray inside of a bowl with cooking spray and place the dough ball inside it. Seal bowl with plastic wrap and allow to rest at room temperature for an hour.
• Heat a pan on medium with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Saute the onions in the pan for a few minutes, until the onions become translucent. Allow to cool somewhat before proceeding to next step.
• Combine onion, parsley, remaining olive oil, paprika, cumin, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and crushed red pepper. Mix thoroughly into a paste.
• Cut dough into 8 equal portions. Start with one portion and cover remaining dough with a wet kitchen towel to prevent drying. Flatten each portion until very thin and shape into a square. Spoon 1 tablespoon onion mixture in center of dough. Fold left and right sides of dough together until they meet in the middle. Fold top and bottom sides together in the same way, wetting the dough if needed to get the flaps to stick. Repeat for remaining dough portions and onion mixture.
• Heat 1/2 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 4 flatbreads to pan; cook for 2 minutes on each side or until crisp and golden. Transfer flatbreads to cooling rack. Repeat procedure with remaining 1/2 teaspoon oil and 4 flatbreads. Serve immediately.