Carrot with Coriander, Garlic and Cumin - Salatet Sfinari bil Kamoun سلطة جزر مغربية

This Moroccan salad or side dish is full of flavor and requires minimal effort. The marinade is a perfect combination of basic ingredients, easy to put together and versatile as it can be used with most vegetables and fish. In Libya similar salads (steamed or boiled vegetables such as carrots, pumpkin, or broad beans and artichokes are some favorites) use the same marinade ingredients but without the cumin.

Serves 4 to 6
3 large carrots
Sharmoula Marinade
1/2 a lemon
1 cup coriander leaves
1/2 parsley leaves
2 medium hot chili peppers
2 garlic cloves
1 table spoon cumin (or to taste)
Generous drizzle olive oil
Salt to taste

Peel the carrots and slice at an angle (more surface area to absorb the marinade)

Cover the bottom of the pan with a few centimeters of water and leave the carrots to cook under a lid on medium heat for 10-15 mins

Meanwhile mix the coriander, parsley, chili peppers and garlic cloves in a mixer (or chop finely). Devein and rinse the chili peppers if you want to reduce the heat.

Add cumin, salt  and lemon 

Drain the carrots well and leave to cool slightly before mixing in the marinade (if the carrots are still steaming the coriander will turn yellow)

Leave to marinate in the fridge for a couple of hours. Take the salad out about 15 minutes before the meal so it has time to get to room temperature and drizzle with olive oil before serving. To serve as a hot side dish: heat a frying pan, pour in some olive oil and stir-fry the carrots for a few minutes. 

Cherry Cheesecake

Obviously, not Libyan! But for those of us who keep to a halal diet, cheesecake is a problem, as many recipes contain gelatin, and vegetarian gelatin is often not as strong as the animal-based products. We tried many recipes before arriving at our own fail-proof recipe. This one is topped with fresh cherries, but you can substitute other summer berries, fruit or try a chocolate, caramel or marzipan topping. Try it out and let us know what you think!

Crust
75g butter
16-20 digestive biscuits

Filling
2 deciliters milk 

2 tablespoons of cornstarch
50-75g sugar
200g unflavored soft cream cheese (eg Philadelphia)
200g fresh cream
1 tspn vanilla sugar
2 eggs
A satchet of Dr. Oetker's Vegegele (or two heaped teaspoons of vegetarian gelatin)

Topping
About 250g cherries
A satchet of cherry vegetarian jelly crystals

 Put the digestive biscuits in a blender.

 Melt the butter.

 Add the melted butter onto the biscuits and blend.

 Pour the mixture onto a springform pan, about 25cm across.

 Smooth flat with the back of a spoon.

 Make sure it is evenly spread throughout the base.

 Add the gelatine to boiled hot milk, stir until dissolved. Put in the blender.

 Add the cheese and cream to the blender.

 Add the cornstarch, sugar, vanilla sugar and eggs.

 Blend well. Pour out the smoothly blended mixture onto the biscuit base.

Place in the oven at 150 C, for just long enough that the cheese filling sets, but not long enough that the surface browns! About 15 minutes should do it.

 Wash the cherries, remove the stems and stones, cut the cherries in half.

Place the half-cherries onto the surface of the cheese filling. 

 Make the jelly, pouring the crystals into boiling water and making sure all the powder has dissolved.

 Pour the jelly slowly and carefully onto the surface of the cake.

 Place in the fridge for at least four hours, longer is better.

  When the jelly has done its work, run a knife lightly around the edge of the pan, then remove the sides from the base carefully.

 Slice and serve while cold