Have you ever thought about days that shouldn't have existed.You know, those ones that really start bad and end in nothing worse nor better than lousy? Yes I know,some might say that everyday should be a unique day and the like because it might be the last one we live plus tomorrow will be a new day.It is true , but it's hard to think of it this way when you are really living it, when it's cold and snowy and when you are far away from friends and family.Today for me was one of those days:I woke up home sick,it was terribly cold and snowing outside,and as if it was not enough, I had a bad day at work.So I suddenly started to think of home, my family, my mom and her cooking....
It is amazing how food is strongly related to our childhood memories and to the ones we love and care about. So when I got back from work,freezing and gloomy, I immediately decided to cook something warming that my mother used to cook for us on those cold and rainy days: Mograbeie.
It is a middle eastern dish that it's origin, I believe, comes from Marrocow.
It is made out of semolina pasta (looks like cous cous) and a stew that is prepared with chicken pieces ,chickpeas,onions and spices.
As I cooked this dish and ate it,I immedietly felt better.It warmed my heart and took me back home, at least in my thoughts and heart.
Thanks for stopping by, here is the recipe:
Mograbie with chicken and chickpeas:
500 Gr Morabeie (or semolina like cous cous)
3 large onions.
2 Tablespoons All spices
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
1 can of cooked chickpeas
4 pieces of chicken (whatever you prefare)
2 Tablespoons flour
3 Tablespoons olive oil
salt
2 cups hot water
Start out by boiling the chicken in a pot, don't boil it too much ...just a bit before done take chicken off fire and cut it into small pieces.set aside.
Cut onions and sautè them in the olive oil and then add chicken pieces and brown them together.Add 2cups of hot water and let chicken and onions cook together,add chickpeas then add all spices ,salt and cinnamon.Lower the fire and let brew ,then add two tablespoons of flour to chicken stew's liquids.In the meanwhile, in a medium pot bring water to boil, put some salt then add the Mograbeie (cous cous grains) and let cook for nine minutes (or watever said on the package you've got)
Turn off fire under stew, remove Mograbeie from water.
Put mograbeie grains first into plates then add the stew on and mix.
Makes four servings.
Buon apetit.
Notes: *you can use the original Mograbeie which requieres other kind of cooking,I choose the fast cooking one (the one that you cook like pasta) Many people cook the mograbeie with a chicken stew which result in a much tasteier results.
*You can use some Sumack spice in the stew which adds to the falvour.
