Rania's Recipes: Beef Tagine & Greek Honey Yogurt
Rania Harris stopped by Pittsburgh Today Live on Wednesday to show off two great recipes that will be sure to spice up your New Year!
Beef Tagine with Date and Dried Cranberry Couscous
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 2 pounds stewing beef, cut into 1 ½ inch cubes
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 pinch saffron
- ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¾ teaspoon ground coriander
- 2 medium onions, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 5 carrots, peeled and cut into coins (about ¾" thick)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 1 lemon, zested
- 2 cups rich chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons honey
Directions:
Place beef chunks in a bowl, toss with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, and set aside. In a large resealable bag, toss together the paprika, turmeric, cumin, cayenne, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, salt, ginger, saffron, garlic powder, and coriander; mix well. Add the beef to the bag, and toss around to coat well. Refrigerate at least 8 hours, preferably overnight.
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a tagine pot over medium-high heat. Add 1/3 of the beef, and brown well. Remove to a plate, and repeat with remaining beef. Add onions and carrots to the pot and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and ginger; continue cooking for an additional 5 minutes. Return the beef to the pot and stir in the lemon zest, chicken broth, tomato paste, and honey. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1½ to 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the meat is tender.
Date and Dried Cranberry Couscous:
- 1 cup couscous
- 1½ cups warm water
- 10 dried dates
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ¼ cup whole pecans, toasted
- 2 green onions, green parts only
- 2 handfuls fresh mint leaves
- ½ lemon, juiced
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
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 dates, cranberries, pecans, green onions and mint 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.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Greek Honey Yogurt with Fruits and Nuts
- ¼ cup coarsely chopped walnuts
- ¼ cup coarsely chopped blanched almonds
- ¼ cup coarsely chopped cashews
- ¼ cup coarsely chopped shelled pistachios
- 2 -16 ounce containers Greek Yogurt
- Greek honey (at least ½ cup or more to taste)
- Mixed fresh fruit platter using berries, pears, apples, orange segments
Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place all nuts in baking pan. Bake until lightly toasted stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Cool completely.
Gently fold honey to taste into the yogurt, leaving a few streaks of honey. Fold in the toasted nuts. Serve in compote glasses and pass the fresh fruit platter separately.
