Braised Chicken with Dates and Moroccan Spices (recipe here)

After dining at Moroccan cafe in NYC, I was inspired to  attempt to recreate the warm, nutty flavors myself. I found this recipe that had great reviews and sounded like a good comfort food dish. The cumin and cinnamon add a wonderful warmth to the dish while the ginger, cayenne and turmeric add a nice kick. It's such a great combination of flavors. The shallots, dates and chicken absorb all of the sauce and become very succulent. In my dads words, "this was your best one yet!"...thanks Dad









Roasted Eggplant with Tahini Sauce

This one was inspired by the appetizer I had at Cafe Mogador in NYC.
Preheat oven 400 degrees
Ingredients: 1 eggplant, olive oil, salt, pepper
-- cut eggplant in 1/2 inch slices, spread on baking sheet then brush with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Pop in the oven for 20-30 mins (turn each over halfway through).
Tahini sauce ingredients: 2 tbsp tahini paste, 2 tbsp water, 1 garlic clove minced, juice of half a lemon, 1/2 tsp paprika, salt to taste.
-- combine all ingredients in a bowl and drizzle on top of the roasted eggplant.

Serve with warm pita bread and parsley for garnish