Spice up your summer with Moroccan food from Chef Teddi

My husband, Bill, has this theory. As a New Orleans native, he believes this notion that if it’s hot outside, to feel cooler you should eat hot, spicy food and drink LOTS of hot coffee. He says that it makes you feel much cooler. Okay, so that’s what Bill says, thinks and indeed, lives by.

I, on the other hand, I have another theory. I think that to feel cooler, you should avoid the stifling, life-draining, soul-sucking heat and humidity that is our Middle Georgia summer. Not being able to abide by my own theory without becoming a hermit, I never miss an opportunity in the summer to get wet or cold, and both are indeed quite heavenly!

So, whether it’s a fun day spent at Sandy Beach Waterpark at Lake Tobesofkee (yes, I have a season pass — what a bargain!), a nice break in the splash-pad fountain at the end of Cherry Street in downtown Macon (near the Terminal Station), or a simple five minute visit to a walk-in beer cooler at a convenience store (temperature about 35 degrees), I have my own ways of beating the heat and keeping a cool head — literally!

I’ll indulge Bill’s theory today as I share with you my recipes for a not-too-spicy Moroccan menu.

We’ll start with Moroccan Mint Tea served, as any self-respecting Southerner would, in a tall glass over ice! Fresh mint grows abundantly in the South (just ask anyone who has ever planted the stuff — it will quickly take over an herb garden if not kept in a contained pot).

I simply brew green tea in very hot water, but not boiling. Steep for no longer than five minutes, as green tea gets quite bitter if allowed to steep longer. I sweeten the mint tea with sugar, although you can choose the sweetener of your choice — honey, agave nectar, stevia — and it’s even more refreshing and more thirst-quenching to serve it unsweetened.

A nice salad of coarsely grated carrots and chickpeas dressed in a sweet and sour Moroccan-spiced vinaigrette starts the meal. The salad can be made a few days in advance, allowing the vinaigrette to penetrate the dense vegetables. Baby spinach is tossed in a little bit of olive oil just before serving and the marinated vegetable salad spooned on just before serving.

My entree is to-die-for. Peachy Chicken Tagine is this Southern girl’s Moroccan food fantasy. I indulge my love of crisp-cooked apple wood-smoked bacon, combining it with plenty of onions and garlic (sauteed in some of those lovely and flavorful drippings) and chicken, fresh Georgia peaches, some carrots, and lots of warm spices.

I cook mine in the traditional Moroccan vessel — also called a tagine — with the cone-shaped, tight-fitting lid, allowing all those yummy flavors to stay inside the pot, and braise over a lower heat. Think of the tagine (the cooking vessel, that is) as a centuries-old slow cooker. The crisp bacon, freshly grated lemon zest, freshly squeezed lemon juice, and some minced fresh herbs get added just before serving over Saffron Pearl Cous Cous.

Saffron Pearl Cous Cous is a side dish, or it could easily be considered a vegetarian or vegan entree (substituting vegetable broth for the chicken broth). Slivers of dried apricots and coarsely chopped pistachios add great flavor impact. However, the star of the show is real saffron threads — the most expensive spice in the world.

But the spice is far less expensive when purchased at an Indian-Pakistani grocery market (you’re welcome for that great tip!). If you’ve never been to one of these stores — we have a couple in Macon on Eisenhower Parkway — it’s quite a delightful experience. I don’t know what to do with most of the food products I find there, but the staff at the stores, and the customers, are extremely helpful.

And for dessert, try my Moroccan Spice Cookies!

This story was originally published September 6, 2016 at 9:00 PM with the headline "Spice up your summer with Moroccan food from Chef Teddi."