Master Baker Challenge #1 and Platinum Chef #7

This is my first ever blogging challenge and I'm super excited about it! I'm combining one entry into two different challenges (I hope that is allowed). I've been a fan of The Platinum Chef challenges for some time but never had the guts to try participating in it but this month I decided I'd give it a go. Also, my blogging, epicurean, and general fabu friend Robin of Made With Love, turned me on to the Master Baker challenge blog and I thought I'd give that a try as well.

The ingredients for both challenges really played to each other in a way so that's why I decided to enter the same recipe for both challenges. For Platinum Chef the ingredients were: cumin, vanilla, barley, chickpeas, and butternut squash. For Master Baker the ingredient was cinnamon. For some reason when I saw all of these ingredients together I immediately thought of the ultra savory cuisine of Moroccan Cooking. I love the flavors of Moroccan cuisine. There is something about being able to mix a spice that we commonly associate with desserts (cinnamon), with a meat product and throw some sugar into the mix even, as well as whole grains and have it taste amazing that appeals to me. Moroccan cuisine is really comfort food when you think about the ingredients and the way it is prepared. Now I've never been to Morocco, but I have been to the Moroccan pavilion at EPCOT Center and have had lunch and dinner numerous times at Marrakesh while there. The food is amazing and my recipe for both of these challenges is my very loose take on some of the dishes that I've had while there.

One of my favorite dishes is one called a bastilla (sometimes spelled B'Steeya), which is really a kind of Moroccan chicken pie. I loved the flavors but didn't want to make a traditional bastilla. I decided to utilize ground beef instead and make a Beef Bastilla and instead of serving it with couscous I made a Barley Pilaf. Both me and Steve really enjoyed it this evening actually; the flavors of the beef bastilla really worked well together, however in all honesty I think i would do without the chocolate next time I made it. In my head the chocolate topping sounded like it would work well but in the end, it just didn't mesh with the onion that I had used in the bastilla. my other alternative next time is to try using dark chocolate instead of semi-sweet.

All in all I was happy with my creation and improvisation. I was going to a succulent and savory dish that paid an homage to the flavors that I love of Moroccan cuisine, without being overtly and traditionally Moroccan.

Beef Bastilla and Barley Pilaf

Ingredients for Beef Bastilla:

• 1-pound ground beef (90/10 lean)

1 sweet onion—finely diced

2 cups diced butternut squash

1-cup chickpeas, drained

½-cup sliced almonds

1 cinnamon stick, whole

¼-tspn turmeric

3-tsp. ground coriander

2-Tbspn ground cinnamon

2-tspn ground cumin

1-tspn vanilla extract

1-Tbspn brown sugar

Salt and pepper to taste

10-sheets Phylo dough

3 Tbspn melted butter

1/2-cup bittersweet chocolate chips

Confectioner’s sugar for garnish

Preparations for Beef Bastilla:

In a large skillet, heat oil and add whole cinnamon stick and diced onions. Sauté until onions reach translucent state. Add the ground beef and spices (turmeric thru sugar), cook until beef is mostly cooked through—about 10 minutes. Add the chickpeas, almonds, and the butternut squash; stir to combine.

Preheat oven to 375*. Meanwhile begin to prepare the Phylo dough. In a 9-inch round baking dish, alternate 5-layers of Phylo with melted butter; reserve for later keeping unused sheets covered with a damp cloth.

As the beef mixture is approaching completion, add the almonds and the squash, stir to combine and pour into the baking dish--be sure to remove the cinnamon stick. Begin to alternate the remaining 5-sheets of Phylo and butter to cover the top of the meat dish. Sprinkle top with extra cinnamon and place in the oven for about 35-minutes (or until top of Phylo is beginning to turn a golden brown).

Right before serving the bastilla, in a double boiler, melt the chocolate. Remove the bastilla from the oven. To serve, plate a slice of the bastilla and top with a dollop of melted chocolate and dust with powdered sugar.

Ingredients for the Barley Pilaf:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small sweet onion, finely diced
• 3/4 cup barley
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1-tsp cinnamon
• 1-tspn cumin
• 1-cup sliced almonds
• 1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped

Preparations for Barley Pilaf:

Heat oil in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and almonds—sauté for about 5-minutes, until beginning to get to translucent state. Add barley; cook 3 minutes, stirring. Add chicken broth and spices; bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, stir once, and cover. Cook until barley is al dente, about 25 minutes.

Add bell pepper; cover and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove pilaf from heat and stir; cover and let stand prior to serving. Pilaf should be a creamy consistency, but not watery.