MOROCCAN BEEF SHORT RIBS*

Beef short ribs (4-4/12 pounds
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup dry red wine
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons ground ginger
2 tablespoons turmeric
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 lemon, peel of grated first then cut into slices
Freshly grated pepper, about 1 tablespoon
Salt, about 1 tablespoon

2 cups chicken broth (I used Better Than Bouillon)
2 cups beef broth (I used Better Than Bouillon)

MARINADE: combine 1 cup olive oil and next 12 ingredients in a large bowl. (It may sound like a lot of ingredients, but I had all in house and it was just a matter of measuring and dumping.) Place ribs in a large glass baking dish (15x10x2 inch, they fit) and pour marinade over and turn to coat all sides. Cover and chill preferable overnight, turning occasionally.

In a dutch oven or heavy pot, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium high heat. Remove ribs from marinade (reserve) and brown on all sides (brown in batches not overcrowding the pot; I did this in two batches) and remove to plate when done. Pour off drippings that are left and return the ribs to the pot along with the reserved marinade and add the broth. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce to a simmer and cook about 2 hours or until the meat literally is about to fall off the bone. (I cooked mine in a 250° oven for 5 hours.) Serve over your favorite side—quinoa, couscous, farro, rice (I used this recipe for dinner guests and served over this unique side dish below). Serve 6.

QUINOA WITH CHICKPEAS AND OLIVES

2 cups chicken broth (I use Better Than Bouillon)
1 cup quinoa (I use Bob’s Red Mill)
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained
1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives, chopped
1 cup red onion, chopped
1 lemon, grated peel of
5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

In a medium saucepan, bring broth to a boil then add quinoa. Cover and reduce the heat to a simmer and cook 9-12 minutes until the liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand about 15 minutes before fluffing and adding remaining ingredients.

DRIZZLE

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons honey, or agave

When serving this dish, spoon quinoa on plate, place 1-2 ribs on top and generously drip drizzle over the ribs. It adds a lot of serious flavor!

*This recipe was adapted from a 2005 clipping from Bon Appetit Magazine in the Reader’s Favorite Restaurant Recipe Section—from STARS in San Francisco