main course

Skewers of chicken, pineapple, onion, green pepper, zucchini and cherry tomatoes, brushed with a sweet-salty soy and honey glaze and broiled until lightly charred. The pineapple and the teriyaki-style glaze give the kebabs a Hawaiian flavor, and they are quick enough for a weeknight.

Salt cod, white fish, shrimp, sardines, and crab simmered in a creamy peanut sauce and served with rice or fufu. Known as moambe (also mwambe, mwamba, or muamba), this Central African sauce is better known as the base of a chicken stew regarded as a national dish in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Angola, and Gabon. This version uses fish and shellfish instead.

Fluffy rice scented with cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves, folded with golden fried gizzards, toasted nuts, and plump raisins. Known in Egypt as roz bel khalta (“rice with a mixture”), this festive dish is served at holidays and family gatherings, usually next to roasted or braised meats.

Tender lamb and a generous mix of vegetables simmered in a fragrant broth, piled over mounds of steamed couscous. Known in Morocco as couscous bidaoui, the Casablanca style, this is the dish of the Friday family meal, served on a large communal platter.

Ground beef worked with crushed rice, onion, and herbs, shaped into small meatballs, fried until golden, then simmered gently in a fresh tomato sauce. Known in Egypt as koftet rozz (rice kofta), this is a staple of everyday Egyptian cooking and a particular favorite during Ramadan, when it's often served with a side of fried rice.

One of Morocco's great sweet-savory dishes: lamb simmered slowly with prunes, cinnamon, and honey until it turns almost jammy, finished with a scattering of golden fried almonds. This home-style version is a simplified take on mrouzia (m'rouzia), the festive tagine traditionally prepared for Eid al-Adha with leftover mutton from the sacrifice. Grander versions lean on ras el hanout and saffron, but everyday home cooking often pares the spicing down to cinnamon alone, as it is here.