DINNER CLUB RECAP: Sandra's Moroccan Shrimp

This last Wednesday I decided on a Mediterranean theme. The menu was smoky eggplant dip with crackers, Moroccan shrimp with couscous, grilled halloumi cheese and dessert was homemade berry scones with lemon curd and crème fraiche. So the dessert wasn't quite consistent with the theme. Nobody complained. The appetizer was surprisingly easy. I took one large eggplant and poked holes in it with a fork. I broiled it for 20 minutes turning it every 5 minutes. I admit the "smoky" part was because I put it on parchment paper. My smoke detector went off and I learned that parchment paper does not mix well with the extreme heat of the broiler. None of my co workers will find this surprising. After it cooled down I peeled the skin off and blended it in a food processer. Then I mixed it with about 8 ounces of crème fraiche (sour cream would work too) and the juice of a lemon. I seasoned it with salt and put it in the fridge to cool. The couscous was simple to make. Just buy a box and follow the instructions. For the main course put a pound of peeled, deveined shrimp in a bowl and added 2 tsp cumin, 1 tsp cinnamon, pepper and the juice of half a lemon. Set it aside. I chopped a yellow onion and cooked it in a large covered skillet over med/high heat with olive oil, salt and pepper until it was soft (5-7 minutes). I added a chopped red bell pepper and 3/4 cup golden raisins and cooked for 4 more minutes. Add one 28 ounce can of whole tomatoes drained and chopped and cook for 3 more minutes. Now drain the shrimp and add to the skillet stirring until the shrimp turn pink (about 3 minutes). I served the couscous and the shrimp with sliced halloumi cheese that I sprinkled with lemon and pepper and grilled in a skillet until one side was golden brown. This neat-o cheese does NOT melt. Crazy!! It was really salty but went well with the sweetness of the golden raisins and shrimp. The scones were just made from a simple recipe. They were a cinch.