My mother is a great behind the scenes contributor to this blog. Countless times I have skyped her with a cooking question and she responded with a long paragraph or even an entire recipe.
I have to admit I have been getting a bit lazy lately preferring to obtain the answer ready from her rather than do my own research. So when I skyped her about Jewish Moroccan recipes, she replied with a handful, including this one.
It’s amazing how mothers try to make our life easier even when we are old enough to do things ourselves. Some of us take advantage of that, ahem. Luckily mothers often don’t mind.
Ever since I was a child I loved omelets with a passion. In fact, the omelet is the very first dish I remember making. I mean, you can’t beat the ease of preparation and versatility of an omelet.
Not to mention that it’s a painless way to get children to eat their vegetables. I often mix a hearty but incognito dose of mashed carrots, green beans or squash into omelets. It’s one of the few ways I can get my daughter to eat her veggies. So, really, thank goodness for omelets.
Mhemmer a.k.a Meguina is similar to a frittata or tortilla Espanola. It is a meal in and by itself. Eggs, mashed potatoes, peas, and a few aromatics are combined to produce a very satisfying dish.
It is baked like a cake and even has the density of one because of the mashed potatoes. It’s easy to cut into slices and looks pretty on the plate, its studded peas and carrots peeking out on the sides.
Mhemmer/Meguina Recipe
6 to 8 servings
Ingredients:
- 2 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered
- 1 cup diced carrots
- 1 cup peas
- 2 shallots, minced
- 2 garlic cloves, pressed
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 8 large eggs
- Sea salt (I used ½ teaspoon)
- Freshly ground pepper (I used ¼ teaspoon)
- 1 teaspoon chopped parsley (optional)
- ½ cup shredded gruyère or parmesan (optional)
Directions:
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 9-inch rimmed baking pan with cooking spray.
Step 2: Place the potatoes in a pot of water and cook them over medium-high heat for 10 minutes. Add the carrots and peas. Cook another 10 minutes. Drain in a colander.
Step 3: Meanwhile, sauté the shallots and garlic in olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat, 2 to 3 minutes.
Step 4: Place the potatoes in a large mixing bowl and mash them using a potato ricer or fork. Beat in the eggs vigorously, one at a time. Add the sautéed shallots and garlic, peas, carrots, salt, pepper, parsley, and shredded cheese. Stir well to combine.
Step 5: Pour the egg mixture into the prepared pan. Bake until the omelet is set for 35 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
