Do you have any recipes which you cut out from newspapers or magazines that are so old, so well loved, they are yellowed and food stained and kind of disgusting looking? Behold, this is my recipe for charmoula, a versatile North African sauce that goes well on everything from seafood to vegetables to rice!

Isn’t she a beaut? I can already feel my mother cringing from here.  Sorry, Mom! I will lovingly type it out by my own hand just in case anyone wants a non-disgusting copy of this recipe to print out.

Charmoula

From Mustapha Rouissiya

4 cloves garlic, finely minced

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon Spanish paprika

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

6 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste

black pepper to taste

1 teaspoon tomato paste

Combine all the ingredients and whisk together or process in a blender or food processor. Can be made in advance and stored several days in the refrigerator or frozen.

We served this tonight atop grilled salmon, along with brown rice and sesame green beans.