Amlou is a Moroccan almond paste made with argan oil and honey. It is incredibly nutritious, as argan oil is rich in vitamins A and E. It is known to be a powerful aphrodisiac. Usually it requires much more argan oil, but we made ours more of a confection heavy on the honey, with only an accent of argan. You can buy argan oil through Alili Morocco, but you could also substitute olive oil, walnut oil, or another nut oil that you fancy.

1 cup raw almonds
½ cup raw honey
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon argan oil

Grind the nuts to a fine powder in a food processor. Transfer to a mixing bowl and stir in the honey. Add the cinnamon and oil, and stir again. Store at room temperature or in the fridge in a clean jar.

How to serve: We love this stuffed inside halved and pitted plums. The slight tang of the plums is perfect for the rich sweetness of the amlou.
You can also spread it on bread or crackers as a condiment, or stuff dates with it, as in our Movie Dates.

The addition of preserved lemons to a classic guacamole gives this dip a surprising kick!

1 preserved lemon, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon lemon brine
2 large hass avocados, pitted
½ lemon, juiced
2 tablespoons cilantro, roughly chopped
1 sprig mint, roughly chopped
Pinch of smoked paprika

Pulse all of the ingredients in a food processor, until all of the ingredients are combined but not completely smooth. Makes about 2 cups.

2 tablespoons unrefined sea salt
1 tablespoon dark chocolate powder
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon raw cacao nuts

Starting with the salt and cacao nuts, crush all of the ingredients together with with a mortar and pestle.

This homemade ketchup recipe is inspired by the flavors of the rugged Southwest. We made it slightly spicy by adding guajillo chile peppers, which you can find in the produce section of most supermarkets. The next time you have a barbeque, be sure to make this and give your guests a different kind of condiment.

3 T olive oil, divided
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1 small shallot, thinly sliced
2 medium tomatoes, roughly chopped
2 dried guajillo chiles, stems removed*
½ cup apple cider vinegar
¼ - ½ cup water
1 T + 1 tsp. molasses
½ tsp. salt (or to taste)

In a large skillet, dry toast the chile peppers until they darken on both sides. Take them out of the pan and submerge in hot water to let them soften.
In the same pan, heat up 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and start to fry the shallot and garlic cloves. Toss in the bay leaf. Add the tomatoes and keep frying for a bit more, then lower the heat and let the juices cook down a little bit. Pour in the vinegar, and enough water to just barely cover the tomatoes. Bring the contents of the pan to a simmer.
Meanwhile, remove the seeds of the chile pepper and add the chiles to the pan.
Simmer for about 5-8 minutes until reduced a bit. Remove the bay leaf.
Transfer the contents of the pan to a blender, add the molasses and salt, and puree until smooth.
Heat up the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the pan, and strain the liquid through a sieve back into the pan. Reduce the sauce until it resembles ketchup, stirring constantly, so that none of the sauce burns along the sides of the pan.
Season with salt if needed, and transfer to a bowl for serving.
Makes a bit more than 1 cup.

*If you would like a slightly milder version, just use 1 guajillo chile.