Reviewed: Nov. 12, 2011

had a bit of an epic fail with the phyllo (total operator error) and ended up having to make it a layered dish, like lasagna. after it cooked, I cooled it for 10 minutes or so and then cut it into squares. everyone raved about it and asked for the recipe. can't wait to make it as written.

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Reviewer:

gold_country_cook

Reviewed: Oct. 24, 2011

i did not care for this dish at all as i did not like the flavor and blend of the spices. i still gave this a 3 star because on of my guest loved them and asked to take some home. i think these would work better with a nice thin bread dough as opposed to the phyllo dough which i found to be too thin and flakey and lacking in both body and flavor. also a nice dipping sauce of some kind would really pick this dish up a lot

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Reviewer:

jvu61

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Bronx, New York, USA

Living In: Fishkill, New York, USA

Reviewed: Oct. 9, 2011

My boyfriend said it was the best thing I ever made. I used lamb instead of beef. After browning and draining fat from meat, I added 1 Tbsp of each of the spices, used 2 oz of tomato paste instead of chopped tomatoes, slowly stirred in about 1/2 to 1 c water as needed to help form a dense stew mixture, let it simmer open for a while to let the spices infuse, and then followed all the other directions. One thing the recipe didn't mention, was that as you roll the phyllo dough, you want to fold the ends in as you turn the cigar, that way your meat mixture wont spill out, and it looks nicer. Came out awesome, made 10 cigars, they were pretty big.

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Reviewer:

Meghan O'Halloran

Reviewed: Sep. 16, 2011

Sweet and savory and delicious! Thank you for sharing this recipe! I did add butter between the layers of phyllo and I added chile peppers for additional heat and YUM.....thanks again!

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Reviewer:

Maxine

Reviewed: Jan. 10, 2011

These were kind of blah. I even added onion and extra spices (more paprika and cayenne). They were also a bit greasy for our tastes. Not at all like the meat cigars we eat at home in Casablanca! I might try again with leaner beef, no olive oil, and a different spice combo.

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Reviewer:

BrookieCookie

Reviewed: Sep. 5, 2010

I made this for a meeting of 30 friends and *everyone* loved it! So many people asked for the recipe. It was a very good first introduction to a savory African dish. The only thing I changed was I used a can of flavoured tomatoes..I believe I used an herbal flavour and I pureed the tomatoes in the blender. This one's a keeper.

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Reviewer:

akooking

Reviewed: Aug. 5, 2010

We liked these appys a lot, although I did ramp up the spices a bit. I also used butter instead of cooking spray and brushed the tops with butter. They have a unique flavor and are an interesting addition to an all appetizer party. I made them ahead, froze them, and baked them without defrosting. Excellent!

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Reviewer:

cookin'mama

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Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

Living In: Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Reviewed: Apr. 29, 2010

Excellent!

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Reviewer:

ROLLERSGIRLY

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Jacksonville, Florida, USA

Living In: Dallas, Georgia, USA

Reviewed: Apr. 1, 2010

I made a spicy moroccan inspired dipping sauce with the remaining crushed tomatoes. I used 1/2 cup crushed tomatoes, 2 tablespoon plain yogurt, 1 clove garlic, 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. I put it all in the food processor until smooth. It went very well with the meal. I also added onions and garlic to the meat as someone suggested and used butter instead of oil to coat the tops of the cigars. Served with saffron rice, this meal was satisfying and impressive.

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