Pumpkin and Chicken Tagine

I certainly have been enjoying pumpkin season and while they are here I squeezed in another recipe, this pumpkin and chicken tagine (a Moroccan style stew). One of the signatures of a tagine dish is all of the multitude of flavours that meld together perfectly and these flavours come from the use of many spices and other ingredients; but don't let the long list of ingredients daunt you, it's actually a really easy dish to make and well worth it! I was going for a Fall theme with stew so I added some apples to the pumpkin and they complement the pumpkin nicely without overpowering it. There are usually plenty of spices in a tagine and they vary from dish to dish and for this one I went with more of a pumpkin pie spice blend with cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Tagines also commonly include dried fruit such as raisins, apricots, etc and for this fall themed tagine I went with dried cranberries. The final touch of fall comes from the pomegranate garnish which accompanies the almonds, cilantro and yogurt. This pumpkin and chicken tagine truly does taste like a wonderful melody of fall in your mouth and it is perfect comfort food for these cooling days!

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Moroccan Chicken Manchego Melt

I must be going through withdrawal, everywhere I look I see grilled cheese sandwiches including in the moroccan grilled chicken sandwich with preserved lemon tapenade and harissa mayo! Luckily I had some of everything from the sandwiches leftover and I was just itching to turn them into a grilled cheese sandwich! With the filling already decided, the moroccan grilled chicken, green olive tapenade with preserved lemon, pickled onions and harissa, that left only the cheese and I figured that I would go with a Mediterranean cheese, manchego. As you might guess just from reading the ingredients, this is one tasty grilled cheese sandwich that is just packed with flavour and it is sure to satisfy your grilled cheese cravings!

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Moroccan Grilled Chicken Sandwich with Preserved Lemon Tapenade and Harissa Mayo

When I made the Moroccan grilled chicken the other day I made a double batch because I wanted to ensure leftovers so that I could make some sandwiches. I am sure that some of you saw something like this coming when I wrote about the green olive tapenade with preserved lemon and pickled red onions since I always use ingredient recipes in another recipe shortly after. This sandwich has been on my mind for a while and it is just packed with flavour from the Moroccan grilled chicken, lemony and salty tapenade, creamy and spicy harissa mayo and tangy pickled red onions all of which is on a bed of tender baby spinach leaves in whole grain bread. This is definitely one tasty sandwich and it is well worth the effort of making the ingredients!

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Harissa

Harissa is a Tunisian hot chili sauce/paste that is gaining popularity in other countries and cuisines including Moroccan cuisine. It is typically made from piri piri chili peppers, garlic, coriander, caraway and oil and it is actually pretty easy to make at home. Although piri piri peppers are more traditional you can use pretty much any dried red chili peppers like cayenne, chilies de arbol, chipotle, guajillo so you can make harissa with whatever chili peppers that you have available. When I was first looking for harissa I could not find it so I decided to try making my own and I have been making it at home ever since! Once you have the base form of harissa down you can play around with if by changing up the peppers for different levels of heat and flavours in addition to adding other ingredients like tomatoes or roasted red peppers. I always enjoy experimenting with harissa and pretty much every batch that I make is different! I have included the recipes for a few of my favourites below including a traditional harissa, a harissa made with fresh red chili peppers along with roasted red peppers for some sweetness to balance the fiery heat and a Mexican style salsa roja take on harissa.

I use harissa in a number of my Moroccan recipes! Check out below for a list!

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Moroccan Grilled Chicken Kabobs

Up next in my summer grilling spree is some tasty chicken that is marinated in a Moroccan style spice blend. This Moroccan grilled chicken is as easy to make as marinating the chicken in lemon juice, olive oil and a blend of spices and then grilling it to perfection. The spice blend is made with a number of ingredients including a base of paprika with a touch of heat being provided by some cayenne and an hint of the exotic by the cinnamon, ginger and turmeric. Grilling the chicken only takes a few minutes so once you have it marinated you are only a few minutes always from tasty sticks of meat, almost like savoury lollipops really! This grilled chicken makes for great finger food at get-togethers and it also works well dinner.

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Moroccan Butternut Squash and Chickpea Tagine with Quinoa

While I was enjoying my ossobuco tagine, the whole wheat couscous that I served it on reminded my of quinoa and that sent mind down the path of using quinoa in a Moroccan style dish. At first I was thinking of just serving a tajine on some quinoa but why not add the quinoa directly to it so that it has more time to absorb all of the amazing flavours?

After the large holiday meals I wanted to go with something a little on the lighter side and since Spring has not blessed us with fresh local produce yet, I went with butternut squash which is still available. To that I added chickpeas which when combined with the quinoa would provide an ample amount of protein. Next up was a blend of warm spices, a touch of heat from some harissa, some sweetness from honey and raisins, some saltiness from olives and some brightness from cilantro and homemade preserved lemons.

I still felt that the meal was missing something green so I served it topped with sauteed swiss chard and a dollop of cilantro yogurt. I could not help but be reminded of a burrito bowl which led me to use try the leftovers in burrito form which along with a bit of crumbled feta was another great way to enjoy this dish.

Moroccan Butternut Squash, Chickpea and Quinoa Tagine

This butternut squash and chickpea 'tagine' with quinoa has an amazing blend of spices, flavours and textures.

Servings: makes 4 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon garlic, grated
• 1 tablespoon ginger, grated
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
• 2 1/2 cup vegetable broth, or chicken, or water
• 1 (19 ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 tablespoon harissa
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup olives, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 preserved lemon, pith removed and diced
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cups butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into bite sized pieces
• 1 handful cilantro, chopped

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a pan.
2. Add the onion and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes.
3. Add the garlic, ginger, turmeric, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper and saute until fragrant, about a minute.
4. Add the quinoa, broth, chickpeas, harissa, honey, raisins, olives, preserved lemon, salt and pepper, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.
5. Add the butternut squash and continue to simmer, covered, until tender, about 10 minutes.
6. Mix in the cilantro and remove from heat.

Similar Recipes:
Moroccan Roasted Carrot and Chickpea Quinoa Salad
Moroccan Chicken Tagine with Olives and Preserved Lemons
Moroccan Nectarine and Plum Chicken Tagine
Baby Artichoke Heart Quinoa Risotto with Shrimp and Meyer Lemon Pesto
Butter Chicken Burritos
Black Bean, Corn and Quinoa Picadillo Tacos

Ossobuco Tagine (Moroccan Style Ossobuco)

With Easter quickly approaching I figured that it was about time to start testing some dishes for my Easter menu and I had several ideas. Up first was this Moroccan style osso buco inspired by this recipe for ossobuco with prunes, apricots and saffron from What's For Lunch Honey?. I always enjoy combining cooking styles and flavours from different cuisines and I knew that if you took two already amazing dishes, ossobuco and apricot lamb tagine, and combined them that you would have a winner and I just had to try it. Ossobuco is an Italian dish where a veal shank is braised in a wine broth along with vegetables and a tajine is a North African dish that is slowly braised in a tajine and it commonly includes both sweet and savoury aspects along with a warm Moroccan spice blend. For the recipe, I started out with my ossobuco recipe and then I added some dried apricots and prunes along with a blend of warm spices. Don't let the length of the ingredients in this recipe fool you, it is actually pretty easy to make and it only requires about a half an hour of hands on time with the rest of the time spent slowly braising in the oven. The ossobuco tagine turned out really well! I have to say that the sweet and savoury aspects of this dish worked fantastically and you just scan't miss that super tender, falling of the bone veal. I served the ossobuco tajine on some whole wheat couscous and garnished it with a gremolata. This ossobuco tajine would definitely be welcome on my Easter menu!

Ossobuco Tagine

A Moroccan take on osso buco. Veal shanks braised in a sweet and savoury tomato sauce with a Moroccan spice blend.

Servings: makes 2 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours 20 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 veal shanks, with skin
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup onion, diced
• 1/2 cup carrot, diced
• 1/2 cup celery, diced
• 1 tablespoon garlic, chopped
• 1 tablespoon ginger, grated
• 1 cup white wine
• 1 cup beef or veal stock
• 1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1/4 cup dried apricots, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup prunes, coarsely chopped
• 1 tablespoon harissa
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 pinch saffron
• 2 bay leaves
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Season the veal with salt and pepper and dredge in the flour, shaking off any excess.
2. Heat the oil in a large oven proof pan over medium-high heat.
3. Brown the veal on all sides and set aside.
4. Add the onions, carrots, celery and saute over medium heat until tender, about 10-15 minutes.
5. Add the garlic and ginger and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute.
6. Add the wine and deglaze the pan.
7. Add the stock, tomatoes, tomato paste, apricots, prunes, harissa, paprika, cayenne, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, saffron, bay leaves, salt and pepper and bring to a boil.
8. Add the veal, cover, transfer to a preheated 350F oven and braise until the veal is fall off the bone tender, about 2-3 hours. Check the pot every once in a while and if the liquid drops below half way up the veal, add some more stock.

Similar Recipes:
Osso Buco
Apricot Lamb Tagine
Moroccan Lamb Tagine
Braised Short Rib Ragu
Moroccan Butternut Squash, Chickpea and Quinoa Tagine

Moroccan Roasted Carrot and Chickpea Quinoa Salad

I have been enjoying quinoa ever since I discovered it and one of my favorite ways to enjoy it is in a simple salad. I tend to add some beans to the quinoa followed by some vegetables, often roasted, a nut and then I finish it off with a dressing and some herbs. I recently came across a quinoa chickpea salad on The Whole Kitchen that both followed that basic outline and looked really good. The recipe highlighted cinnamon and I immediatly thought of Moroccan cuisine which often uses complex spice mixtures including cinnamon. Moroccan spiced roasted carrots also happened to be on my to try list so I decided to merge the two ideas and make a Moroccan roasted carrot and chickpea quinoa salad. Of course, I made my own Moroccan spice blend and to ensure though flavouring, I tossed the carrots in some before roasting them, I cooked the quinoa with some and finally I mixed some into the dressing. The roasted carrot and chickpea quinoa salad turned out very nicely! I particularly enjoyed the spice blend and how it both accentuated the sweeter aspects of the salad in the form of the carrots and the raisins and also how it added a nice bit of heat. This salad would make a nice side for many Moroccan dishes and it also goes well by itself.

Moroccan Roasted Carrot and Chickpea Quinoa Salad

(makes 4+ servings)
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
4 large carrots (peeled and slices 1/4 inch thick)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon moroccan spice blend
1/2 cup red quinoa
1/2 cup white quinoa
2 cups water (or vegetable broth)
2 teaspoons moroccan spice blend
1 cup chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
1/4 cup red onion (diced)
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup pine nuts (toasted)
1 handful parsley (chopped)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 lemon (zest and juice)
1 teaspoon moroccan spice blend
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Toss the carrots in the olive oil along with the spices.
2. Arrange the carrots in a single layer on a baking sheet.
3. Roast in a preheated 400F oven until tender, about 20-30 minutes, turning them once in the middle.
4. Simmer the quinoa in the water along with the spices until the water is absorbed, about 20 minutes.
5. Mix the carrots, quinoa, chickpeas, onion, raisins, pine nuts and parsley in a bowl.
6. Mix the olive oil, lemon juice and zest, moroccan spice blend, salt and pepper in a small bowl and then toss the salad in it.

Moroccan Spice Blend

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper

Directions:
1. Mix Everything.

Similar Recipes:
Moroccan Lamb Tagine
Corn and Black Bean Quinoa Salad
Asparagus and Shiitake Mushroom Teriyaki Quinoa Salad
Baby Artichoke Heart Quinoa Risotto with Shrimp and Meyer Lemon Pesto
Roasted Red Pepper and Feta Quinoa Salad
Moroccan Butternut Squash, Chickpea and Quinoa Tagine
Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad

Chicken and Date Pastilla

I have been wanting to try making a pastilla for a while now and when I saw a recipe for a chicken and date pastilla in this months Food & Drink magazine it was like fate as I still had a bunch of fresh medjool dates! A pastilla (aka bastilla, bisteeya, b'steeya, bstilla and b'stilla) is a sweet and savoury Moroccan meat pie that is wrapped in light and flaky phyllo dough. The pastilla contains a lot of my favorite things from a good tagine including a really nice combination of Moroccan spices, tender meat, sweet dates and raisins, slivered almonds and fresh parsley and cilantro. After the pie is baked until the phyllo is nice and golden brown, light and flaky it is dusted with icing sugar and cinnamon adding another nice layer of sweet to weave into the already complex dish. This pie takes a bit of effort to make but it is well worth the trouble! The pastilla is a perfect combination of sweet and savoury and the flavours, textures and the spicy aroma will just make you swoon. I am certainly looking forward to enjoying the leftovers!

Chicken and Date Pastilla

(makes 6+ servings)
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 pounds chicken breast (about 4 chicken breasts)
2 onions (sliced)
4 cloves garlic (chopped)
1 tablespoon cumin (toasted and ground)
2 teaspoons ginger
1 teaspoon cloves
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon chili flakes
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 pinch saffron
2 cups chicken stock
3 eggs
1 cup dates (pitted and chopped coarsely)
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup cilantro
1/4 cup parsley
1/2 cup slivered almonds (toasted)
salt and pepper to taste
8 sheets phyllo dough
1/2 cup olive oil
icing sugar and cinnamon

Directions:
1. Heat the oil in a pan.
2. Add the chicken, skin down, brown and set aside.
3. Add the onions and saute until tender, about 7-12 minutes.
4. Add the garlic, cumin, ginger, cloves, cinnamon, chili flakes, turmeric and saffron and saute until fragrant, about a minute.
5. Put the chicken back in the pan along with the stock, cover and simmer until the chicken is cooked, about 30 minutes.
6. Remove the chicken, let it cool and shred it.
7. Put the chicken back in the pan along with the eggs, dates, raisins, cilantro and almonds, mix and season with salt and pepper.
8. Place a sheet of phyllo on your working surface and brush with the olive oil.
9. Place a sheet of phyllo on top forming a plus sign and brush with olive oil and repeat until all sheets are done.
10. Place the phyllo into a 9 inch spring form pan, fill with the chicken mixture and fold the overhanging phyllo over the top sealing the pie.
11. Brush the top with olive oil.
12. Bake in a preheated 375F oven until golden brown, about 30-40 minutes.
13. Let cool and dust with icing sugar and cinnamon.

Similar Recipes:
Pomegranate and Date Lamb Tagine
Moroccan Chicken Tagine with Olives and Preserved Lemons
Chicken Pot Pie
Medjool Date Pecan Pie
Lamb Exohiko (Lamb Stuffed Phyllo Parcels)

Use leftover phyllo dough in:
Spanakopita (Greek Spinach Pie)
Mushroom and Feta Phyllo Pie
Kolokithopita (Greek Zucchini Pie)
Agginaropita (Greek Artichoke Pie)
Mushroom and Goat Cheese Strudel with Balsamic Syrup
Tomato Tart
Baklava
Apple and Cheddar Quiche
Galaktoboureko (Greek Custard Pie)
Asparagus and Walnut Phyllo Pie (aka Asparagus Baklava) with Avgolemono Sauce
Roasted Pumpkin Quiche with Caramelized Onions, Gorgonzola and Sage
Strawberry Goat Cheese Banitsa
Lamb Exohiko (Lamb, Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Phyllo Parcels)
Fiddlehead and Gruyere Tart

Pomegranate and Date Lamb Tagine

Pomegranates are in season and the grocery stores have been full of them. I had been looking forward to the pomegranates as I had been wanting to explore with them some more. Despite the fact that a lot of the recipes that I have been seeing that use pomegranates are for sweet dishes for my first recipe I was thinking about something savoury. I was remembering the pistachio crusted rack of lamb with pomegranate and port sauce that I had made a while ago and I was thinking that another take on the lamb a pomegranate combo would be just right. I was also remembering a slowly braised lamb tagine that I had recently enjoyed and the thought of the falling apart tender lamb combined with pomegranates would be really nice. For the pomegranate ingredient I decided to use pomegranate juice to braise the lamb in and then to garnish the finished dish off with pomegranate seeds. Pomegranates can be a little on the tart side so I wanted to include something sweet in the recipe to balance things out. As luck would have it, medjool dates also seem to be in season and they fit in perfectly with the Mediterranean theme that was quickly developing. From there I went with the usual components from my previous tagine dishes making sure to include some fresh mint as a part of the herb blend. The pomegranate and date lamb tagine turned out great! I made absolutely sure to simmer the lamb long enough that it was falling apart tender and this gave time for all of the flavours to mingle. The tart pomegranate and sweet medjool dates balanced and complimented each other perfectly and they went really well with the lamb and the mint finished things off perfectly. I served the pomegranate and date lamb tagine on some light and fluffy pomegranate and pistachio whole wheat couscous.

Pomegranate and Date Lamb Tagine

(makes 4 servings)
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon oil
1 pound lamb (cubed)
1 tablespoon oil
2 onions (sliced)
2 cloves garlic (chopped)
1 tablespoon ginger (grated)
2 cups pomegranate juice
1/4 preserved lemon (pith removed, and peel rinsed and sliced)
1/2 cup dates (pitted and coarsely chopped)
1 tablespoon harissa
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 pinch saffron
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup mint (chopped)
1/4 cup parsley (chopped)
1/4 cup pistachios (chopped)
1/4 cup pomegranate

Directions:
1. Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat, add the lamb, brown on all sides and set aside.
2. Heat the oil in the pan, add the onion and saute for 3 minutes.
3. Add the garlic and ginger and saute until fragrant, about a minute.
4. Add the pomegranate juice, preserved lemon, dates, harissa, paprika, cayenne pepper, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, saffron, salt and pepper, cover and simmer until the lamb it tender about 2-3 hours.
5. Remove from heat and mix in the mint and parsley.
6. Serve garnished with pistachios and pomegranate.

Slow Cooker: Optionally implement steps 1-3, place everything except the fresh herbs, pistachios and pomegranate in the slow cooker and cook on low for 6-10 hours or high for 2-4 hours before adding the fresh herbs and turning off the heat.

Similar Recipes:
Apricot Lamb Tagine
Moroccan Nectarine and Plum Chicken Tagine
Lamb Chops with Pomegranate and Red Wine Sauce
Pistachio Crusted Rack of Lamb
Medjool Date Pecan Pie
Chicken and Date Pastilla
Pomegranate and Roasted Tomato Bulgur Salad

Moroccan Nectarine and Plum Chicken Tagine

I have been into Moroccan food lately and in particular tagines. A tagine is a clay pot that is really good at braising and any dish made in a tagine is also called a tagine. Moroccan tagines very commonly include dried fruits such as prunes, dates, apricots, raisins etc. which typically add a really nice sweetness to the dish. I had not even thought about using fresh fruit in a tagine and when I came across the idea for a Moroccan nectarine and plum chicken dish on Christie's Corner I knew that I would have to try it. Given that summer is done and it's fruits are quickly disappearing from the markets I had to act quickly and the dish made it to my meal plan right away. I was in luck as the farmers market was still full of both the fresh locally grown plums and nectarines. I pretty much just took my standard Moroccan tagine recipe and replaced most of the dried fruit with fresh cut pieces of the nectarines and the plums. I did however leave some raisins in the tagine as I was a bit worried that the fresh fruit would not bring as much sweetness to the dish as the dried. The fresh nectarines and plums worked really well in the chicken tagine! The fruit pretty much broke down and formed the base of a thick and tasty sauce. The sauce was a really nice blend of fruity sweet, spicy and salty with many layers of flavour and it went really well with the chicken. I served the chicken tagine on some cilantro whole wheat couscous.

Moroccan Nectarine and Plum Chicken Tagine

(makes 4 servings)
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon oil
4 chicken thighs (bone in and skin on)
1 tablespoon oil
2 onions (sliced)
2 cloves garlic (chopped)
1 teaspoon ginger (grated)
4 nectarines(stoned and sliced)
4 plums (stoned and chopped)
1/2 cup water (or chicken stock)
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 pinch saffron
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 preserved lemon (pith removed, and peel rinsed and sliced)
1/4 cup kalamata olives (chopped)
1 tablespoon harissa
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 cup parsley (chopped)
1/4 cup cilantro (chopped)

Directions:
1. Heat the oil in a large pan.
2. Add the chicken, brown on all sides and set aside.
3. Heat the oil in a large pan.
4. Add the onion, and saute for 3 minutes.
5. Add the garlic and ginger and saute until fragrant, about a minute.
6. Add the nectarines, plums, water, paprika, cayenne pepper, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, saffron, salt and pepper, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
7. Add the chicken, preserved lemon, olives, harissa and honey and simmer, covered, for 25 minutes.
8. Remove from heat and mix in the parsley and cilantro.

Similar Recipes:
Moroccan Chicken Tagine with Olives and Preserved Lemons
Apricot Lamb Tagine
Moroccan Lamb Tagine
Artichoke and Fava Bean Tagine
Moroccan Butternut Squash, Chickpea and Quinoa Tagine

Artichoke and Fava Bean Tagine

I have slowly been getting into Moroccan cuisine and I have really been enjoying it. In particular I have really been liking the spice blends and flavour combinations in Moroccan tagines. A tagine is a dish that is made in a tagine clay cooking pot that is particularly good at braising. Despite the fact that I do not have an authentic tagine I have been enjoying all of the flavours that slowly braising the ingredients brings out. A while ago I came across a recipe for an artichoke and fava bean tagine on Elra's Cooking that sounded good. I have really been into artichokes lately and I had been wanting to do more with fava beans so it did not take much to get me to add this to my meal plan. The only problem was that the locally grown fava beans had yet to make an appearance so I patiently waited for them. This weekend I found the fava beans and immediatly picked some up.

I had really liked the chicken tagine with olives and preserved lemons that I had made a while ago so I decided to start with that recipe and treat it more like a vegetarian tagine with the artichoke hearts and the fava beans forming the base. Next up was the flavours of the olives, raisins and preserved lemons followed by a nice Moroccan spice blend and some harissa and honey for a bit of heat and some sweetness. I served the artichoke and fava bean tagine on some whole wheat couscous and I garnished it with some chopped parsley, mint and almonds. The artichoke and fava bean tagine turned out really well! What an amazing blend of flavours and textures! The tagine was just packed with flavour and the artichoke hearts and fava beans worked really well in it. I am glad to have found another recipe to enjoy fava beans and this recipe will definitely be on my list of things to make with fava beans in the years to come. I am now looking forward to exploring even Moroccan cuisine.

Artichoke and Fava Bean Tagine

(makes 2 main dish servings or 4 side dish servings)
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup onion (chopped)
1 clove garlic (chopped)
1 teaspoon ginger (grated)
1 cup artichoke hearts (quartered)
1 cup fava beans
1/4 cup green olives
1/2 preserved lemon (pith removed and chopped)
1/2 cup raisins
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 tablespoon harissa
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 cup vegetable broth
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup parsley (chopped)
1/4 cup mint (chopped)
1/4 cup almonds (toasted and chopped)

Directions:
1. Heat the oil in a pan.
2. Add the onion and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes.
3. Add the garlic and ginger and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute.
4. Add the artichoke hearts, fava beans, olives, preserved lemon, raisins, cumin, cinnamon, turmeric, harissa, honey and vegetable broth and bring to a boil.
5. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 10-20 minutes.
6. Remove from heat and stir in the parley and mint and garnish with chopped almonds.

Similar Recipes:
Moroccan Chicken Tagine with Olives and Preserved Lemons
Apricot Lamb Tagine
Moroccan Lamb Tagine
Moroccan Nectarine and Plum Chicken Tagine

Moroccan Chicken Tagine with Olives and Preserved Lemons

I first started coming across recipes that used preserved lemons like this dish for a Moroccan tagine with preserved lemons and olives, about this time last year. The idea of preserved lemons was very intriguing and I just had to try them. Since I was not able to find any preserved lemons I finally decided to just make some myself and my first batch was ready to try. Olives are a food that I really enjoy but I rarely seem to cook with them so this dish was on the top of my list of recipes to try using the preserved lemons. Besides, it was the perfect excuse to pick up some nice quality olives to snack on at the same time. To top it all off this dish is braised so the chickens juices drip into the sauce and all of the flavours have a good chance to mingle and get to know each other including those amazing Moroccan spices.

This dish takes a little bit of time and effort, but not too much, and it is well worth it. The Moroccan chicken tagine with olives and lemon preserves turned out really well! Everything mixed together to form a tasty symphony of flavour in your mouth. Every time I try a dish with a Moroccan spice blend I am liking them more and more. I don't normally use so many spices in a single dish but the Moroccan spice blends seem to work really well. I really liked the touch of heat that the harissa brought to the table and the sweetness of the honey balanced it out well. The preserved lemon peel had a nice texture and really brought the lemon flavour to the dish. Overall I really enjoyed this dish and I look forward to enjoying the leftovers.

I now have a jar and a half of preserved lemons and I would certainly like to hear how you enjoy your preserved lemons.

Moroccan Chicken Tagine with Olives and Preserved Lemons

(makes 4 servings)
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 pinch saffron
salt and pepper to taste
1 whole chicken (cut into 8 pieces, or chicken thighs or breasts)
1 tablespoon oil
1 onion (sliced)
2 cloves garlic (chopped)
1 teaspoon ginger (grated)
1/2 cup water (or chicken stock)
1 preserved lemon (pith removed, and peel rinsed and sliced)
1 cup olives
1 tablespoon harissa
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 cup parsley (chopped)
1/4 cup cilantro (chopped)

Directions:
1. Mix the paprika, cayenne pepper, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, saffron, salt and pepper and rub it into the chicken.
2. Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat add the chicken and brown on all sides and set aside.
3. Add the onion, and saute for 3 minutes.
4. Add the garlic and ginger and saute until fragrant, about a minute.
5. Add the water, chicken, preserved lemon, olives, harissa and honey, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
6. Remove from heat and mix in the parsley and cilantro.

Slow Cooker: Optionally implement steps 1-4, place everything except the parsley and cilantro in the slow cooker and cook on low for 6-10 hours or high for 2-4 hours before adding the parsley and cilantro and turning off the heat.

Note: You will probably want to go easy on the salt as the lemons are preserved in a lot of salt and the olives are pretty salty as well.

Similar Recipes:
Artichoke and Fava Bean Tagine
Chicken Cacciatore (Hunter Style Chicken)
Apricot Lamb Tagine
Moroccan Lamb Tagine
Moroccan Nectarine and Plum Chicken Tagine
Chicken Baked in Green Tomato and Jalapeno Jam
Chicken and Date Pastilla
Moroccan Butternut Squash, Chickpea and Quinoa Tagine
Pumpkin and Chicken Tagine

Apricot Lamb Tagine

After the pistachio crusted rack of lamb I was thinking about lamb even more. My thoughts naturally came the the Moroccan lamb tagine that I made and enjoyed so much last year. This lamb tagine uses a wonderful blend of Moroccan spices to season the meat before it is braised until it is nice and fall apart tender. Near the end of the cooking some dried fruits and honey are added for a bit of sweetness and some harissa is added for some chili heat. The combination of the flavourful slow braised lamb with the spices and the sweet dried fruit and the warmth is simply amazing and I was salivating at the thought of making it again this year. This time I changed things up just a little. The last time that I made this I used various dried fruits and I chopped them up so that they melted into the sauce. This year I decided to focus on apricots and I left them whole to add a nice change in texture and bursts of apricot flavour to the stew. I also decided to drop the carrots in favour of having the vegetables on the side.

This years apricot lamb tagine easily lived up to my memories of last years and I was thoroughly satisfied! The lamb was perfectly fall apart tender and oh so tasty. All of the flavours in the pot had plenty of time to mingle and get to know each other over the hours of simmering and the lamb was infused with the wonderful results. Despite the strong flavours in the sauce the taste of the lamb still came through and it really works well in this dish. Of course I served the lamb tagine on a bed of light and fluffy whole wheat couscous and I garnished it with some chopped cilantro and pistachios.

I hope everyone has a great Easter!

Apricot Lamb Tagine

(makes 4 servings)
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 pinch saffron
1 teaspoon lemon (zest)
1 tablespoon oil
1 pound lamb (cut into bite sized pieces)
1 tablespoon oil
1 onion (chopped)
1 tablespoon garlic (grated)
1 tablespoon ginger (grated)
2 tablespoons tomato paste (I used chopped sun dried tomatoes)
1-2 cups beef stock
3/4 cup dried apricots
1/2 cup raisins
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons harissa
1/4 cup pistachios (chopped, optional)
1/4 cup cilantro (chopped, optional)
1/4 cup parsley (chopped, optional)
1 cup Greek style yogurt (optional)

Directions:
1. Mix the paprika, turmeric, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, cardamom, salt, cayenne pepper, saffron, lemon zest and oil in a ziplock bag along with the lamb, mix well and marinate the fridge for a few hours to overnight.
2. Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-hight heat add the lamb, brown well on all sides and set aside.
3. Add the onion and saute until tender, about 5 minutes.
4. Add the garlic and ginger and saute for about a minute.
5. Add the lamb and tomato paste and beef stock, bring to a boil, reduce the meat and simmer covered until the lamb is fall apart tender, about 2-3 hours.
6. Add the apricots, raisins and more beef stock to cover.
7. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes.
8. Add the honey and harissa.
9. Serve on couscous and garnished with pistachios, cilantro, parsley and Greek yogurt.

Slow Cooker: Implement step 1, optionally implement steps 2-4, place everything except the garnishes in the slow cooker and cook on low for 6-10 hours or high for 2-4 hours.

Similar Recipes:
Moroccan Lamb Tagine
7 Chili Chili
Beef Rendang
Moroccan Chicken Tagine with Olives and Preserved Lemons
Artichoke and Fava Bean Tagine
Moroccan Nectarine and Plum Chicken Tagine
Braised Short Rib Ragu
Ossobuco Tagine
Pumpkin and Chicken Tagine

Moroccan Lamb Tagine

Recently I have come across several Moroccan dishes that have sounded pretty interesting. They are interesting because they tend to include a lot of spices and flavour combinations that I would not normally think of using. The Moroccan dishes also used dried fruit and harissa for some sweetness and some heat.

I have also come across several tagine dishes. A tagine is a clay pot with a lid that braises meat very efficiently. The tagine can be baked in the oven or it can be cooked on the stove if the tagine has a metal bottom.

In the end I decided to go with a Moroccan lamb tagine. This dish could also be made with beef but I went with lamb since there is a lot of nice looking lamb in the stores now. Since I don't have a tagine I braised the meat in a covered pot at low heat on the stove. The Moroccan inspired lamb tagine turned out really well. The flavour combinations were really amazing. The spices, the sweetness and the heat all balanced out well. I served the lamb tagine on lemon and mint couscous and garnished it with toasted almonds and cilantro and parsley. Overall it was a very tasty meal.

Moroccan Lamb Tagine

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1 pinch saffron
1 lemon (zest)
1 tablespoon oil
1 pound lamb (cut into bite sized pieces)
1 tablespoon oil
1 onion (chopped)
3 cloves garlic (chopped)
1 tablespoon ginger (grated)
2 tablespoons tomato paste (I used chopped sun dried tomatoes)
1-2 cups beef stock
2 carrots (cut into bite sized pieces)
1/2 cup dried apricots (chopped)
1/2 cup dried dates (chopped)
1/2 cup dried figs (chopped)
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons harissa
1 tablespoon cilantro (chopped)
1 tablespoon parsley (chopped)
1 tablespoon toasted almond slices

Directions:
1. Mix the paprika, turmeric, cumin, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, salt, ginger, garlic, coriander, saffron, lemon zest and oil in a ziplock bag, add the lamb, mix well and marinate the fridge for a few hours to overnight.
2. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat, add the lamb, brown well on all sides and set aside.
3. Add the onions and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes.
4. Add the garlic and ginger and saute for about a minute.
5. Add the lamb, tomato paste, beef stock, carrots, apricots, dates and figs bring to a boil, reduce the meat and simmer covered until the lamb is fall apart tender, about 2-3 hours.
6. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the carrots are tender, about 20 minutes.
7. Add the honey and harissa.
8. Serve garnished with cilantro, parsley and toasted almonds.

Slow Cooker: Optionally implement steps 1-4, place everything except the cilantro, parsley and almond in the slow cooker and cook on low for 6-10 hours or high for 2-4 hours.

Lemon and Mint Couscous

Ingredients:
1 cup water
1 cup couscous
1 lemon (juice)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon mint (chopped)

Directions:
1. Bring the water to a boil and mix in the couscous.
2. Turn off the heat, cover and let sit for 5 minutes.
3. Mix the lemon juice and oil in a bowl.
4. Mix the lemon and oil mixture and mint into the couscous.

Similar Recipes:
Irish Lamb Stew
Apricot Lamb Tagine
Moroccan Chicken Tagine with Olives and Preserved Lemons
Artichoke and Fava Bean Tagine
Moroccan Nectarine and Plum Chicken Tagine
Moroccan Roasted Carrot and Chickpea Quinoa Salad
Ossobuco Tagine
Pumpkin and Chicken Tagine