Moroccan Fall Veggie Tagine
Recipe Blog Post
Ingredients
(* indicates my preferred ingredients – see notes for alternatives)
4 tablespoons O&V Roasted Garlic Oil or Moroccan Spice Oil *
1 medium yellow onion, diced
6-8 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup sweet potato cubes (peeled and cubed)
¾ cup butternut squash, cubed
1 red bell pepper, chopped
½ cauliflower head, cut into bite sized florets
2 tomatoes, de-seeded and chopped
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
¾ cup dried apricots, chopped (optional)
2 cups green beans, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 lemon, zested, and then juiced
¾ cup vegetable stock
1 teaspoon salt (more to taste)
Tagine Spice Mix
1 tablespoon cumin powder
1 tablespoon coriander powder
1½ tablespoons garlic powder
½ teaspoon ginger powder
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (use more to increase to your desired level of heat)
¾ tablespoon cardamom powder
¼ teaspoon clove powder
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 ½ teaspoons fennel powder
½ teaspoon O&V Smoked Paprika *
Garnish
½ cup slivered almonds, toasted
¼ cup cilantro, chopped
Pinch of O&V Smoked Paprika *
Preparation
Combine the tagine spice mix in a bowl. Chop, cube or mince all the vegetables. Preheat oven to 350F
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large heavy based, oven safe pot over medium high heat. Add the sweet potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally until lightly browned on each side. Remove to a large bowl. (See Chef Tip)
Add oil if needed, and similarly cook the butternut squash till golden brown, and place in the same bowl with potatoes. Then, adding more oil if needed, sauté the bell peppers and cauliflower until cauliflower is lightly browned and move to same bowl.
Lower heat to medium and adding more oil if needed, add the onion and garlic to the empty pan and cook till onion is translucent. Add the spices and allow to bloom in the oil for about 1 minute. Then add ½ cup of water and stir until most of the water has evaporated and the spices are fragrant (see Chef Tip).
Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.
Add back all the sautéed vegetables from the bowl (sweet potato, butternut squash, bell peppers, cauliflower). Add the vegetable stock and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and then cover the pot
Transfer the pot to the oven for 30 minutes (you can also simmer on the stove without stirring)
Remove carefully from the oven, add the green beans, chickpeas and dried apricots if using, and simmer on the stove top for 10-15 minutes uncovered.
Gently stir in 2-3 tablespoons of lemon juice and all the lemon zest and serve warm over couscous or quinoa or rice or even with store-bought naan bread.
Garnish with a sprinkle of toasted almonds, cilantro and a pinch of paprika
Serves 8-10
Active time 50 minutes Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Chef Tip
While it is tempting to put all the vegetables into the pan at the same time and sauté together, you will not regret the effort of pan roasting each vegetable separately to give them color. Color equals flavor.
Adding water after blooming the spices in oil briefly, allows them to develop their aroma and taste without burning. It is an often-used trick in Indian and Middle-Eastern cooking that allows dry spices to fully develop flavor without risk of burning.
Notes
* The Roasted garlic oil adds a nice additional layer of garlicky flavor while the Moroccan Spice adds another layer of aromatic spices to the dish. The Smoked Paprika adds depth and color to the dish. You can use an Unflavored EVOO and add more garlic and another high-quality paprika
All highlighted products are available at Oil & Vinegar stores
Categories: Entrée, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Moroccan Flavors, Easy Tagine, Vegetarian, Vegan, Butternut Squash, Sweet Potato, Smoked Paprika, Moroccan Spice Oil, Roasted Garlic Oil, Middle Eastern Flavors, Tagine Spice Mix
