Why Do I Bother?

If you know me at all, you know I love to cook. If you don’t know me, any of my friends will tell you that I’m pretty good at it. Last night was no exception, if I must say so myself.

It’s called Tagine. A Tagine is a portable oven used in moroccan cooking. It’s also the name of a dish made from vegetables and meat. I cooked the meat separately this time, but I’m sure it would be terrific in the pot. It’s funny, I’m not really a big vegetable eater and some of the vegetables in this dish are not very appealing to me, but the combination of the vegetables and the spices makes this something special. You have to try it.

Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into chunks
1/2 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small butternut squash, peeled and chopped (I cubed mine into about 1/2 inch cubes)
1 can garbonzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 can diced tomatoes with juice
1 can vegetable broth (I used chicken broth this time because that’s what I had)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspon salt
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 dash cayenne pepper

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and cook the chicken, onion, and garlic about 15 minutes unil browned.

Mix the squash, garbonzo beans, carrot, tomatoes with juice, broth, sugar, and lemon juice in the skillet. Season with salt, coriander, and cayenne pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil and continue cooking 30 minutes until vegetables are tender.

This really should be served over cous cous, but I used some home made moroccan bread instead. If you try this recipe, tell me how you like it.

Tags: Cooking & Recipes, Home //