Crazy Sexy Veggie Tagine
Kris Carr's Photo of Tagine
(original recipe, Kris Carr, Crazy Sexy Kitchen)
This is a nice comforting, warming dish for a cool day. In terms of difficulty, KC rates it as a "2" or "Cheffy" - a dish best "for the more adventurous kitchen voyager who loves to impress their hot-date or mother-in-law.
A tagine is a traditional North African dish, named after the pot used for cooking it. Hot & sweet spices, raisins, and herbs give this recipe an aromatic kick. Feel free to swap out the veggies for your favorites, or whatever's camping out in your crisper, but try to stay true to the rest of the ingredients (you won't be disappointed!)” - KC
Ingredients: It has a lot of ingredients, true, but don't let that put you off, really, it's a "one pot meal" which I love and I find pretty simple to make, just allow yourself the time to be present while making it.
1 teaspoon of cumin seeds (or half teaspoon ground)
1 teaspoon coriander seeds (or 2/3 tsp ground)
Half a teaspoon of red pepper flakes (adjust to desired spiciness)
Half a teaspoon of turmeric powder
Half a teaspoon of cinnamon powder
Half a teaspoon of black pepper
Half a teaspoon of sea salt
3 Tablespoons of virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
2 cups of vegetable stock (make your own or use water)
Half a cup of carrots, peeled & diced1 cup of sweet potato, peeled & dicedHalf a cup of turnip or russet potato, peeled & diced,
Half a cup of pitted (& chopped) olives* - I confess I didn't notice the "chopped" part until just now and left them whole, it was great, you decide how you want your olives
2 cups of cooked chickpeas* - (canned or home cooked)
One 6-ounce jar of baby artichokes, strained & rinsed & quartered (we couldn't find a jar, so we used a can and used it over two batches of this recipe)
3 Tablespoons of lemon zest3 Tablespoons of chopped parsley plus more to garnish2 Tablespoons of chopped mint plus more to garnishSea Salt to taste
Red chile, thinly sliced (optional, adjust based on desired spiciness)
(Note, we made this a second time to use up the leftover artichokes and steered off the rules a bit - this time including some kale and saffron, they were nice additions... if you are in the mood for a little rule "breaking" make this your own & add your favorites)
*It’s ok to use other legumes if chickpeas aren’t your favorite.
**Sacha tip: Add a squeeze of fresh lemon or lime (Vit C helps you to absorb plant based iron).
How To:
Toast cumin seeds and coriander seeds in a dry saute pan until aromatic (you can toast ground spices as well, but be sure not to burn them). If using seeds, once toasted, transfer to a small spice or coffee grinder and add the red pepper flakes, turmeric, cinnamon, black pepper & sea salt. Grind 'til slightly coarse. Set aside.
In a large heavy-bottomed shallow pot or deep skillet (cast iron works best) on medium heat, add your oil, onion & garlic. Cook until onions are translucent & golden, stirring continuously for about 3-4 minutes.
Reduce heat to medium-low, add the spices, tomato paste, vegetable stock, carrots, sweet potatoes & potato/turnip.
Cover and simmer for about 25 minutes or until the root veggies are tender. (Cooking time varies based on the thickness of chopped veggies).
When the root veggies are tender, add the olives, chickpeas, artichokes, lemon zest and raisins.
Continue simmering for about 5-8 minutes. Liquid should be reduced and your dish thicker at this point.
Add parsley, cilantro, mint & sea salt, folding in all the herbs.
Cover & remove from heat.
Taste and add more salt if needed.
Serve in lovely ceramic bowls and garnish with lemon zest, sliced red chile, and fresh herbs if desired.
Squeeze fresh lemon or lime on each serving.
Sit down to eat. Chew well, smile, breathe.