straight up veg

During the Autumn season, I get to enjoy the leaves changing colours, wear my comfy sweaters and boots and most importantly I get to eat some of my favourite, hearty meals.

At the start of the summer, my mom generously bought me a beautiful ceramic Tagine, and I’ve been aching to use it. Since Autumn is just a couple days away, the markets are already selling some of the beautiful produce of the season. I thought this tagine dish would be perfect to highlight these ingredients.

What is a Tagine? It is a type of North African dish and it is cooked in a ceramic or clay pot with a cone shaped lid, also called a tagine. The dish is a slow cooked stew that includes vegetables, spices, fruits and nuts (and usually meat). This is a perfect dish to make in bulk and keep for weekly lunches or a big family dinner.

**Feel free to click on the links for photo references**

Recipe makes approx. 4 servings 

INGREDIENTS

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup red onion, sliced
• 1 tbsp garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp ginger, minced
• 10 dried apricots, halved
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp honey (substitute: Agave syrup)
• 1 tbsp ras el hanout (North African spice blend)
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1 cup carrot, slicked thick
• 1 cup butternut squash, cubed
• 1 cup acorn squash, cubed (substitute: pumpkin, parsnips, sweet potato etc.)
• 1 cup cauliflower, large pieces
• 1 cup tomato, cubed
• 1 cup brussels sprouts, halved
• 1 cup chickpeas (canned or pre-soaked)
• 2 tsp salt (or salt to taste)
• parsley, mint, slivered almonds, sumac to garnish

1. In a tagine or pot, heat up olive oil on medium heat. Add onions, garlic and ginger and saute till soft and fragrant
2. Add dried apricots, ras el hanout, paprika, tomato paste and honey. Stir together for approx. 3 minutes
3. Add vegetables, chickpeas, salt and 2 1/2 cups of water. Stir and cover with lid. Cook on medium-high heat for approx 30 minutes. Stir every 5 minutes.
4. Add garnish of sumac, parsley, mint and almonds before serving with bread or couscous. Enjoy! 🙂