This Tagine took an Indian detour I used mung beans I soaked for 3 days instead of chickpeas or lentils, but you can use whatever bean you like. I included a split mung bean for this one. Much easier. It has olives, red peppers, onions, carrots, red potatoes, and seasoned with a Ras El Hanout meaning “head of the shop” Before you go out and buy and traditional Tagine you must soak it over night, you must seasoned it with olive oil and cook it empty with top on in the oven on 350 for 2 hours, you must then let it cool for 2 hours in the oven. Then take it out and allow it to cool down for about another hour. once you have done this you will enjoy some amazing North African cuisine with such earthy flavors from the benefit of using a natural terra cotta Tagine.

Dinner tonight : Moroccan Vegetarian Tagine. All flavors of your palette will celebrate I put the tagine over a bed of coucous with moroccan spices and dried fruit.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil , divided
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 sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1 1/2 cups of split mung beans
1/2 cup of chopped onions
1/2 cup of chopped carrots
1/2 cup of chopped red bell peppers
1/2 cup of chopped dried apricots
1/2 cup of dried cranberries
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1 tbsp of cilantro (garnished, optional)
1 lemon, zested
1/2 cup of vegetable broth
1 cup of crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon water

Simply oil the bottom of tagine with 1 tbs of oil
Take all the spices and add them in a bowl and mix the blend throughly. .
Add the mung beans at the bottom ( season them)
Start layering ingredients (lightly season each layer as you go)
Add the potatoes, carrots, peppers, onions, apricots, dried cranberries and garlic.
In a cup mix the crushed tomatoes, vegetable broth, lemon zest and grated ginger.
Add half of the spices to the tomato mix and pour over the veggies.
And gently mix through the veggies keeping the mung beans and potatoes at the bottom.
Drizzle the remaining oil over top and sprinkle about a tablespoon of spices over top the rest of the dish.
Place the Tagine with top into the oven.
Bake on 350 for 1 1/2 hours.

Make Dried Fruit Israeli Couscous

Ingredients:

2 cups water
1 cup Israeli couscous
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup of chopped dried apricots
1/2 cup of dried cranberries
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of cloves
1/2 teaspoon of ginger powder
1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt

Method:

Bring water to a boil.
Add couscous, oil and salt.Stir to combine.
Simmer for 10 to 12 minutes or until tender to the bite.
Drain and add cinnamon, clove and ginger powder and gently stir couscous to blend spices.

Get a pretty bowl add couscous in the bottom of bowl and top with Tagine and garnished with cilantro or some lemon zest.

Enjoy!