Taginius

[madbaker]

This week's Resolution Recipe: Butternut Squash Tagine.

(Hey, I've been doing Resolution Recipes for over ten years. Cut me a little slack.)
1 Tbsp oil
1 onion, diced
1 Tbsp garlic, minced (Ha! I used... more.)
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, grated
1/2 tsp turmeric (I used several threads saffron)
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cayenne (I used a "Berbere seasoning mix" from Penzey's that's fairly thermonuclear)
1 cup couscous or quinoa
2 1/2 cup broth
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 Tbsp harissa (I omitted. See Berbere comment.)
1 Tbsp honey
1/4 cup raisins (I omitted. The wife does not like them.)
1/4 cup olives, coarsely chopped
1/4 salted lemon, diced
2 cups butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 handful cilantro, chopped

Heat the oil in a pan very large Dutch oven. Add the onion and garlic and saute until tender. Add the ginger, turmeric, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper. Saute until fragrant, about a minute. Add the couscous, broth, chickpeas, harissa, honey, raisins, olives, salted lemon, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and top with cilantro.

What worked: This was very good. I expected it to as this is a fairly common dish in our house. Usually we roast the squash beforehand; skipping that step might produce less flavor, but it was also a lot less work so I may keep that.

What didn't: It was a bit on the soupy side for the amount of couscous.

Will I make it again? I'm sure.