Chickpea and Date Tagine

A tagine is a dish from North Africa, that is named after the special earthenware pot in which it is cooked.  The traditional tajine pot is formed entirely of a heavy clay. It consists of two parts: a base unit that is flat and circular with low sides, and a large cone or dome-shaped cover that sits on the base during cooking. The cover is so designed to promote the return of all condensation to the bottom. With the cover removed, the base can be taken to the table for serving.

You don't have to own one of these to make this dish...I don't. This wonderful tagine that I picked combines sweet and savory foods to play off the spices used to season them. The dates in the couscous are just fabulous!

Serves 8

1 Tbs. olive oil

1 large onion, diced (2 cups)

4 cloves garlic, minced (4 tsp.)

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. ground coriander

1 tsp. ground ginger

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 15-oz. can crushed tomatoes

3 cups cooked chickpeas or 2 15-oz. cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1 cup whole-wheat couscous

1 cup pitted dates, halved

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Directions

1. Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, and cook 10 minutes, or until starting to brown, stirring often. Stir in garlic, cumin, coriander, ginger, and cinnamon, and sauté 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, chickpeas, and 1/4 cup water; simmer 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, toast couscous in small saucepan over medium heat 5 minutes, or until fragrant. Add 13/4 cups water, and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand 5 minutes.

3. Stir dates and lemon juice into tagine, and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Serve over couscous, sprinkled with cilantro.

Nutritional Information

Per serving (1 cup stew and 1/2 cup couscous): Calories: 400, Protein: 15g, Total fat: 5g, Saturated fat: <1g, Carbs: 81g, Cholesterol: mg, Sodium: 378mg, Fiber: 15g, Sugars: 29g

Yummy! Kids loved the sweetness from the dates..and they love chickpeas in any dish so it was a hit at the dinner table!!

Until next time....XOXO!