Squash and Chickpea Moroccan Stew

Saying Goodbye to Never-Never Land


Q: At what point in life are you officially "grown up"?
A: When it somehow seems more exhausting and troublesome to attend a birthday party at a bar at 10pm, than to prepare a vegetarian Moroccan stew from scratch on a work night to make up for not showing up to your friend's 30th.

But it gets worse.

I wasn't COMPLETELY satisfied until I'd harassed my lovely guests into agreeing to take leftovers (which I packed for them) so that they'd have healthy, well rounded lunches for the next day.

Oy.

Squash and Chickpea Moroccan Stew
(Adapted from this recipe at SmittenKitchen)

(serves 6-8)
Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, small dice
• 4 medium cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound butternut squash, large dice
• 2 red potatoes, large dice
• 1 small head of cauliflower, florets
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• 2 cups cooked chickpeas, drained (& rinsed if using canned)
• 1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes, with juices (if you want a more subtle stew, use 28oz)
• Pinch saffron threads (optional)
• 1 preserved lemon, (seeds and rind removed) finely chopped
• 1 cup brined green olives (I used Cerignola but Kalamta would be delicious also)
• 2 cups uncooked quinoa
• 3 cups water
• 1/4 cup slivered toasted almonds ( I did not use these, as one of my guests has a nut allergy, but I think they'd add wonderful flavor)
• Plain 0% fat Greek yogurt, for garnish

Preparation:

Quinoa

• Soak quinoa in water for 5 minutes, then use a mesh strainer to drain.
• Add fresh water & quinoa into a large sauce pot bring to a boil, cover
• Simmer for 15 minutes or until water is completely absorbed

Squash & Potatoes

• Preheat oven to 400F
• Spread squash and potatoes onto a baking sheet
• Mist with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper
• Roast for 30 minutes or until soft (but not completely cooked)

Stew

• Heat butter and olive oil in a 3- to 4-quart Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed saucepan with a tight fitting lid over medium heat.
• When oil shimmers, add onion, garlic, cumin, and cinnamon, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Cook, stirring occasionally, until spices are aromatic and onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
• Add cauliflower, and cook another 5 minutes
• Add roasted squash and potatoes, broth, chickpeas, tomatoes and their juices, and saffron, if using.
• Bring mixture to a boil then reduce heat to low.
• Cover and simmer until squash is fork tender, about 20 minutes- you can give it longer to let the flavors marry
• Remove from heat and stir in preserved lemon and olives.
• Serve over quinoa
• Garnish with almonds and yogurt
• Marvel at how full you are despite eating only veggies and whole grains!