Spicy Pumpkin and Lentil Tagine

This recipe comes from the collection from Australia's National Vegetarian Week campaign.

National Vegetarian Week aims to encourage people to pledge to "try veg" for the week and see the benefits that eating a meat-free diet brings.

This dish takes around 15 minutes to prepare, and about 40 minutes to cook, but is worth it.

Spicy Pumpkin and Lentil Tagine

Ingredients:


1 tbsp sunflower oil
1 brown onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground sumac
1 tsp ground coriander
¼ tsp ground chilli (optional)
420g can low salt diced tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato paste
½ tsp sugar
¼ cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
¼ cup coriander leaves, chopped
400g can brown lentils (drained and rinsed)
600g butternut pumpkin, seeded and chopped into 2cm pieces

Method:


1. Heat oil in a large saucepan, add the onion and cook over low heat until softened. Add the garlic, cook for a few seconds, then stir in the ground spices. Cook for 30 seconds, add the tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, half the parsley and coriander.

2. Add the lentils and chopped pumpkin, stir well, then cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the pumpkin is tender.

3. Sprinkle with remaining parsley and coriander to serve.

4. Serve with couscous with currants and almonds.

Per serve: 775kJ (185cal); Protein 5g; Total Fat 11g; Saturated Fat 1g; Carbohydrate 14g; Total Sugars 9g; Sodium 170mg; Potassium 750mg; Calcium 60mg; Iron 2.1mg; Fibre 4g.

Source: http://www.vegetarianweek.com.au/HealthyEatingTips/Recipes/Spicy-Pumpkin-and-Lentil-Tagine.aspx


Serves: 4-6.
Rating:

Couscous with Vegetable Tagine

Essentially, it's a variation on the previous two tagine recipes, but this one cooks in 16 minutes (10 minutes prep time), so it's a good "quick" meal.

It's a wonderful vegan dish. If you wanted to, you could subsutite the chickpeas for brown lentils or even do half and half.

Couscous with Vegetable Tagine

Ingredients:

olive oil
1 onion, thickly sliced
1 red capsicum, seeded and roughly chopped
4 long, thin eggplant, sliced
2 zucchini, halved lengthways, sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 teaspoon ground cumin
400g can whole tomatoes
1 1/2 cups (300g) couscous
2 cups boiling water
salt and pepper
400g can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup chopped coriander
chopped flat-leaf parsley, to serve

Method:


1. Heat a little olive oil in a large deep frying pan over medium-low heat. Add the onion, capsicum, eggplant and zucchini and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and cumin. Cook, stirring, for a further minute then stir in the canned tomatoes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer and cook for 8-10 minutes or until vegetables are quite tender.

2. Meanwhile, place the couscous in a large heatproof bowl and pour over 2 cups boiling water. Cover with plastic wrap and stand for 5 minutes. Remove plastic wrap from the couscous and add 1 tablespoon olive oil, and salt and pepper, fluffing up with a fork to separate the grains.
Once the vegetables are tender, add the chickpeas and coriander and cook for 2 minutes to warm through.

3. Serve the couscous topped with the vegetable tagine and scatter with chopped flat-leaf parsley, to serve.

Source: http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/18795/couscous+with+vegetable+tagine

Serves: 4
Rating:

Tagine of Pumpkin and Chickpeas

My mother claimed that she had "scoured the internet" for tagine recipes and had come up with only three recipes. So, that meant there was a challenge to find as many recipes as I could for her. In the process, I came across a few vegan and vegetarian recipes that sounded interesting. Here is the first of many!

This dish is very aromatic and beautifully sweet.

Definition courtesy of Wikipedia:

"A tagine or tajine (pronounced /tɑːˈʒiːn/; Arabic: طاجين, pronounced [tˁaːdʒiːn]) is a type of dish found in the North African cuisines of Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia, which is named after the special pot in which it is cooked. The traditional tagine pot is formed entirely of a heavy clay which is sometimes painted or glazed. It consists of two parts; a base unit which is flat and circular with low sides, and a large cone or dome-shaped cover that rests inside 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."

Tagine of Pumpkin and Chickpeas

Ingredients:

1 cup chickpeas, soaked overnight *
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter **
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, sliced
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
1 cinnamon stick
1/4 tsp dried chilli flakes
1/4 tsp saffron threads, steeped in 100ml hot water
500g pumpkin, peeled and cut into large pieces
2 waxy potatoes, peeled and cut in half
half a 400g tin tomatoes
2 zucchini, sliced
1/2 a preserved lemon, chopped
cooked cous cous or rice, to serve
1/2 cup plain yoghurt (not sweetened) ***
1/2 cup coriander leaves

Method:

1. Put the chickpeas in a pot with plenty of cold water and boil for 30 minutes. Drain.

2. In a large pot, heat the oil and butter and cook the onion and garlic until soft and lightly golden. Add the spices (except saffron), cook for a couple of minutes, then add the partially cooked chickpeas, saffron, pumpkin, potatoes, tomatoes and just enough water to cover. Season with salt and simmer gently until the potatoes are almost soft (about 30-40 minutes).

3. Add the zucchini and preserved lemon and cook for 5 more minutes or until the potatoes and pumpkin are soft (but not mushy).

4. Serve with cous cous or rice and a dollop of yoghurt and some freshly chopped coriander.

Notes:

* You may use 1-2 cans of tinned chickpeas instead if you do not have the time or inclination to soak and cook your own. If this is the case, omit step one.

** Vegans should use a vegan margarine such as Nuttlex

*** Vegans may use unflavoured vegan yoghurt or products such as the "Better than Sour Cream" or "Better than Cream Cheese" by Tofutti

Source: http://www.cuisine.com.au/recipe/tagine-of-pumpkin-and-chickpeas

Serves: 6
Rating:

Lemon-Fetta Couscous with Steamed Vegetables

A fresh taste is found in this dish! You will need about half a butternut pumpkin for this recipe.

Lemon-Fetta Couscous with Steamed Vegetables:

Ingredients:

600g butternut pumpkin, chopped coarsely
2 small green zucchini (180g), chopped coarsley
2 small yellow zucchini (180g), chopped coarsley - (if you can't find yellow zucchni, yellow squash will do)
300g spinach, trimmed, chopped coarsley
2 cups (500ml), vegetable stock
2 cups (400g) couscous
1/4 cup (60 ml) fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup coarsley chopped gresh basil
200g low-fat fetta cheese, chopped coarsley
1/4 cup (50g) finely chopped preserved lemon rind (lemon zest will surfice at a pinch)
6 shallots, sliced thinly

Method:

1. Boil, steam or microwave pumpkin, green and yellow zucchini and spinach, sperately, until tender; drain

2. Bring stock to a boil in large saucepan. Add couscous, remove from heat, cover; stand about 5 mins or until liquid is absorbed, fluffing with a fork occasionally.

3. Place couscous and vegetables in a large bowl with remaining ingredients and toss gently to combine.

Serves: 4

Rating: 4