Moroccan Vegetable Tagine with couscous

I have had these tagine pots pushed to the back of my cupboard for a year! When I was making a meal plan for the week, I found a website that featured a tasty looking tagine recipe.So today was the day!

I was thinking that the process would be a lot of work, which explains the year that the pots sat collecting dust. I was surprised to find that making this dish only requires chopping of the vegetables and letting the cute little pots and oven do the rest.

Note: Simmering vegetables with spices in the oven makes the house smell good!

Moroccan Vegetable Tagine

3-4 small potatoes-peeled and diced
1 onion-sliced
2 tbsp fresh ginger-minced
2 cloves garlic-slice
1 cinnamon stick-broken in half
1/3 cup raisins
1 can diced tomatoes
2 cups chickpeas
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp turmeric
1 cup vegetable stock

Couscous-cooked according to package
fresh cilantro- garnish

Preheat oven to 350
In a bowl combine ingredients, stir it up to coat the vegetables with the spices.
Scoop into tagine and bake for 1 1/2 hours.
Serve with couscous.

Roasted tomato soup

As summer comes to an end so do the tomatoes, this is a simple way to enjoy a family favorite.

Roasted Tomato Soup

8 large tomatoes
1 onion- skin on chopped in half
6 cloves garlic- skin on
2 cups water or vegetable stock
fresh basil
sea salt
freshly ground pepper

On a greased cookie sheet, place the whole tomatoes, onion and garlic.
With the broiler element at 400 roasted tomatoes until skins break and tomatoes are soft, about 30 minutes.
Let cool for a few minutes..unless you have hands of steel.
With a pairing knife remove skins and core on top.
Place in a blender with onions and garlic- easiest to do in batches.
Add water or stock to desired constancy.
With a fine strainer, push through the soup to get out the seeds.

Garlicky Croutons

Left over bread works best.
Cut into small pieces.
In a bowl toss with olive oil, garlic powder, nutritional yeast, oregano and sea salt.
Spread out on a cookie sheet.
Bake at 400 for 8-10 minutes or until golden

Potatoes in Tomatoes

Not sure where this recipe came from. Jonathan sent me a photo with the recipe from his phone hoping that I would make it for him :) It is really tasty and I thought I would share it. My kitchen is delivered today and starts getting installed tomorrow. Its been 3 1/2 moths coming... I am SO excited!

Potatoes in Tomatoes

1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 1/2 tbsp serrano chilies
1 can chopped tomatoes
3/4 tsp turmeric
3 cups peeled and chopped potatoes
2 tsp salt or to taste
5 tbsp cilantro chopped
1 tbsp sugar or to taste

In a sauce pan heat oil, add cumin seeds and chilies. Saute for about 1 minute.
Add tomatoes with juice and turmeric. Mix well. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes.
Add potatoes and the cilantro. Simmer until potatoes are soft.
Season to taste.

Summer tomato & fennel soup with fried green tomaotoes

This has been a long post coming...my big brother graduated his masters in fine arts a few months ago, and I promised him I would make a dish dedicated to him, with his favorite vegetable. FENNEL!!

My brother is 2 years older than me...and has always been a HUGE part of my life. My family traveled around quiet a bit and because of this we were always friends for each other. I miss him. He has yet to meet my littlest one, hopefully this winter.

big brother little sister

So this dish is dedicated to him, Congratulations A!!
I am so very proud of you, and think your work is amazing. I wanted to make this dish for you to eat, but alas you live SO far away, hopefully you will want to make it for you and C :)

I used the tomatoes I grew this summer, nothing short of spectacular! I couldn't wait to pull them off the plant, we were moving and it was going to be a big pain to move the plants (they were in pots). So I plucked them and had about a dozen sitting on my windowsill.  I only had about 4 that were ripe, so the next best thing would be fried green tomatoes..in a soup? Sure can!

At first I was thinking a cold soup...summer and all. I just feel that you don't get the same flavor of tomatoey goodness, unless simmered on the stove. I didn't want to simmer all the vegetables so I roasted the fennel in the oven. If you wanted to you could chill it...it would be great that way too.

Summer Tomato & Fennel Soup

2 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion- diced
1 garlic clove- sliced
2 stalks of celery- diced
4 ripe tomatoes- chopped
1 tsp paprika
2 cups water
1 head of fennel- separated, oiled and roasted until soft
sea salt & freshly ground pepper
pinch of sugar

In a medium pot heat oil. Add onions and garlic. Saute until soft
Add celery and tomatoes. Saute until soft, add the paprika, and saute until absorbed.
Add water
bring to a boil. Let simmer for 15 minutes.
Add fennel.
Blend in batches. Season to taste.

Fried Green Tomatoes

4 green tomatoes

2 tbsp ground flax seed- mixed with 6 tbsp boiling water
1/4 cup unsweetened soy milk

1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup cornmeal
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried dill weed

In a small bowl combine flax mixture with milk
In another small bowl combine dry ingredients.
Dip tomatoes in wet
Dredge in dry
Heat pan with about 1 inch of sunflower oil, and fry until golden on both sides.

The oil in the picture is basil oil...
Blanch 1/2 cup basil leafs in boiling water for 30 seconds.
Blend with sunflower oil, strain.