This Moroccan vegetable stew is perfect for warming the tummy and heart on these long cold days of winter. This whole food plant based lifestyle dish is simple to create and super tasty. The chickpeas and quinoa provide plenty of protein.

To add extra flavour and excite the taste buds, serve the Moroccan vegetable stew sprinkled with dukkah. Dukkah has its origin in Egypt where it is eaten with bread and oil. I like to make up a batch of this nut, herb and seed mix and keep it on hand to sprinkle on salads, stews and soups. It even works brilliantly sprinkled on top of a simple humus. Dukkah keeps well stored in an airtight jar.

Massaged kale salad makes a perfect companion to this fragrant Moroccan vegetable stew.

Ingredients

Yield: 4

Total Time: 1½ hours

1 medium onion, roughly chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 teaspoon cumin

½ teaspoon coriander

½ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon allspice

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

3 small carrots, peeled and chopped into ½” pieces

3 small potatoes, chopped into ½” pieces

1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped into ½” pieces

1 small auberginet (aubergine) chopped into ½” pieces

1 can (14½ oz) diced tomatoes

3 cups water

3 veggie stock cubes

1 can (14½ oz) chickpeas

½ cup dried apricots, cut into quarters

Salt and pepper

A little fresh cilantro (coriander) washed and roughly chopped

1 cup quinoa

2 cups water

What to do

1. Place the onions in a large saucepan over a medium heat and move around in the pan. If the onions begin to stick, add a little water.

2. After a few minutes add the garlic and keep everything moving around in the pan.

3. Add the spices and cook, stirring frequently until fragrant.

4. Add the apricots, carrots, sweet potatoes, and potatoes to the pot and cook for 5 minutes. Stir now and again.

5. Crumble the stock cubes into the pot and then add the water and the can of tomatoes. The vegetables should be covered by the liquid.

6. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil and then simmer for 30 minutes.

7. Add the aubergine (eggplant) and continue to simmer for another 30 minutes or until all the vegetables are tender.

8. Rinse the chickpeas and add them to the pan. Heat the Moroccan vegetable stew until the chickpeas are warmed through.

9. While the Moroccan vegetable stew is cooking rinse the quinoa in a sieve under cold running water. Place in a pan and cover with 2 cups of water. Bring to the boil and then simmer gently until all the water is absorbed. It is just fine to let the quinoa stand, covered, in the pan for up to 15 minutes. Fluff it up with a fork before serving.

10. Serve with the quinoa and sprinkle with chopped cilantro (fresh coriander) and dukkah.

Dukkah

Ingredients

½ cup coriander seeds

¼ cup cumin seeds

½ cup sesame seeds

½ cup pistachios

½ teaspoon salt

Good grind or two of black pepper

What to do

1. Place the coriander, cumin and sesame seeds into a heavy bottomed skillet (frying pan) and set over a high heat. Keep moving the seeds around in the pan to prevent burning. When a delicious fragrance floats up from the pan, tip the seeds onto a plate to cool.

2. Add the pistachios to the pan and toast them over the high heat.

3. Now put all the ingredients into the goblet of a blender (Vitamix) or food processor and whizz for a few seconds. This is just to combine and chop the nuts and seeds a little. Take care not to pulverize the ingredients.

4. Store in an airtight glass jar.

Whole Food Plant Based Lifestyle Tip: This Moroccan vegetable stew, when served with quinoa, is packed full of full of protein. For example 100 grams of quinoa contains 14 grams of protein. Add to that the chickpeas (19 grams of protein in 100 grams of chickpeas) and this is a perfect dish after exercise. But of course imbibe in this yummy dish at any time you would like a delicious easy to make meal.







