Vegetable Tagine With Olives And Prunes Recipes

VEGETABLE TAGINE WITH OLIVES AND PRUNES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• In a Dutch oven heat the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the shallots, celery, garlic and cinnamon stick and cook, stirring, untill the shallots and celery are soft (about 7 minutes).
• Add the paprika, cumin, coriander, cardamom, salt, black papper and cayenne. Continue cooking until the spices are fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Stir in the tomatoes, string beans, squash or sweet potato, cauliflower, fennel and carrot. Add additional vegetable broth or water as needed to cover the vegetables. Addf the saffron and stir well.
• Cover the pot and bake until the vegetables are tender, 40 to 45 minutes. About 5 minutes before the stew is done add the chickpeas, olives and prunes. Garnish with parsley just before serving.
• Note: The type of tomatoes used will determine the amount of broth or water that will be needed. Crushed tomatoes require the addition of about 1 cup water. Stovetop cooking may require slightly more water.
• The dish should be on the dry side, not soupy and the vegetables should be tender and not soggy.

LAMB TAGINE WITH PRUNES, APRICOTS, AND VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Cut lamb from bones, reserving bones, then cut meat into 1-inch pieces.
• Heat 1/2 tablespoon oil in a flameproof wide shallow casserole with a tight-fitting lid over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Brown meat on all sides in 2 batches, transferring to a plate as browned. Brown bones and transfer to plate.
• Add remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil to the casserole and cook onion, stirring, until softened. Return meat and bones to pot. Stir in water, saffron, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer mixture, covered, stirring occasionally, until lamb is tender, about 1 1/4 hours.
• Transfer the lamb to a clean plate and add any meat from lamb bones, discarding bones. Add carrots and sweet potato to pot, then simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are barely tender, about 10 minutes.
• Add ginger, cinnamon, prunes, apricots, and squash, simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until vegetables and fruits are tender, about 5 minutes. Return lamb to stew and add honey. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes.

SPICY POTATO TAGINE WITH PRESERVED LEMON AND OLIVES

Steps:

• 1. Peel the potatoes and thickly slice into a bowl of cold water.
• 2. In heavy saucepan set over moderate heat, cook the grated onion in olive oil until melting, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomato, ginger, paprika, cumin, and garlic. Cook, stirring, for 2 more minutes.
• 3. Drain the potatoes and add to the pan with the thinly sliced onion, the bay leaf, and the fresh lemon quarter. Toss to coat the potatoes, onion, and lemon quarter with the parsley, cilantro, and salt to taste. Add the saffron and 1 1/2 cups hot water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to very low and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 40 minutes.
• 4. Use a slotted spatula to transfer to a covered serving dish to keep warm. Discard the lemon. Add the olives to the liquid and boil until the pan juices are reduced to a thick sauce. Correct the seasoning, pour over the potatoes, and garnish with the preserved lemon.
• Paula Wolfert shares her tips with Epicurious:
• • To grate tomatoes: Halve and gently squeeze to remove the seeds. Grate the tomato halves, cut side facing the coarsest side of a box grater or flat shredder. You will be left with just the tomato skin on your hand; discard.
• • Wolfert recommends cooking this dish the way Moroccans traditionally do: in a clay pot such as a Mexican cazuela or Moroccan tagine. The porous clay absorbs liquid from the dish, then slowly releases steam as it heats, which results in a more flavorful, juicy dish. Moroccan tagines are available at www.tagines.com. A note of warning: Clay pots are sensitive to rapid temperature changes, which can cause cracking. Don't put anything hot in a cold tagine or anything cold in a hot tagine. Consider investing in a flame-tamer or heat-diffuser (a metal plate that's placed over the burner) to distribute heat evenly.

CHICKEN TAGINE WITH PRUNES AND OLIVES

Steps:

• Dry chicken and season with salt and pepper. Heat a large, heavy skillet, preferably cast iron, to very hot. Add chicken (in batches if necessary) skin side down, and sear until skin is golden brown. Remove chicken when browned (do not turn it) and set aside.
• Discard all but a thin film of fat from the pan. Add onion and garlic and sauté on low until soft. Stir in paprika and cumin, cook about a minute and then add prunes, olives, stock and butter. Cook, stirring, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer contents of pan to a 12- to 14-inch tagine, sauté pan or casserole. Place chicken on top, skin side up.
• Cover and cook on medium-low heat about 40 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. Serve immediately or set aside to be reheated. To serve, scatter lemon zest and mint over the chicken, squeeze juice of the lemon on top and bring tagine to the table covered.

CHICKEN & VEGETABLE TAGINE

Steps:

• Combine the ingredients for the marinade then add in the spice mixture. Pour over the chicken to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (up to 3 hours).
• Warm the chicken broth then add the saffron strands, allow to steep while the chicken is marinading.
• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-low heat in a tagine. Saute the onion until golden, about 5 minutes. Pour in the chicken broth and saffron along with the water.
• Place in the chicken and any marinade juices. Season with salt & pepper then cover with the lid. Cook on medium-low heat for 45 minutes.
• Uncover and stir in the olives, zucchini, yellow squash and tomato quarters. Add another 1/2 cup of water if needed.
• Reduce heat to low & recover. Cook until the vegetables are tender and the chicken is falling off the bone, about 45 minutes.
• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a small saucepan over high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the almonds and fry until the skins begin to crackle, about 2 to 3 minutes. Pour the almonds and hot oil over the vegetables and chicken.
• Ladle the chicken, vegetables, & sauce over cooked couscous or rice. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley and serve with the lemon quarters as garnishment.

CHICKEN TAGINE WITH OLIVES, FIGS, AND PRESERVED LEMONS

Steps:

• Season chicken with 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt, and pepper.
• Heat remaining oil in a tagine over medium heat. Sear chicken in the hot oil until browned, 5 to 7 minutes; remove and set aside. Add onion, coriander, cumin, and bay leaf and cook, stirring constantly, for 10 minutes. Make sure to scrape the brown bits from the bottom while stirring; add a little water if needed.
• Stir tomatoes, figs, olives, garlic, and lemons into the tagine. Cook for an additional 5 minutes. Add the seared chicken and pour in white wine. Bring to a boil while scraping the browned bits off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Reduce the wine by half, 10 to 15 minutes. Pour in enough chicken broth to fill the tagine only halfway up the sides of the chicken.
• Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and cover. Cook until the meat on the legs is no longer pink and pulls away from the bone, about 45 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone, should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Remove the tagine from the heat and mix in parsley. Check seasonings and serve.