Vegetarian Moroccan Stew

So, I will say right off the bat that this is a basic recipe, and definitely needs some jazzing up. I was worried it was going to be too spicy at first, because my whole apartment smelled like onions, garlic, cumin and curry, but it didn't taste that way. I will also say I left out a few ingredients (namely lemon zest and green olives in brine) that were in the original recipe I found on Allrecipes; that may have added some flavor, but neither me nor Dr. Bugs likes olives, and I didn't have a lemon.

That being said, this was quite tasty! I enjoyed using butternut squash, as I've only eaten it a handful of times and only made something with it once (Stuffed Butternut Squash, which is an earlier recipe on the blog that I loved but Dr. Bugs didn't care for as a main-dish). Don't be tempted to leave out the plain yogurt on top, as it really adds a nice tangy flavor and creaminess when you stir it into your bowl!

I got four good sized servings out of this (probably could stretch it to five), and served it over whole wheat couscous. Next time I may up the amount of cumin and curry, and use less red potatoes, as I don't feel like they added a WHOLE lot to the flavor or texture. I also felt like it was missing something green, so I may play with that next time as well--maybe some spinach, but I feel like that would make it too much like my Sweet Potato Curry recipe! We'll see.

If you make this, let me know what you do to play with it, and how it comes out! Don't be afraid to add your own flavor!

I will also say I have NO idea if this is what they really eat in Morocco. I've never been there. This was just the name of the recipe when I originally found it. Call it what you like; it's still tasty!

Vegetarian Moroccan Stew

1/2 onion, minced

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

1 cinnamon stick

1 tsp salt

1tsp pepper

1 medium-sized butternut squash (about 1lb), peeled, seeded, and cut into cubes

3 good-sized red potatoes, cut into small dice

1 can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed

1 can of diced tomatoes (I like no salt added), UNDRAINED

1 1/2 c veggie broth

2 tsp cumin

1 tsp curry powder

1 tsp dried thyme

plain yogurt (I used fat free)

1. Heat a little olive oil in a deep pot. Add the onions, garlic, cinnamon stick, salt and pepper, and cook about 5 mins, until onions are translucent but not brown.

2. Add the rest of the ingredients. Stir well. Bring to boiling, reduce heat to simmering, cover, and cook 20-25 minutes, until the squash and potatoes are tender.

3. Prepare couscous (or rice), according to package directions.

4. Put some couscous in a bowl, and pour stew on top. Top off with about a tablespoon of plain yogurt per serving.

EAT!

**if you want to use the olives/lemon zest, throw it in during step 2**

Also, as a side note, I plan to start using the labels/tags for easy recipe finding, and I DO plan to start taking pictures of my food--I just need to remember to do it while I'm cooking! Maybe I can commission Dr. Bugs to do it.