Sweet Veggie Tagine

Prepping this meal, using my online recipe. Photo by PattyCo

Diet
[x] Flexitarian + Omnivore: You can add chicken to this recipe, I have indicated when to place it in the layered dish.
[x] Vegetarian + Pescatarian: use veggie broth
[x] Vegan: use veggie broth
[x] Gluten free
[x] Weight Maint: portion size and skip the bread
[O] Keto
[x] Mediterranean
[O] Lectin Avoidance: pepper
[O] Oxalate Avoidance: sweet potatoes, dried fruit
[x] Purine Avoidance

Sweet Veggie Tagine

A sweet, flavorful veggie Tagine.

Seasonings + Spices

  • 2 t Kosher salt
  • 1 t Ginger (Grate fresh ginger using a planer)
  • 1 t Turmeric (Grate fresh turmeric using a planer)
  • 1 t Cinnamon (Ground)
  • 1/2 t Black pepper
  • 1/4 t Cayenne pepper
  • 1 T Ras el hanout (Taste + add more if required, but prep 1T)
  • 1 T honey

Herbs

  • 1 C Cilantro (Chopped herb, can use parsley)

Veggies

  • 1 white onion (Peel, sliced)
  • 4 Garlic (Peel, slice, smash)
  • 5 matchstick carrots
  • 1 Beauregard sweet potato (Peel + save peels, slice lengthwise,)
  • 1 Leek (Small, sliced in 1” coilns (green + white parts))
  • 1 jalapeno (Deseeded, minced)

Other Ingredients

  • 1 C Chicken broth (or veggie broth, homemade preferred)
  • 2 C Chickpeas (If from can, drain and rinse)
  • 3 T olive oil
  • 1/2 C Golden raisins
  • 1/4 C Additional cilantro (or parsley)

Crispy Sweet Potato Peels

  • 1/4 C Oil
  • Left over sweet potato peels

Mise en Place

  1. First, turn slow cooker on high and add 3T olive oil. Let it stand while it gets hot. This may take up to 30-45 minutes depending upon your cooker. This is a critical point, otherwise your food will just be sitting in and soaking up oil.

  2. Meanwhile prep seasonings, herbs, and veggies.

Cooking

  1. Once the oil in the slow cooker is hot enough, ~30-45 minutes, add the first layer of sliced onions, followed by distributing the smashed garlic on top. I add half of the Ras el hanout spice at this time.

  2. NOTE: If I wanted to add meat I would add seasoned bone-in chicken thighs at this point.

  3. Then I start layering the veggies witth the overal goal of making a mountain of layerd food starting with a layer of carrots that covers the bottom of the pot. Drizzle some honey on top and then layer the chickpeas like a little valcano on top of the carrots.

  4. At this point I sprinkle the salt and pepper. Layer the leek rounds and then distributed the ginger, turmeric, and cayenne.

  5. The next layer is the sweet potatoes that are laid against the “valcano” standing lengthwise and then sprinkled with ground cinnamon and minced jalapeno (the trees on the mountain side).

  6. Then I add the broth by pouring it around the base of the mountain. I sprinkle on the remaining Ras el hanout and place the lid for the food to cook for 1-2 hours.

  7. Check at the 1 hour mark for doneness and taste. Adjust as needed.

Crispy Potato Skins

  1. Heat skillet and oil, and fry the dried, sliced peels from the sweet potatoes. Place on a rack to drain the oil and dry. If you want, you can sprinkle some salt and pepper on top.

Serve

  1. Serve the tagine as it was cooked, preserving the layers.

  2. I garnish with additional fresh cilantro, the crispy sweet potato peels, and raisins.

  3. Serve with good warm bread (khobz).

Ras el hanout: I used the second listed version of the Ras el hanout spice mix with this recipe and it worked well to bring that bit of cinnamon sweetness to the flavor.

You can use a variety of veggies in this dish and below is a list of Moroccan veggies, so you can remain authentic to their flavors. I have a tendency to throw in cauliflower, but that shows my German side.

I am only using a few of these veggies in the dish, and no meat, but any variation will work here: various potatoes, tomatoes, green peppers, artichokes, cucumbers, zucchini, slaouia (a Moroccan gourd), green beans, peas, lettuces, carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes, mallow leaves ,spinach, Italian parsley, cilantro, onions, garlic, pumpkin, squash, leeks, eggplant, zucchini, and beets.