They say that when the cat's away, the mouse will play. And this is often the case when Dave's away, and I'm cooking for myself. This Moroccan-influenced vegetable stew is a prime example of what I'll cook when I'm all alone--and not just because it can be reheated for a couple of days!
The list of ingredients may be long, but the stew is very easy to prepare. A bit of light chopping, some boiling, and some stirring. Hardly arduous. As everything is cooked in one pan, you retain all the vitamins and goodness.
Its spicy, slightly sweet, and the veggies are bursting with flavour. I serve the stew over couscous with a few blobs of herbed goats cheese raita on top--easily made by whizzing 150g of goats cheese, 5 tablespoons of fresh, chopped herbs and a spoonful of two of milk to create a dropping consistency. The couscous is spiced with some cinnamon, cumin, coriander and a good seasoning with salt and pepper.
Perfect summer food!
Vegetable Stew
Originally from "The Quick After-Work Cookbook" by Sue Kreitzman, but I've adapted it to suit my own tastes.
Serves 4, but keeps very well.
2 red onions, cut into chunks
2 carrots, cut into chunks
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 black olives in brine, slivered off their stones
3 tablespoons sultanas
3 dried apricots, chopped
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
juice of one lemon
600ml vegetable stock
4 new potatoes, quartered
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 courgettes, trimmed and chopped into 2.5cm chunks (or a little thinner if you prefer)
400g can chopped tomatoes
425g can chickpeas, drained
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
3 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander
Combine the onions, carrots, garlic, olives, sultanas, spices, lemon juice and 300ml of the stock in a heavy-based frying pan. Simmer briskly, covered, for 10 minutes, then uncover and simmer briskly for 4-5 minutes, until the liquid is almost gone and the vegetables and spices are frying in their own 'juices'.
Add the potatoes and some more stock. Cook, stirring for 3-4 minutes, until the potatoes are almost tender. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the courgettes, a little more stock, and the tomatoes. Simmer for 7-10 minutes, or until all the vegetables are tender. Stir in the chickpeas and herbs, and heat through.
Serve with couscous.
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