Moroccan Vegetable Stew

I just can't get enough of stews in the winter.  Nothing like a good hearty warm bowl of veggie goodness to get me through.  Not to mention, you can just throw everything into the crockpot and come back the next morning.  This stew is dependent on the spices and the eggplant - but you could throw any other veggies you had in and I'm sure it would be great.

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, diced
1 tbsp coriander
1 tbsp cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp cinnamon
5 cups vegetable broth
4 carrots, sliced
1 small eggplant, chopped
1 small zucchini, chopped
2 cans stewed tomatoes
1 can garbanzo beans, drained
3/4 cup currants or raisins
1 cup almonds, chopped
Salt + Pepper, to taste

1. Cook garlic, onion and all spices in either olive or coconut oil (highly recommended) for 3-5 minutes over medium-high heat, allowing to brown.

2. Chop the additional vegetables and add all ingredients to crockpot.  Cook for 8 hours on high.

That's it.

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Original Recipe:

Cooking Light

Quinoa + Roasted Pepper Chili

This chili was the favorite of the more veggie-inclined of the tasters.  It didn't really taste like a chili in the traditional sense, but mirrored it in texture and density - and was delicious.

Serves 8

Ingredients:

4 Red + Green Peppers, seeded + halved
2 Poblanos, seeded + halved
4 Zucchinis, chopped
1 Onion, diced
8 Garlic Cloves, diced
2 tbsp Chili Powder
1 tbsp Cumin
1 tsp Paprika
2 cups Water
1 Bouillon Cube
1 cup Quinoa
2 14-oz cans Diced Tomatoes
2 14-oz cans Pinto Beans, drained + rinsed
Salt + Pepper, to taste

Toppings:

Cilantro, chopped
Cheddar Cheese, shredded
Sour Cream
Green Onions, sliced

1. Preheat broiler.

2. Slice peppers in half and remove seeds.  Place face-down (skin-up) on a broiling pan covered in tin foil, and flatten with hand.  Broil for 10 minutes or until blackened.

3. Peel skin off of peppers and discard.  Chop roughly.

4. Chop zucchini, onion and garlic.  Cook over medium-high heat in a large pot for 5 minutes.

5. Add chili powder, cumin and paprika and stir for 1 minute.

6. Add peppers, tomatoes, quinoa, drained pinto beans, water and the bouillon cube.  Bring to a boil, then simmer and cover for 30 minutes, or until quinoa is tender.

7. Remove from heat, serve, and go crazy with the toppings.

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Original Recipe:

Cooking Light

BBQ Chicken Skewers with Zucchini + Pineapple

Oh my god so good.  The best sauce ever.  Putting it on everything.

I made wayyyyy too much - enough stuff to pack onto 10 skewers.  So I'm halving this ingredients below - which will still make enough for leftovers.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup Hot Water
1/4 cup Soy Sauce
1/4 cup Peanut Butter
1/4 cup Barbecue Sauce
2 tbsp. Honey Dijon Mustard
1 1/2 Chicken Breasts, chopped
2 Bell Peppers, chopped
2 small Zucchinis, chopped
20 oz can Pineapple Chunks
1/2 Red or Yellow Onion, chopped

1. Chop chicken breasts into 1-inch pieces.

2. In a small bowl, combine hot water, soy sauce, peanut butter, barbecue sauce and honey dijon mustard.  Add chicken to bowl and thoroughly cover in sauce.  Set aside to marinate.

3. Chop bell peppers, zucchini, and onion into 1-inch pieces.

4. Alternating ingredients, including the pineapple, create skewers.  Spoon remaining sauce on.  If broiling, place on broiling pan.

I found out that you can not only line the bottom of the broiling pan with tinfoil, but also the top if you cut slits into it for proper draining.  Saves so much scrubbing later.

5. Broil or grill, 6 minutes on each side.

Flip carefully! Tongs worked best, because I crammed way too much on each skewer.  Leave an inch on each side for easier handling.

I ate these with some good ol' corn on the cob, the extras of which will be used in a later recipe.  And I pulled the goodies off the skewer for easier eating.

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Original Recipe:

The Menu Mom