Italicious

It is really hard to be creative in the kitchen with a new baby. I am extremely lucky to have the time to actually cook, not depending soley on the frozen meals my mother left for me in the freezer, but I have been relying on old stand-byes, recipes that I know by heart and don’t have to put a lot of thought into. So no worries, we are eating, and eating well, despite the lack of new posts, but I haven’t had it in me to come up with anything new lately.

Though with a beautiful butternut squash in my fruit basket and a feeling that it was time to come up with a new post for Italicious, I searched on the web for an interesting recipe to use my butternut squash. I was tempted to make a pasta e zucca or really any pasta with winter squash, but considering the fact that pasta is always the easiest throw together dinner, I didn’t think we needed to go there again. I found this gorgeous recipe on Smitten Kitchen and based my own version of it on what I had available in my pantry, replacing couscous with red quinoa and red potatoes with sweet potatoes.

Squash and Chickpea Moroccan Stew adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Serves 6 to 8

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, small dice
• 2 medium cloves garlic, crushed and left whole
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound butternut squash, large dice
• 3/4 pound sweet potatoes, large dice
• 2 cups water
• 2 cups cooked chickpeas, drained
• 1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes, with juices
• Steamed quinoa, for serving
• Fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped, for garnish

Heat butter and olive oil in a 3- to 4-quart Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed saucepan with a tight fitting lid over medium heat. When oil shimmers, add onion, garlic, cumin, and cinnamon, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until spices are aromatic and onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add squash and potatoes, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, stir to coat, and cook until just tender, about 3 minutes. Add water, chickpeas, tomatoes and their juices, and saffron, if using. Bring mixture to a boil then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer until squash is fork tender, about 10 minutes.

Serve over couscous garnished with cilantro.

One Year Ago: Pizzette, Ravioli con Ragù Napoletano, Ragù Napoletano & Grits, Farfalle with Salmon & Fennel, Soba Noodles with Tofu, Shitake Mushrooms & Broccoli, Pesto, and Gemelli with Fennel & Bacon

~ by italicious on March 12, 2010.

Posted in chickpeas, cilantro, gluten free, onions, quinoa, stew, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, vegetarian, winter squash
Tags: chickpeas, moroccan stew, sweet potatoes, vegetarian, winter squash