SPICY MORROCAN PUMPKIN + WHITE BEAN TAGINE

winter has really set in. today was rainy and dreary, so i spent my most of my lunch break sitting in the lunch room with a few of my colleagues staring blankly out of the window at the drizzle.

between extended silences of quiet day-dreaming we chatted about the weather and how "we need the rain"... it was good to be inside out of the weather... but work dragged! so it was nice to come home to a steamy bowl of spicy pumpkin and white bean tagine, my little old cat and a pair of fluffy socks.

how?

1 onion, diced

1 tablespoons of oil (i used canola)

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 teaspoons ginger, finely minced

500ml of vegetable stock

2 carrots, diced

240g pumpkin, diced

1 cup of frozen green beans, thawed

12 prunes, halved (and pitted if you have unpitted prunes)

400g can of butter beans, drained and rinsed

salt and pepper, to season

½ a preserved lemon, diced (optional)

for the spice mix…

2 teaspoons of paprika

1 1/2 teaspoons of ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon of chilli powder

1/4 teaspoon of allspice

1/8 teaspoon of ground cloves

1/8 teaspoon of ground cardamom

for the couscous…

1 cup of couscous

1 cup of boiling water

sauté the onion in the oil until translucent. add the garlic, ginger and the spices, cook until fragrant. add the carrots and pumpkin. add the vegetable stock and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. cook for 15 minutes (or until vegetables are tender. add the green beans, prunes and butter beans. cook until heated through. season with salt and pepper and add in the preserved lemon.

pour the boiling water over the couscous, cover and set aside for 5 minutes. fluff with a fork before serving.

serves 4