Tonight wasn’t a 30-minute meal, as is usually my custom on weeknights – I went for Moroccan Stew, from Sandra Lee’s Semi-Homemade Cooking Made Light (p. 110). I often make her recipes when I need to go to the grocery store, because a majority of the ingredients she uses are canned, frozen, or prepackaged. This stew was fantastic! The best part was that all you had to do was mix the ingredients, simmer for 30 minutes, add some couscous and done! The sweetness of the dried apricots combined with the softened vegetables and plump couscous was perfect – this meal was incredibly filling and would be great to warm you up on a cold, wintry night.
I can’t find an online version of the recipe, so I’ve listed it here:
- 1 container (32 oz.) vegetable broth (I used 2 cans of chicken broth)
- 1 box (5.7 oz.) curry-flavored couscous (I used 6 oz. of plain couscous and added 1 tsp. curry powder)
- 1 bag (12 oz.) frozen broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots
- 1 can (15 oz.) garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes
- 1 cup dried apricots (be careful here – using too many apricots can be overpowering to the dish)
- 1/2 cup frozen chopped onions (I used 1-2 tbs. dried onion flakes; fresh onion would also work)
- 1 tbs. lemon juice
- 2 tsp. crushed garlic
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (I actually used paprika here)
- I added 1 can of chicken and a handful of raisins
In a large pot, combine all ingredients except couscous. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat. Simmer for 30 minutes. Stir in couscous and remove from heat. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Serves 4.
Aspiring Gourmet 
You must be logged in to post a comment.