Fall Tagine with Cauliflower Rice

This recipe was inspired by a recipe from the Vegetarian Cookbook Feast: Generous Vegetarian Meals for Any Eater and Every Appetite, called "Roasted Tomato-Squash Tagine Fall Feast." It's an excellent and inventive vegetarian cookbook that we highly recommend having on your shelf. A Tagine is a Middle-Eastern/North African dish (and pot!) that incorporates sweet and savory flavors, and the smell is haunting. It's also entirely vegan.

 1 Winter squash
 3 - 4 Carrots
 Sunflower or olive oil
 1 small or 1/2 large white onion
 6 total cloves garlic-- 2 thinly sliced & 4 whole kept separate
 2 tbsp hot pepper butter or Harissa
 1 splash (1-2 tsp) apple cider vinegar
 2 cups Slow Roasted Tomatoes or 1 pint (2 cups) Tomato Sauce
 3 cups water
 1 cinnamon stick
 Salt & Pepper
 1/2 head cauliflower
 1/4 cup golden raisins or chopped dates (optional but very good)
 Minced flat leaf parsley or cilantro, garnish

1

Peel and chop your squash. With a butternut squash, slice off the top and blossom end, and then use a vegetable peeler to remove all the peel. Get down below the green stripes on the flesh. Slice in half and scoop out the seeds. Chop into 1/2"- 1" dice.

2

Chop your carrots slightly smaller than the squash.

3

In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, pour in just enough oil to coat the bottom. Bring the heat up to medium-high, and begin to soften your onions for a few minutes. Add in sliced garlic cloves and the Harissa. Pepper Butter will be slightly sweeter and much less spicy than a traditional Harissa. Stir with a wooden spoon to make a paste, and allow to cook and become very fragrant for a few minutes. Turn the heat down a bit and watch for burning.

4

Pour on the apple cider vinegar and use your wooden spoon to scrape up everything from the bottom. Add in two cups of tomatoes or tomato sauce, and 3 cups of water. Add in the cinnamon stick, and about 1/2-1 tsp of salt. Bring to a boil.

5

Once boiling, drop in the squash and the carrots, and return to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, and simmer for about 30 minutes until a toothpick slides into the squash and carrots easily.

6

While the tagine is cooking, make your cauliflower rice. The recipe is from this blog this blog and might be your new favorite local "rice" recipe.

7

Set your oven to 400. Take your half head (or do a whole head and save some for another use) and break apart into small florets. Rinse well. Toss florets into your blender or Vitamix, and pour in enough water to cover the cauliflower, which helps prevent sticking to the blades. Pulse 3-4 times, and then drain in a colander, shaking well to dry.

8

Spread the "rice" on a cookie sheet and drizzle a little oil over top. Crack on some salt and pepper, and then dot the whole thing with your remaining 4 peeled garlic cloves. Roast for 15 minutes, toss, and then an additional 10.

9

When the tagine is done cooking, add in your raisins or dates and stir. Serve each plate first with a portion of the roasted cauliflower rice, some of the tagine, and then a few pieces of minced parsley or cilantro.

Ingredients

 1 Winter squash
 3 - 4 Carrots
 Sunflower or olive oil
 1 small or 1/2 large white onion
 6 total cloves garlic-- 2 thinly sliced & 4 whole kept separate
 2 tbsp hot pepper butter or Harissa
 1 splash (1-2 tsp) apple cider vinegar
 2 cups Slow Roasted Tomatoes or 1 pint (2 cups) Tomato Sauce
 3 cups water
 1 cinnamon stick
 Salt & Pepper
 1/2 head cauliflower
 1/4 cup golden raisins or chopped dates (optional but very good)
 Minced flat leaf parsley or cilantro, garnish

Directions

1

Peel and chop your squash. With a butternut squash, slice off the top and blossom end, and then use a vegetable peeler to remove all the peel. Get down below the green stripes on the flesh. Slice in half and scoop out the seeds. Chop into 1/2"- 1" dice.

2

Chop your carrots slightly smaller than the squash.

3

In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, pour in just enough oil to coat the bottom. Bring the heat up to medium-high, and begin to soften your onions for a few minutes. Add in sliced garlic cloves and the Harissa. Pepper Butter will be slightly sweeter and much less spicy than a traditional Harissa. Stir with a wooden spoon to make a paste, and allow to cook and become very fragrant for a few minutes. Turn the heat down a bit and watch for burning.

4

Pour on the apple cider vinegar and use your wooden spoon to scrape up everything from the bottom. Add in two cups of tomatoes or tomato sauce, and 3 cups of water. Add in the cinnamon stick, and about 1/2-1 tsp of salt. Bring to a boil.

5

Once boiling, drop in the squash and the carrots, and return to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, and simmer for about 30 minutes until a toothpick slides into the squash and carrots easily.

6

While the tagine is cooking, make your cauliflower rice. The recipe is from this blog this blog and might be your new favorite local "rice" recipe.

7

Set your oven to 400. Take your half head (or do a whole head and save some for another use) and break apart into small florets. Rinse well. Toss florets into your blender or Vitamix, and pour in enough water to cover the cauliflower, which helps prevent sticking to the blades. Pulse 3-4 times, and then drain in a colander, shaking well to dry.

8

Spread the "rice" on a cookie sheet and drizzle a little oil over top. Crack on some salt and pepper, and then dot the whole thing with your remaining 4 peeled garlic cloves. Roast for 15 minutes, toss, and then an additional 10.

9

When the tagine is done cooking, add in your raisins or dates and stir. Serve each plate first with a portion of the roasted cauliflower rice, some of the tagine, and then a few pieces of minced parsley or cilantro.

Fall Tagine with Cauliflower Rice

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