rockin' morrocan stew.

I recently received a request from a neighbour of mine to share a recipe with an ethnic flare. I racked my brain thinking of some of my favourites...red curry chicken, pad thai, chicken tikki marsala (all of which I'll eventually share with you), but I finally decided on one of my all time favourites...Rockin' Moroccan Stew. This is one of those recipes that has been passed on SO many times that I'm not even sure where it originally came from anymore. Regardless...it's amazing!
Rockin' Moroccan Stew is healthy and hearty and while it makes a great dish on a cool day, I could eat it anytime of the year. It's got the earthy taste of curry and cumin, texture from the chickpeas and sweet potatoes and the fresh taste of cilantro. My favourite part though...the peanut butter! Don't be scared of this crazy flavour combination...when it all comes together...it's perfection.
This particular recipe is completely vegetarian, however, I've known some meat-eater friends of mine have made it with cooked, cubed chicken and have got great results too. Rockin' Moroccan is perfect served on it's own, it goes great on top of rice or couscous, or just shovel it in your mouth using some naan bread or pita. Anything works!


Rockin' Moroccan Stew
        (Serves 6)

- (2) tsp. olive oil
- (1) cup of chopped onion
- (1/2) cup of chopped celery
- (1/2) cup of chopped green pepper
- (1) clove of garlic, minced
- (3) cups of vegetable broth
- (3) cups of of peeled, cubed sweet potatoes
- (1) 28oz. can of diced tomatoes
- (1) 14oz. can of chick peas, drained and rinsed
- (1) tbsp. of lemon juice
- (2) tbsp. of grated ginger
- (1) tsp. cumin
- (1) tsp. curry powder
- (1) tsp. ground corriander
- (1) tsp. chili powder
- (1/2) tsp. salt
- (1/4) tsp. pepper
- (1/4) cup of raisins (optional)
- (2) tbsp. of peanut butter
- (2) tbsp. of chopped fresh cilantro

The easiest thing to do is to chop up all the veggies first. That way you can just toss everything in the pot at the right time.

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan or pot over medium to high heat. Add onions, celery, green pepper, and garlic. Cook and stir until vegetables begin to soften, about 3 minutes.

Add all remaining ingredients, except for the raisins, peanut butter and cilantro. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes or until the sweet potatoes begin to soften.

Stir in raisins (if you're using them), peanut butter and cilantro. Mix well. Simmer for 5 more minutes and serve. If you are making this stew in advance, leave out the final three ingredients until you plan on serving it. They can be added once you reheat the stew, and will need another 5 minutes to simmer.

Enjoy!