Recipe - Moroccan Roasted Vegetable Stew

Olive oil; a little
2 md Onions; cut in 1" chunks
One half pound Baby carrots
1 tablespoon Cumin seed
1 tablespoon Mustard seed
Salt; to taste
1 md Garlic bulb
2 One half pound Tomatoes; not too ripe
(about 6 large)
4 lg Red bell pepper; or yellow
1 Cinnamon stick
1 One half cup Cooked chickpeas (or 15oz
canned; rinsed)
3 tablespoon Fresh lemon juice; possibly
more
Freshly ground black pepper;
to taste
Minced fresh parsley;
optional
Lemon wedges; optional

Preheat the oven to 375F/190C degrees.

Line 2 large baking trays with foil and brush them with olive oil. Scatter
the onions and carrots onto one tray, drizzle with oil and sprinkle with
cumin, mustard seeds and a little salt. Place the garlic in a corner of the
tray.

Core the tomatoes and arrange them on the second tray with the bell
peppers.

Place the first tray on the lower rack of the oven, and the second tray on
the upper rack. Bake the onions and carrots for 30 to 35 minutes, stirring
a few times, until the carrots are just tender. Remove the tray from the
oven; set aside to cool.

Bake the tomatoes and peppers for about 45 minutes, turning the peppers
with tongs every 10 minutes or so, so they blister evenly. Transfer peppers
and tomatoes to a large, heatproof glass bowl; add the cinnamon stick.
Cover with foil and let stand for about 30 minutes.

Carefully lift out the peppers, leaving as much of their liquid in the bowl
as possible. Skin and devein the peppers, then cut into strips and return
to the bowl.

Remove the tomatoes and pull off and discard the skins. Chop the pulp and
return it to the bowl. Discard the cinnamon stick.

When the garlic is cool enough to handle, separate into cloves and squeeze
the pulp into the bowl of peppers and tomatoes. Scrape in the onions and
carrots (including all the cumin and mustard seeds); stir in the chickpeas
and lemon juice. Taste, then adjust the salt and lemon juice. Grind in some
black pepper. Mix well.

Cover the bowl and heat the stew in a 350 degrees oven for about 30
minutes. Or microwave for 5 to 10 minutes.

Serve hot, over or next to couscous. Garnish with minced parsley and wedges
of lemon, if desired.

Serves 6. PER SERVING: 170 cals, 2.8 g fat, 13.5% without oil.

Serve with rice, top with chopped pistacio. Spinach and onion salad.
Buffet: Almond Stuffed Olives and Dates; Moroccan Roasted Vegetable Stew,
Couscous with Touches of Orange, Dill, and Pistachio, Pineapple
Pomegranita.

kitpath nov 97

Recipe by: Mollie Katzen's Vegetable Heaven (Hyperion, Oct97)