During the Polar Vortex cold front we recently had in NY, I felt like having a warm meal that would use our typical winter vegetables, albeit with a Moroccan twist. After doing a little research, I came upon this recipe, which I adapted to the spices that I brought back from Morocco. I used a Staub tajine dish, which is very convenient because its bottom dish is made of cast iron, so I am not afraid of breaking the tajine dish while it is cooking on the stove. If you do not have a tajine dish, a regular cast iron cocotte is perfectly fine too.

Ingredients
1 shallot, thinly chopped
2 garlic cloves, thinly chopped
1 butternut squash, cut in cubes
4 carrots, peeled and cut in 1 inch bits
4 turnips, peeled and cut in cubes
3 tbsp raisins
1 can of chick peas, drained
3 tbsp sliced almonds, toasted
1 organic orange – zest the skin with a microplane
½ tsp cumin powder
½ tsp cinnamon powder
½ tsp piment d’espelette
1 bunch fresh cilantro

In the tajine dish, heat 1 tbsp olive oil, add the shallot and garlic and cook for a few minutes on low heat until they become translucent. Add all the vegetables and mix well. Add a glass of water, the orange zest and its juice, the chick peas and raisins.

Add salt, pepper, cumin, cinnamon powder and mix well. Cover with the tajine lid and cook on low heat for about 1.5 hours. During the cooking process check if there is enough liquid left and add some water if necessary.

Just before serving, put fresh cilantro leaves and the toasted almonds on top. Serve with some couscous semolina.