Lamb & date Moroccan tagine with citrus couscous

Winter is all about slow cooking for me. This type of food is ideal for busy mums as it can be prepared ahead of time and is a great meal for the whole family. With subtle spices, it is a great way to introduce kids to flavoursome food. Morocco was one of my favourite countries to visit and its cuisine is also one of my favourites. A tagine is essentially like a stew, and typically slow cooked. The savoury proteins often accompany sweet dried fruits. Tagine is the name given to the dish and also the food prepared in it. A casserole dish is perfectly suitable for cooking this dish in. Serves 6

Ingredients:

800g lamb shoulder, diced

30g butter

2 Tbsp oil

1 onion, chopped

1 ½ tsp ground ginger

1 ½ tsp turmeric

1 tsp cinnamon

¾ c dried dates, chopped

2 c hot water

1 tin chickpeas, drained

2 Tbsp honey

Sliced almonds, to garnish

Parsley, to garnish

Method:

1. Heat up tagine (or casserole dish) on stove and add butter and oil. Add onion and cook until translucent on low heat.
2. Add spices and cook for one minute.
3. Turn up the heat, add lamb and allow meat to brown. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Once the lamb is browned, reduce heat and add dates and water. Simmer covered on low heat for 90 minutes stirring occasionally until meat is tender (alternatively, you can cook at 160 degrees in the oven for 90 minutes).
5. Stir in chickpeas, honey and check seasoning.
6. Garnish with almonds and parsley and serve with citrus couscous (recipe below).

Citrus Couscous

Ingredients:

1 ½ c orange juice (fresh oranges or bottled)

½ c raisins

1 ½ c couscous

¼ c olive oil

1 tsp cumin

¼ c parsley, chopped

Method:

1. Bring orange juice and raisins to the boil in a small pot.
2. In a large bowl add couscous, olive oil, cumin. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Pour over hot liquid. Cover for 5 mins then fluff with a fork.
4. Stir through parsley.

Chef and food blogger Tanisha Kemp shares her healthy and quick recipes for busy mums to feed the family. As a first time mum to Charlie, she hopes to inspire other mums in the kitchen.