Cauliflower-Chickpea Tagine

First off, Happy New Year! 2008 was a crazy year for me, so I'm hoping 2009 will be a little calmer. If you're like most people, including me, you probably are wanting a break from the overindulgent foods associated with the holidays. This is a wonderful, flavorful dish that will keep you warm through January while still being healthy and full of vegetables. You don't have to eat salads to eat healthy!

I especially liked the way the raisins plumped up during the cooking. They added a hint of sweetness that contrasted with the spice of the cayenne pepper.

Cauliflower-Chickpea Tagine
source: Big City Cooking

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, thinly sliced

3 garlic cloves, slices

1 head of cauliflower, broken into florets

3 carrots, sliced thinly

1 15-oz can of chickpeas, drained (I used 2 cups of cooked dried chickpeas)

1 15-oz can of crushed tomatoes

1 cup vegetable broth

1/4 cup raisins

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp turmeric

1 1/2 tsps cumin

1/2 tsp cayenne

In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat, and sauté onions until translucent. Add garlic and sauté another minute. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, then lower to simmer. Cook covered for about an hour, or until all vegetables are soft. Serve over whole wheat couscous.