Moroccan Stew

It's definitely winter. Doesn't matter if you are in California or New York. It is so cold and dreary outside. 

There is one recipe that I discovered last year that I had to repeat when the rain started in San Francisco. It is a yummy Moroccan Beef stew. I tried it for the first time because it was (a) written by another graduate student, (b) easy, and (c) contained lots of protein. I made it again because it tastes amazing. With the smooth blend of cinnamon and aromatic spices, it is so warming. I made it with ground turkey to reduce the fat and used a mix of dried fruit that I had in pantry. I also left out the carrots, as I am not a big fan. It was as good as I remembered, if not better.

Moroccan Stew
adapted from Epicurious.com


Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

• 1 pounds ground turkey, extra lean
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 cups beef broth (low-sodium)
• 1/2 cup halved pitted Kalamata olives
• 1/2 cup dried fruit
• 1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 teaspoon lemon peel

Recipe:

(1) Heat 1 tablespoons oil in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. 

(2) Add ground turkey to pan and brown on all sides, about 3 minutes per batch. Transfer to plate. 

(3) Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil, garlic, and onion to pan. Cook until vegetables are soft, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. 

(4) Add spices; stir 1 minute. 

(5) Add broth, olives, dried fruit, garbanzo beans, and cilantro; bring to boil. Simmer until juices thicken, about 5 minutes. 

(6) Add ground meat and any accumulated juices and lemon peel to pan. Stir to warm through and serve.

Use any meat you have on hand. No substitutions on the amount of garlic. Add a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar if you like a tangy stew. Enjoy the warmth.