Travel the World

I certainly would, if I could afford it. Would you? Why the heck not?! I have had the fantastic opportunity to travel to several different countries; and they have always deeply affected me mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. There have even been a couple of times where I have left part of my heart behind, ready to make me whole again upon my inevitable return...
Beautiful scenery, learning new languages, experiencing different cultures, learning histories, and eating exotic foods. That's the main reason I would go, haha. We've discussed how much I love different ethnicities of food. I am endlessly fascinated by how different regions of the world can present the same ingredient in so many different ways. Fried fish vs. fish tacos. Ground lamb gyros vs. whole lamb shanks. And everyone has a few seasonings that are particularly unique to their environment. Smoky chili powders, saffron, fresh oregano...how is it possible to not just completely fall in love with the endless experimentation of cooking?!

Tonight I am trying a dish that I have seen in several Middle Eastern cookbooks (and on various websites), and have adapted to my taste. It involves a whole slew of those unique spices I was just gushing about. Because of that, it is going to look like an amazingly long recipe, but trust me, it is not difficult! You toss everything in a pot, and simmer it...not hard at all. I beg, I plead...do not pass up this recipe because of the ingredient list!

Moroccan Chickpea Tagine
Ingredients:
2 16 oz cans of chickpeas, rinsed and drained. I used lower sodium.
1 26 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 large onion, diced
1 large bell pepper, diced. Color doesn't matter
1 small chili pepper seeded and diced or a pinch of ground cayenne pepper
1 large garlic clove minced.
Olive oil for cooking. I used extra virgin unfiltered. 
2 dried bay leaves, torn, remember to remove them before serving.
1/4 tsp of ground cumin
1/2 tsp of smoked paprika
1/2 tsp of turmeric  
Drizzle or two of honey or a couple pinches of Truvia to balance the acid in the tomatoes
A few saffron threads, crushed between your fingers to release the flavor.
A teeny pinch of nutmeg   
1/2 teaspoon of Moroccan ras el hannout spice (See my Archive)
Sea salt or kosher salt to taste
1 Tbsp. Garbanzo flour
Optional finishing touches:
Greek yogurt, drizzle of olive oil, sour cream, chopped flat leaf parsley, cilantro, slivered almonds.

Directions:
Add some olive oil to a large nonstick skillet or pot and saute the onions, bell pepper and chili pepper (or ground cayenne) with some salt on medium to medium high heat until soft.
When the vegetables are soft, add the bay leaves, spices, rinsed and drained chickpeas, tomatoes, garlic, sweetener, and the saffron threads. Adjust the salt and bring to a boil.
Turn down the heat to very low and simmer, covered, for about 20-30 minutes.
Remove the bay leaves.
To thicken the tagine, mash some of the chickpeas with the back of your spoon or mix some garbanzo bean flour with cold water and add it to the tagine toward the end of cooking. I highly recommend using a tablespoon or so of garbanzo bean flour mixed with equal parts cold water to thicken it.
Serve with optional finishes. I used simply the Greek yogurt and cilantro this evening.

Note:
If you're not doing Paleo, you can serve this with Basmati Rice, couscous, pita, or another carb of choice.