The last week of August is a very special time for me. Not only was this past Sunday, August 26th, six years to the day that my dad and big bro drove me in from Scranton, Pennsylvania and dropped me off on a street corner in downtown Manhattan to make my way in the big city, but the 31st is also my wedding anniversary with B. So, this week is usually filled with lots of special, celebratory dinners, an annual trip out east, and much reminiscing about kookie roommates, twenty-something angst, our City Hall wedding, and how it all came together in this one breath-taking mess of a city.
My parents have been kind enough to watch the pooch for me and B while we head out for our long anniversary weekend tomorrow. He gets to play with their dog, Lili, and run amok in the grass outside. I’m going to bring home a portion of this tagine I made last night for my parents to try. It turned out magnificently fragrant and savory-sweet. I had two helpings and picked at it for the rest of the night. I think they’ll like it just as much as I did.
Chickpea Tagine with Carrots
Adapted from Vegetarian Times, October 2008
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, sliced thin
2-3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
2 14.5oz cans of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds
1/4 cup (throw one or two extra tablespoons in, if you like) dried currants
1½ teaspoons ground turmeric
1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
1½ teaspoons ground cumin
Dash of cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons agave nectar
2½ cups veggie broth
Directions
In a large sauce pan, heat oil and cook onion and garlic until soft, about 3 or 4 minutes. Stir in chickpeas, carrots, currants, spices, agave, and veggie broth. Cover and simmer for about 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until carrots are soft. Season with coarse sea salt and fresh ground pepper. You can enjoy plain or over a bed of basmati rice sprinkled with fresh chopped parsley. Yummy in my tummy. It’s going to take a lot of will power not to eat this during the car ride home this morning.
