Moroccan Style Vegetable Stew with Dried Plums

Photo by Rachel Swetnam Los Angeles Food Photographer | www.rachelswetnam.com

Last night my friends and I restarted our book club. We read The Hunger Games, we wanted to start with something kind of fun! I decided, in addition to our usual glass of wine, I would make food, inspired from the book. Now, if you’ve read it, you are familiar with a specific lamb stew with dried plums. Of course I’m not going to make soup with lamb but the rest sounded very appetizing.

So here is my take on it, a Root Vegetable Stew with Dried Plums.

P.S. Even if you aren’t a super nerd, this stew is perfect for the cold winter’s day. You didn’t have to read the book to make it.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion,chopped

2 garlic cloves, diced

2 t. cumin

1/2 t. coriander

1 t. cinnamon

1 t. ground ginger

1/2 t. paprika

1/4 t. saffron threads

1 pound whole butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes

1 small fennel bulb, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch strips

1 large sweet potato

1 lb turnip, peeled a cubed

1 can chickpeas, drained

1 can diced tomatoes with juice

1 5oz bag of fresh spinach

2 T. chopped parsley

1 t. salt

1 t. pepper

4 C. Vegetable broth or 4 C. water and 4 t. Better Than Bouillon

3 T. dry cooking sherry

1 1/2 cups pitted dried plums (prunes)

Preperation:

1. In a large pot heat olive oil to medium-high heat. Add garlic and onion and saute until lightly brown. Add spices and mix.

2. Add stock, sherry, can of tomatoes and vegetables. Bring to a boil. Add prunes and chickpeas.

3. Turn down heat to low and simmer for about an hour. You can also transfer into a slow cooker crock pot and cook up to 5 hours (which is what I did.)

Serve over rice or by itself with a hearty loaf of bread.

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