Chickpea Tagine

Here are the top 2 reasons why this Chickpea Tagine, a decidedly cold-weather themed dish, came out of my kitchen last week, nearly midway through April:

1. It was cold in Baltimore last week. I’m talking FAH-REEZING. Parts of the area had hail falling. I packed away all my winter clothing, like a chump, weeks ago. No matter how many tank tops I layered underneath my sassy summer-weight parka, I couldn’t get warm. So I stayed in most of the week, shuffling around the house in the lone winter ski jacket still hanging in the closet. I looked kinda weird walking to the mail box in capris and a puffy jacket. But then again, my neighbors should expect nothing less from me.

2. I recently won an olive giveaway from Country Cleaver and I have olives a plenty. Don’t get me wrong, I love olives. (Say that aloud. Isn’t that clever? Shoot me.) But you can only toss them into salads for so long before it gets mighty boring. I needed to really MAKE something with my olive bounty.

3. Did I say there were 2 reasons? I just remembered another one. I have a very large, rather obnoxious bag of prunes in my pantry. No matter how many prunes I pinch from the bag for a recipe here and a recipe there, those shriveled things keep multiplying. I need to put the bag on birth control. But in the meantime, like the olives, I really needed to MAKE something with my prune. . . investment.

So, this tagine happened. And what I really like about this tagine is that a good 75 percent of this can be made from things you likely have on hand in your pantry. It’s a good way to throw something together when your refrigerator is barren.

And if you don’t have an ingredient on the list, you can likely sub what you do have. No mint in the fridge? Use cilantro or parsley. Don’t have prunes? Use apricots. Don’t have apricots? Use raisins.

Don’t have raisins? Who are you?

Just order takeout, okay?

Chickpea Tagine
(adapted from The America’s Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook)

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 (3-inch) strips lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon juice
5 garlic cloves, crushed
2 1/2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons garam masala
4 cups vegetable broth
1 tablespoon agave syrup
1 pound carrots, peeled and sliced 2 inches thick (1 inch thick for thicker carrots)
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup pitted green olives, rinsed
1/2 cup pimento stuffed green olives, rinsed
1 cup prunes, chopped
1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped

In a large pot or dutch oven, saute the onions in the olive oil until the onions are translucent. Add the lemon zest and continue cooking until the onions are browned. Stir in the carrots, garlic, paprika, garam masala and saute until fragrant and the mixture is well coated in the spices. Add the broth, agave, chickpeas, olives, and prunes. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat. Cover the pot and allow the mixture to simmer 30 minutes until the tagine has thickened and the carrots are tender but still hold their shape.

Remove the mixture from the heat. Remove the lemon zest strips. Stir in the lemon juice and chopped mint. Serve with your favorite grain.