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I have never made any kind of tagine before but have always wanted to.  Those weird, cone-shaped, clay-like dishes always piqued my interest, and I was curious as to what on earth was made in there.  While I unfortunately don’t have a tagine cooking vessel of my own, I do have a large braising pan that worked well enough.  I’m sure the long, slow-cooked flavors of a traditionally cooked tagine is out of this world, but this recipe is actually one of my new favorites!  With the cooler weather coming around the corner, this is definitely the kind of recipe you’ll want to gather family and friends, cuddle up, and sit together at cozy kitchen tables with good food and conversation.  

Tagines originate from Morocco and the actual dish is named after the pot in which it is cooked.  Most tagine recipes include slow-cooked, tender meats and vegetables mixed with aromatic spices and herbs like ras el hanout (a mix of over 30 spices), cinnamon, saffron, coriander, and cumin.  The base of the tagine acts as a cooking and serving dish, while the cone serves as an insulated oven that also keeps the moisture locked in.

I love the different designs on some of them and they come in all kind of different sizes and colors.

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This recipe is certainly not slow-cooked, but has a wonderful flavor and is a great substitute for a quick weeknight dinner!

Quick Chicken Tagine

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cups chopped onion (or you could use leek)
• 4  tsp  ground cumin
• 2  tsp  paprika
• 1.5 tsp  ground turmeric
• 1/2  tsp  salt
• 1/2  tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2  teaspoon ground ginger
• dash of cayenne, optional
• 3  garlic cloves, minced
• 1.25  pound  skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 2 1/4  cups  fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 12  ounces  peeled, cubed butternut squash (I used TJ’s pre-chopped to make it quicker)
• 8  pitted honey dates, chopped (use half if using medjools)
• Quinoa for serving

Place chicken or protein source in a zippie bag with all the spices/garlic and let marinate and coat for a few minutes.  Heat oil in a large braising pan over medium heat. Add onion or leek; cook 8 minutes or until golden, stirring occasionally. Dump in the bag of chicken and spices; cook 5 minutes to let the chicken get a nice crust. Stir in broth, squash, and dates; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 15-30 minutes or until squash is tender (if you chop the squash smaller it will take less time to cook). Serve along side some quinoa or cous cous if desired.

I put some spinach under mine too for some extra green.

It was really great for leftovers too!

This dish has such wonderful flavors, I can’t wait to make it again!  Maybe in a real tagine next time?

The other night I went with a friend and her cute little ham Louie for a photo shoot.

Buster and Louie had a blast sniffing and romping around.

hehe crazy Louie!

Unlike Buster, Louie actually likes to play with toys and chase balls.  Look at that mid-air action!

Posing for the money shot!  awwww

In Other News . . .

Well, guys I am soooo happy it is Friday!  TGIF!  The week pretty much flew by with that extra time off.  Love that.  I was able to get in a body pump session and also went to early morning spin this am since I wasn’t able to ride to work (dang driving necessity and terrible public transportation) 🙁  The weather has been gorgeous the past few days, as in the mid 80’s, and I sure hope it stays this way from now on.  I want to ride!!

I am going to try for 60 miles on Sunday and hope that my hip doesn’t start acting up again.  Gotta get those miles in for my 115 mile ride in T-4 weeks!  One week of which will be less intense rides, so I really only have about 3 weeks left.  The hot weather hasn’t been treating me so well and I haven’t been able to get in as much as I’d like, so hopefully I can manage to bust it out.

I’m also meeting with my thesis committee next week!  I’m excited to have finally found something and get the ball rolling to graduate in May.  Finally.  All you peeps that work and go to school and blog and are active and . . . bless you!

I hope you have a nice weekend!  Thanks for stopping by!

Have you ever had a tagine-inspired dish or cooked with one?