Marrakesh Lamb Stew

All I can say is the spices were well balanced, the lamb was tender & juicy, & the rutabagas/chickpeas/raisins danced in my mouth. Each bite was delicious.

Start by cutting a little over a pound of boneless lamb into bite sized pieces. Then brown in a soup pot before setting aside.

In the same pot saute one large onion and two cloves of garlic. Then return the meat.

Add five medium carrots, two cups stewed tomatoes, one large rutabaga, one cup water, one cinnamon stick, & one tsp each of cumin, coriander, cloves, & turmeric. If you like add some red pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, & reduce heat. Simmer for forty minutes.

Then add two cups cooked chickpeas, and one half cup raisins. Cover and cook another ten minutes.

Stir in some fresh parsley and you have what is an intriguing & yet comforting stew.

Favorite Song (from my favorite radio station): Tony Reidy- November Daisy

Togetherness: Veggies & Hummus

You can roast just about any winter vegetables & all together, provided you chop them uniformly & toss them with oil/seasonings.

I'm still working on uniformity in my chopping, & find it particularly hard with the multi-shaped root vegetables of various sizes.

In this case I roasted turnips, parsnips, rutabagas, carrots, & potatoes. I mixed them with two tablespoons of olive oil, basil, & marjoram. (I used marjoram only because we are currently & woefully out of oregano.) I added some onion about ten minutes in, following the recipe.

I received the idea of serving these vegetables with hummus, from my good friend in Buffalo. She roasted me up some carrots and beets while I was up there this winter, & served them with hummus & pitas. I especially like beets with hummus.

Turnips & rutabagas are new to us. We enjoyed the turnips in the mix, they were strong & complex. I felt they would be a bit too bitter for me to like on their own. The rutabaga was a nice treat. I enjoyed its creamy-peach color firstly. I also enjoyed its subtle spiciness, an almost radish-like flavor.

My husband drove home in the snow, & came in cold as a snowflake. This dish really warmed him up. The comfort, aroma & warmth of the roasted vegetables being pulled out of the oven as he sat down to dinner went a long way toward that. As did the interactive nature of hummus & pita, & the warm colors they provided.

For dessert we sipped Chai tea, & we spent the evening lazy in love.

Favorite Song (on my favorite radio station during prep time): Sailing over the Dogger Bank