Harissa Sweet Potatoes

2 pounds (about 4) sweet potatoes (I used organic Garnet)
2 heaping tablespoons harissa (I used Trader Joe's brand)
2 Tbsp olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Juice from a half lemon

Cut sweet potatoes into chunks about an 3/4-1 inch with peel (you can also peel them if you prefer). Place in a large mixing bowl. Add the olive oil and harissa and mix well so each chunk is coated well.

Spray a large baking dish with a 1 inch height with cooling spray (I use pampered chef stoneware). Place sweet potatoes in a single layer on pan and generously salt and pepper the tops.

Bake at 425 degrees for about 25 minutes, flipping potatoes at least once. Potatoes should be brown and crispy, but not burned and soft in the inside when done.

Squeeze juice over the top of the potatoes and enjoy.

These are spicy, so use less harissa if you don't care for spice. The harissa mixed with the sweetness of the potatoes makes these a tasty balanced side dish with just about anything. I've made them with burgers, chicken, and they would be delicious with lamb (if you like lamb).

Moroccan Lentil Stew

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 diced onion
4 carrots, sliced
1 inch piece of ginger root, peeled and minced
1 1/2 tsp. garam masala
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8-1/2 tsp. hot curry (I used Coco's from Japan)
1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed**
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed**
1 cup dried lentils, rinsed
15 oz. can diced tomatoes
3-4 c. chicken or vegetable broth
Salt and Pepper to taste

Heat oil in Dutch oven. Add onion and cook just till translucent. Add spices and cook until fragrant and well mixed. Add tomatoes and cook a bit longer. Add remaining ingredients. Cook about 30-40 minutes or until lentils and carrots are tender. Can cook longer. If you don't like spicy, cut back on cayenne or eliminate altogether and don't add curry.

Serve over cooked rice.

**Note -- if using dried beans, soak 2/3 cup dried beans overnight and then cook stew until beans are tender. This will usually take at least 1-2 hours extra.

Ethiopian-Style Chickpea Stew

This stew is spicy, but very tasty. I would recommend you roast the chickpeas which is easy to do while you are chopping up the vegetables. Paired with Rosemary Flat Bread from Epicurious, you have a delicious vegetarian meal!

I recommend you use whole spices to make the berbere (see the recipe for what this is) and crush them in a mortar and pestle. Here's the berbere I used in this recipe:

Berbere Spice Mix
1 tsp. sweet paprika
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. allspice, freshly ground
1/2 tsp. black pepper, freshly ground
1/2 tsp. cardamom, freshly ground
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. coriander, freshly ground (I dry my own coriander)
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground fenugreek (optional)

Stew recipe from Whole Foods Market
 http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/2441 
(link doesn't work, so I posted the recipe below)

Ingredients

Berbere Spice Mix (above) PLUS

2 (15-ounce) cans no-salt-added chickpeas, rinsed and drained
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 medium red onion, chopped
1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 (8-ounce) can no-salt-added tomato sauce
1 quart low-sodium vegetable broth or homemade chicken broth
1 pound red potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks
4 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks

Preheat oven to 450°F. Toss chickpeas with a tablespoon of the oil on a large rimmed baking sheet and spread out in a single layer. Roast chickpeas, stirring occasionally, until somewhat dried out and just golden brown, 16 to 18 minutes; set aside.

Meanwhile, heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add garlic, onion and chopped ginger and cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft and golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in spice mixture and continue cooking, stirring constantly, until spices are toasted and very fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in tomato sauce and cook 2 minutes more.

Stir in broth, potatoes, carrots and reserved chickpeas and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until potatoes and carrots are just tender, about 20 minutes. Uncover pot and simmer until stew is thickened and potatoes and carrots are very tender, about 25 minutes more. Ladle stew into bowls and serve with flatbread on the side.

Bread recipe
(click above link to go to recipe for Flat bread)

Delicious and Spicy Stew!