New Year's Resolution

Do you make a New Year's Resolution?  Usually I have a theme or intention for the year and don't make specific resolutions but this year I was inspired by Big.  She is super goal oriented and on Christmas Eve, she read me a list of about 10 of hers . . . a few of which she's already made happen (like getting her Etsy shop up and running).  I was inspired by how she read through the Bible in a year and one of my goals this year is to do the same.  21 days in and so far so good.  

One of my other goals is to make some different recipes instead of the same old standbys.  It's easy to just make the same rotation over and over so that the girls don't complain about what's for dinner, but we all need to branch out a bit and try some new things.  My initial idea is to take something they like and make a different version.  I saw a recipe for a Moroccan Tagine that looked delicious and I thought that a tagine is basically a chili (right?).   Everybody ate some of it - it was a little too spicy for Little and Big didn't like the texture and I had leftovers for days.  

I like how it has lots of flavor, lots of vegetables, and you can easily omit the cooked chicken and double the chickpeas to make it a vegetarian main dish.  I used the harissa from Trader Joe's instead of just a paste so that may be why mine was a little spicy . . . but I added even more to my dish.  I served it with naan bread and you could also serve it over rice or cous cous.

Moroccan Chickpea & Chicken Tagine (recipe from Half Baked Harvest by Tieghan Gerard).

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 medium sweet onion, finely chopped

1 T grated fresh ginger

2 garlic cloves, minced

4 carrots, peeled and chopped

1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1 (14oz) can diced tomatoes

2 T harissa paste

2 tsp smoked paprika

3/4 tsp ground cumin

3/4 tsp ground cinnamon

juice of 1/2 lemon

1 (14 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 cup cooked chopped or shredded chicken

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, for serving

Instant Pot Instructions:

In the Instant Pot, combine onion, ginger, garlic, carrots, bell pepper, tomatoes, harissa, 1 cup of water, the spices and a pinch of salt and pepper.  Stir to combine.

Lock the lid and cook on high pressure for 6 minutes.  Use a quick or natural release.  Open the pot and put it on saute.  Stir in lemon juice, chickpeas, chicken, and simmer on low until the protein is heated through, about 5 minutes.  Add more water to thin if needed.  Top with cilantro to serve.

Stovetop Instructions:

Heat 2 T olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat.  Add the onion, ginger, garlic and cook until fragrant 3-5 minutes.  Add the carrots and bell pepper and continue cooking for about 5 more minutes or until the carrot is softened.  Add tomatoes, harissa, 1 cup of water, the spices, and a pinch of salt and pepper.  Stir, cover, and cook until the tangine has thickened and is stew consistency (about 15-20 minutes).

Just before serving, stir in the lemon juice, chickpeas, and chicken and cook until the protein is heated through, about 5 minutes.  If it's too thick, add more water.  Serve with cilantro on top.