This recipe is adapted from one created by the wonderful Annabel Cohen, who made it for a cooking demonstration I attended. I halved her recipe, but it still makes a large amount. It can be your main dish or a nice side dish, especially if your table includes a vegetarian guest. It’s good served with rice or a similar starch that can soak up the juices.
The spices give it this dish an exotic, Middle Eastern flavor. The photo is by my friend Mandy Garver, who got the recipe from me and now makes it often, especially since two of her kids are vegetarians.
Ingredients:
2 Tbs. olive oil
2 cups chopped onions
4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
½ cup chopped celery
3 cups (2 cans) cooked chick peas, drained
2 cups zucchini, or summer squash, or a mixture, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 cup fresh chopped parsley or ⅓ cup dried parsley
1 large can (28 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
½ cup sliced or slivered almonds
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. ground cumin
½ cup raisins or dried cranberries
Grated peel of ½ lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
Lemon wedges for garnish
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Heat olive oil in a skillet and sauté onions, garlic and celery until the vegetables are soft. Place the cooked vegetables in a large bowl and add the remaining ingredients. Toss well to combine. (Actually, to save time and reduce the number of dirty dishes, I usually mix everything in the casserole or baking pan I’m going to cook it in.) Transfer the mixture to a large baking dish or casserole. Bake, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour. (Or cook in a slow cooker for 6 hours or more.)
Serves 6 to 10
Bobbie's Best Recipes 