Moroccan Vegetable Tagine

This recipe has some wonderful flavours and is from a popular magazine in the Pacific NW called, "Sunset". I found that the recipe was a bit spicy, but if you like the spice, you can put as much cayenne as you would like, but I have reduced the amount of cayenne for my own personal taste. I have also made some other changes and I hope you will all enjoy this recipe.

2 tablespoons olive oil
6 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed with the side of a knife
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
5 cups vegetable or chicken broth
4 carrots (12 oz. total), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch lengths
2 1/2 cups diced peeled eggplant
2 1/2 cups sliced (1/2 in. thick) zucchini
2 cups cauliflower florets
1 cup diced onion (about 5 oz.), pureed
2 cans (14 1/2 oz. each) stewed tomatoes
1 can (15 oz.) garbanzos, drained and rinsed
3/4 cup dried currants, or raisins
1 cup chopped toasted almonds
1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
Serve with Couscous

1. Pour olive oil into a small frying pan over medium-low heat. Add garlic and spices and cook, stirring often until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes, being careful not to scorch the garlic. Scrape the mixture into a slow-cooker (at least 5 qt.).

2. Add broth, carrots, eggplant, zucchini, cauliflower, onion, stewed tomatoes (with juices), garbanzos, currants, almonds, and salt, and stir to combine.

3. Cover slow-cooker and cook on high until vegetables are tender to bite and flavors are blended, 8 to 9 hours.

4. Ladle about 3 cups of the vegetable mixture into a blender. Holding lid down with a towel and taking care to avoid steam, whirl until smooth. Return purée to slow-cooker and stir to blend. Ladle stew into a tureen or individual bowls.

Yield: Makes 12 cups; 6 to 8 servings

CALORIES 292 (43% from fat); FAT 14g (sat 1.4g); PROTEIN 10g; CHOLESTEROL 2.3mg; SODIUM 741mg; FIBER 8g; CARBOHYDRATE 36g