Lamb and date Tagine

Serves approx 4-6 people
Cooking Time: 2-3 hours

1kg Lamb diced
1 teaspoon of oil
1 small red onion chopped
1 teaspoon paprika
2 large tablespoons of honey
1/2 teaspoon of cumin
400g sweet potato peeled and diced up
1 cinnamon stick
3 cups of beef
8 fresh dates pitted and halved
Couscous make as per pack instruction
Coriander leaves




Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook lamb meat in two batches until brown and set aside.

In a saucepan cook the onion for two minutes til softened.  Add paprika, cumin and a dash of honey.  Add the sweet potato and cook for another five minutes slowly then add the stock with the cinnamon stick. Bring to the boil and add dates.

Slowly add the lamb meat and then transfer into a 1.5 litre tagine on stove top on a slow simmering heat or you can cook in a casserole dish covered with foil or a lid and placed in an oven at temperature 160 degrees celcius.  Check the water level is always over the meat for the first hour in oven. Remove the cinnamon stick after the first hour.

Cook for 2-3 hours slowly and then serve with the cous cous and top with coriander leaves.

You can always top with almond flakes if you desire.

Spicy Vegetable and Lamb Couscous

 Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Serves: 4 people

Olive oil for each frypan (2)

1 small red chilli diced finely

1 white end of leek diced up finely

1 teaspoon of cumin ground

1 teaspoon of turmeric

shake of black pepper

1 sweet potato peeled and diced

500 ml vegetable stock

1 zuccini diced

1 bunch of broccolini (just the florets)

1 small tomato diced

1 tablespoon of parsley

1 tablespoon of thyme

400g lamb diced

6 pitted dates chopped

1 cup of vegetable stock

shake of black pepper

1 teaspoon of moroccan spice

Couscous

1 cup instant couscous

30 g butter

1 cup of hot vegetable stock

 Add a little oil to a frypan and add the lamb pieces, dates, vege stock, pepper and moraccan spice. Simmer on medium heat on stovetop making sure to add stock to just cover the meat. This makes a gorgeous thick sweet lamb after around 30 min simmering.  

To make the vegetables place some oil in a deep frypan and add the chilli, leek, cumin and turmeric and cook til leek is slightly opaque.  Then add the sweet potato and half the vegetable stock and simmer.  Add the broccoli florets, tomato, parsley and thyme and simmer uncovered for around 20 minutes (or until vegetables are tender). Add stock as required .

Make the couscous by placing the couscous grains in a large glass bowl and place butter and hot vegetable stock over the cous cous.  Leave to absorb for around 5 minutes then fluff gently with a fork to separate the grains.

To serve place Couscous in serving bowl then place vegetables and meat on top or you can mix meat into vegetables first then onto couscous.  Delicious food!