Slow Cooker Lamb And Apricot Tagine Food

MOROCCAN LAMB TAGINE WITH HONEY AND APRICOTS

Steps:

• Cut lamb into 1 1/2-inch cubes and place in a medium-sized bowl. Season the lamb with turmeric, ginger and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
• Heat a tagine or Dutch oven over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil and half of the seasoned lamb. Cook the lamb until browned on all sides, 2 to 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the lamb from the pan and set aside. Repeat with remaining oil and lamb.
• Return the seared lamb to the pan and add the diced onions. Cook, stirring to get the browned bits off the bottom of the pan, for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the chicken broth, saffron, and cilantro bundle and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, covered, for 1 1/2 hours, or until the meat is tender.
• Pour 1 cup of boiling water over the apricots and raisins and let sit for 20 minutes. Strain and set the fruit aside.
• Using a slotted spoon, remove the meat, place it on a clean plate, and keep warm. Bring the remaining liquid in the pan to a simmer. Add the sliced onions, apricots, raisins, honey, cinnamon, ground pepper, and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Return the liquid to a simmer and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, or until mixture is slightly thickened. Add the cooked lamb back into the sauce and cook to heat through, about 2 minutes. Garnish with fresh cilantro sprigs. Serve with Moroccan Vegetable Couscous and Moroccan Yogurt with Preserved Lemon Dip.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• Toss the red pepper halves and onion quarters with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a medium bowl. Arrange pepper and onion, cut sides down, on a small baking sheet, drizzling any remaining olive oil onto the baking sheet as well. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the skin is browned and bubbly. Peel, seed, and dice the red bell pepper and dice the onion. Set aside.
• Rinse the couscous in a fine-meshed strainer under cold running water until completely soaked. Drain and place in a medium bowl. Allow couscous to stand and swell for 5 minutes.
• Arrange a vegetable steamer or other steamer insert with small holes in a large stockpot with water, making sure the water doesn't touch the bottom of the steamer. Bring the water to a boil and add the couscous to the vegetable steamer. Cover tightly and steam for 30 to 40 minutes, or until tender and fluffy. Remove from the steamer, drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and fluff with a fork. Cover to keep warm and set aside.
• Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the carrots and cauliflower, and cook until lightly brown and softened, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic, zucchini, tomatoes and juices, garbanzo beans, chopped red onion and bell pepper, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon and salt and pepper. Bring mixture to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to medium. Cook until vegetables are tender, about 7 to 10 minutes. Adjust the seasonings with the salt and pepper. Remove from the heat, stir in the parsley, and cover to keep warm.
• In a small skillet heat the butter over medium heat. When foamy, add the almonds and cook until toasted, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
• Arrange the couscous on a large serving platter and top with the vegetable mixture, tossing gently. Sprinkle toasted almonds over the top and serve immediately.
• Put the yogurt in a cheesecloth lined strainer over a bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight to drain.
• Put the drained yogurt in a medium bowl and stir in the cucumber, mint, and lemon. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

SLOW COOKER LAMB AND APRICOT TAGINE

Steps:

• Method 1. Put the slow cooker on 'High' setting to preheat for 20 minutes while you prepare the tagine. 2. Put the lamb in a bow and mix in the ground spices, salt and pepper, and honey. 3. Heat the butter with the oil in a large frying pan until bubbling and fry the garlic and onion for 5 minutes. Add the spiced lamb and cook, stirring for about 5 minutes until lightly browned all over. 4. Transfer all the pan contents to the slow cooker dish and add the cinnamon stick. Pour over 300ml (½ pt) hot water. Put the cooker lid securely on top, reduce the setting to 'Low' and cook for 5 hours. 5. Remove the lid and stir in the apricots. Re-cover with the lid and continue to cook for a further 1 hour. Discard the cinnamon stick. 6. To serve, ladle the lamb and apricots over freshly cooked cous cous, and sprinkle with almonds and freshly chopped coriander. Serve the tasty cooking juices separately as gravy.

LAMB, APRICOT & SHALLOT TAGINE

Steps:

• Slash the lamb leg all over and put in a big food bag, or in a large casserole dish. Smash the marinade ingredients together using a pestle and mortar. Add some black pepper and rub all over the lamb. Marinate overnight, or up to 24 hrs.
• Heat oven to 140C/120C fan/gas 1. Sit the lamb in a big roasting tin, scraping off any leftover marinade on the top. Cover the tin with foil, pinching the edges to seal. Cook for 6-7 hrs, basting every hour or so, until the meat is incredibly tender.
• Remove the roasting tin from the oven and increase oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Pour the juices from the lamb into a measuring jug, cool slightly and skim off the fat. Put the shallots in the tin with the lamb and toss to coat in some of the juices. Roast for 15 mins, then add the apricots and almonds. Whisk the cooking juices with the lemon, ras el hanout, honey and stock, then pour over the lamb and roast for another 20 mins.
• Rest for 10 mins, then scatter over the herbs and serve with couscous and yogurt.

SLOW COOKER LAMB TAGINE

Steps:

• Fry the lamb in the oil in batches and tip it into the slow cooker. Fry the onion in the same pan for 5 mins or until it softens a little. Add the carrots and spices, stir everything together, add the tomato purée, stock and 250ml water and swirl everything around the pan. Tip into the slow cooker. Add the sweet potato, dried cherries, honey and another 500ml water.
• Cook on low for 8 hrs or high for 4 hrs. Stir in the coriander and serve with couscous. Leave to cool before freezing.

SLOW-COOKER LAMB, APRICOT, AND OLIVE TAGINE

Steps:

• In a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker, mix together the lamb, carrots, onion, apricots, olives, garlic, flour, paprika, cumin, cinnamon, ginger, 1 teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, and ½ cup water.
• Cover and cook until the lamb and vegetables are tender, on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours (this will shorten total recipe time).
• Ten minutes before serving, cook the couscous according to the package directions. Serve the lamb on the couscous with the pistachios, cilantro, and lemon wedges.

SLOW COOKER LAMB STEW WITH APRICOTS

Steps:

• Mix flour, paprika, and 1 teaspoon black pepper together in a bowl. Pour over lamb meat and mix. Place in the bottom of a slow cooker.
• Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Saute onion in the hot oil until soft, about 5 minutes. Add jalapeno and garlic; continue to cook and stir until onion starts to brown, about 5 minutes more. Mix in apricots. Add remaining 1 teaspoon black pepper, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, allspice, and clove. Cook and stir, 1 to 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and brown sugar. Mix well.
• Pour mixture over the lamb in the slow cooker. Add potatoes and carrots; stir well. Pour in 1 cup beef broth, or 2 cups for a soupier consistency. Season with salt.
• Cover and cook until carrots and potatoes are tender and lamb is no longer pink, on Low for 8 to 9 hours, or High for 4 to 6 hours.

LAMB, SQUASH & APRICOT TAGINE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Heat the oil in a flameproof casserole dish, add the onion and cook for 5 mins until softened. Add the garlic and spices and cook for a couple mins more, stirring to prevent them catching and burning.
• Add the lamb, squash and apricots to the casserole, pour over the tomatoes and stock, season well and bring to the boil. Put the lid on and transfer to the oven. After 1 hr, stir the tagine and return to the oven, uncovered, for a further 30 mins.
• Check the seasoning. Sprinkle over the zest and coriander, and serve in warm bowls with couscous and yogurt.

EASY CROCK POT MOROCCAN CHICKEN, CHICKPEA AND APRICOT TAGINE

Steps:

• PLEASE NOTE: This recipe lists canned chickpeas in the ingredients, NOT dried! If you use dried chickpeas, you MUST soak them and cook them first!
• Heat up olive oil in a frying pan/skillet & saute chopped onions & garlic for 5-10 minutes.
• Add chicken stock & gradually mix in flour or cornflour until well mixed & not lumpy.Add honey & tomato paste & mix well.
• Add herbs,spices & finely chopped ginger with salt & pepper to taste.
• Finally add tinned tomatoes & mix well.
• Pour the above tomato,onion & spice mix into slow cooker or tagine.
• Add chicken & chickpeas & mix well.
• Add dried apricots making sure they are covered by juice. (Add the carrots if using.).
• Give it a gentle but good stir to mix everything together well.
• Crock Pot or Slow Cooker - Cook on high for about 3 to 4 hours OR automatic with keep warm facility for up to 8 hours. (Please note that the cooking times depend on your crockpot, the cooking times I have suggested work fine with mine which is a Morphy Richards Slow Cooker.).
• If cooking in a Traditional Tagine, do as above & cook SLOWLY over gas or barbeque for about 2-3 hours.
• Electric Tagine cooking - same as the slowcooker. If you need to thicken it up towards the end of the cooking time, add cornflour which has been mixed with a little water & add to the tagine - mix well.
• Serve with freshly chopped Coriander/Cilantro sprinked on top & either with couscous, rice, fresh flat bread, pitta bread or salads. It is also good (if not traditional) served with fluffy pureed or mashed potatoes & pasta.
• Note: You can use chicken pieces or whole chicken which has been cut up into portions, but you will then need to brown them in a frying pan or skillet beforehand. Preserved lemons make a great addition, add them when you add the apricots and carrots.

LAMB AND APRICOT TAGINE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300F (or the lowest possible heat). Wipe the meat, and put in a 'tangia' or other earthenware casserole.
• Add the rest of the ingredients and put on the lid.
• Seal this tightly with foil, or a flour and water paste, and cook in the very low oven for 2½-3 hours.

LAMB TAGINE WITH BUTTERNUT SQUASH, DRIED APRICOTS, AND ALMONDS

Steps:

• Place a large soup pot over medium-high heat; add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil.
• When oil begins to smoke, add half the lamb; lightly brown on all sides, regulating the heat if the meat threatens to burn.
• Set meat aside in a bowl; repeat with remaining lamb.
• Take the pot from the heat and let it cool slightly.
• Return it to med-low heat; add in 4 tablespoons butter; let it melt.
• Add in the saffron, cinnamon, black pepper, turmeric, cayenne, ginger, and minced yellow onion, scraping the bottom of the pot to loosen any browned bits.
• Let the mixture cook gently for 4 minutes.
• Add in the cooked lamb and any accumulated juices, with 1 1/2 teaspoon salt; stirring to coat the lamb with the spice mixture.
• Stir in the water; increase heat to high and bring just to a simmer.
• With kitchen string, tie together 5 coriander springs and add to the pot.
• Let mixture cook, uncovered, at a bare simmer( the bubbles should be lazy) for 1 hour 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add in the sliced sweet onion and the almonds; simmer for 30 minutes.
• Taste the tagine; add salt if needed.
• Remove the coriander bundle and discard.
• Turn off the heat and allow the tagine to rest at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours at room temperature.
• While tagine is resting: Prepare the squash--you only need the seedless neck from the squash; peel and halve the neck lengthwise; then cut it into 3/8-inch thick half moons.
• Heat a large skillet over med-high heat and add in the remaining vegetable oil.
• When the oil slides easily in the skillet, sauté the squash pieces on both sides, lightly salting each side as you go for about 5 minutes per side or until just tender and golden brown at the edges.
• Regulate the heat if the squash threatens to burn.
• Near the end of cooking, and while the squash pieces are still a bit firm, add the remaining butter and drizzle the honey over the squash.
• Swirl the pan to blend the ingredients, and gently toss the squash to coat.
• Turn off the heat and reserve in the skillet.
• When ready to serve, gently reheat the lamb, and stir in about 2/3s of the squash pieces.
• Combine the apricots with the remaining squash in the skillet, cover and reheat gently, swirling to coat the pieces.
• Divide the lamb mixture into 4 wide, shallow bowls.
• Drizzle with some of the juices.
• Distribute the apricots and remaining squash over the lamb.
• Drizzle any liquid remaining in the skillet over each serving.
• Garnish with fresh coriander leaves.