Adapted From Welland, Diane. Clean Eating Magazine Recipes. Downloaded from the net on May 22, 2011.

My Comment: One of my sisters is an experienced world traveler and on her trip to Morocco, she brought back a packet of an interesting spice: Ras El Hanout.  This recipe is seasoned with this spice blend from Morocco — if you can’t find it (and I never have), you can make a small batch by following the link on Clean Eating’s website.  I enjoy Northern African recipes; the combination of veggies and raisins over couscous is delightful. For our meal, I did not include the Tilapia — still healthy and satisfying.

Ingredients

3 tsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 TBSP Ras El Hanout
1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced (1 inch pieces)
2 small turnips, peeled and diced (1 inch pieces)
1 medium zucchini, diced (1 inch pieces)
2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
1/4 head cabbage (about 1/2 lb) cut into 1 inch chunks
1/2 red pepper, cut into chunks
1/2 cup green beans (about 2 oz) cut into thirds
1/2 to 1 tsp Harissa or any chile past or hot sauce (we liked more)
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup raisins, soaked for 1o mins in 2-3 TBSP warm water & drained
3/4 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
16 oz white fish (tiapia, haddock, sole) cut into chunks
1-1/3 cup whole wheat couscous
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped and divided

Instructions

1. Heat oil in large stockpot over medium heat and add garlic and Ras El Hanout. Quick stir until brown. Then add next 5 ingredients. Pour in enough water to cover vegetables. Cover and cook 25-30 minutes until vegetables are soft but not fully cooked. Add pepper, beans, Harissa and salt. Cook for another 10-15 minutes until tender.

2. Ladle out 3 cups of broth and vegetables (1-1/2 cups each). Puree in blender until thick. (I used a 4-cup measure and hand blender – easier). Add back to stew.

3. Mix in raisins and chickpeas. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and place fish on top of the mixture. (If you are using the fish DO NOT mix it in or the fish chunk will break up). Cook covered for 10-15 minutes or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.

4. While fish is cooking, boil 1-1/2 cups water in a saucepan. Take off heat and add the couscous, cover and set aside for 5 minutes. Flluff with fork. To serve, place 1/2 cup couscous in a bowl, Pour 1 cup of the veggie-fish mixutre over top and sprinkle with 1 TBSP cilantro.

Serves 6. Nutrition: Calories 280, Fat 3.5 g, carbohydrates 40 g, Fiber 8 g, protein 19 g.