This weekend, I took a dive into my cumin recipe of choice. I had seen it in the Real Simple February, and knew it would accomplish several things: the need for cumin, a new cuisine, some lamb (something I’d been dying to cook with all last year), and best of all it was EASY.
The slow cooker seems to be coming back into style, just in time for our busy lifestyles, which is good for me, as Corelyn left her slow cooker safe in my hands, and I’ve been dying to use it all day, every day. And, tagine is something I’ve been meaning to try!
Here’s our cast of characters. The recipe is available here.
Take some carrots, first.
Cut them into one inch pieces. I’d like to note here that all of this photography is from Jeff, and he saved me no less than eight handwashes during this recipe making, and for that my hands are entirely grateful.
Cut up a medium onion, too. The recipe calls for a chopped onion, so don’t waste too much of your time!
Now halve your dried apricots.
This recipe also called for green olives, but I couldn’t find any non-stuffed green olives, so I just cut the garlic out of these ones I found at TJs. As a result, I didn’t add any garlic per the recipe.
I must say if I made it again I would probably add some more garlic from these olives, because it was mild and delicious. Not that I ate any straight or anything…I’d never…
Here is my lamb. I went to a new butcher to get it, and I must say I was quite pleased. I went to a butcher first that didn’t have lamb shoulder, but the second place did — and he chopped it up for me! If you live in the Los Angeles area, it was Marconda’s in the Farmer’s Market.
This is a photograph of the man who cut my meat for me.
Here’s my meat! Please note that I’m probably cutting terribly, but I was trying to get around the bone, and was too excited to think too much about what I was doing. Forgive me.
Cut your meat into one inch chunks, too, like your carrots.
Here’s your cumin. Things are getting serious.
In this bowl, we have flour, kosher salt, pepper, cumin, paprika, cinnamon, and ginger. In other words, we have Heaven.
So after you’ve chopped all your ingredients, you pour about 1/2 cup of water on them, then your spices.
Then use your hands to make sure all your ingredients are covered in all your spices.
Put the cover on, and set your slow cooker. I put mine on the fast track, 5 hours, and then went and worked on the blog for a bit, then headed to a three hour Yoga Workshop on low back pain.
When I came home stretched and relaxed, I walked into a house that smelled divine, and a dinner that tasted even better.
Jeff was kind enough to make the couscous, which really completed the meal well. I served with pistachio and lemon, as well as cilantro (which I am slowly making myself eat). It was perfect for a quick dinner, though it does take a bit to simmer.
It took about an hour from pulling the ingredients out of the cupboard to dishes drying in the rack, which is double the amount it says — and that was with Jeff photographing, so more accurate than my usual estimates. But it definitely serves four, as the recipe stated, and I will be eating leftovers for a few lunches to come!
[addtoany] Yum