Here is another dish with Moroccan flair, a vegetarian option to the Chicken & Butternut Squash Tagine. Couscous is incredible popular in Moroccan food, served as a compliment to a meal just as rice is in Asian cuisine. The spices are similar, though you can adjust to suit your tastes. You can also use chicken broth instead of vegetable stock.

As you will see in the picture below, I served this meal with rice. Rather than add it to the pot with the vegetables, I cooked the rice separately and stirred in some of the cooking liquid. I would have preferred couscous, but I did not have enough on hand and rice was a good substitute.  The recipe below includes the instructions for using couscous.

Butternut-Chickpea Couscous
adapted from Cooking Light

2 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/4 tsp salt, divided
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp nutmeg
3 cups vegetable stock
1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 can (15 oz) petite diced tomatoes, do not drain
1 can (19 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup golden raisins
1 1/2 uncooked couscous
1/4 cup almond slivers (optional)

In a dutch oven or large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add onions and 1/4 tsp of salt and saute for 3-5 minutes until softened. Add garlic and saute 1 minute. Add remaining 1 tsp of salt, cinnamon, ginger, paprika, turmeric, cayenne pepper, and nutmeg. Saute for 1 minute, until very fragrant.

Stir in chicken stock, butternut squash, and tomatoes with liquid and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add chickpeas and simmer, covered, for an additional 5 minutes or until butternut squash is tender when pierced with a fork. Remove from heat and stir in golden raisins and couscous. Cover and let stand 5 minutes.

Stir well before serving, fluffing up the couscous. Top with almond slivers if desired.

When thinking up homemade food gift ideas, things like cookies, hot cocoa mix and fudge immediately come to mind. I recently discussed giving wine as a gift over on the Bitter/Sweet blog, but let’s look at some more food related gift ideas that go beyond cookies and candy:

From YumSugar, check out this slide show of 12 Handmade Edible Food Gifts, including Parmesan Black Pepper Biscotti, Homemade Kahlua, Candied Citrus Peel, and Smoky Cashews. Slashfood recently posted easy recipes for Four Fast Tomato Sauces, which would be great packaged in old-fashioned mason jars and given to a pasta loving friend.

From BlogHer, try these Homemade Beauty Gifts with a foodie twist, like chocolate lip balm and chamomile bubble bath. Also check out 5 DIY Holiday Beauty Gifts which features bath salts in “flavors” like pink grapefruit, cucumber mint, and candy cane. Most of the ingredients for these “recipes” are everyday pantry items like sea salt and baking soda.

From MyRecipes.com, here’s a guide to creating Ultimate Gift Baskets like Herb Garden, Italian Feast, and Tea Time. Each basket contains quite a few items, for the sake of budget you could just select a couple to build a basket.

And finally, from Wired, here is a list of Gifts for the Nanogastronome. This list includes new gadgets, books, and food that a culinary buff might like to receive.

A tagine (or tajine) is a traditional cooking vessel used in North Africa, especially in Moroccan cuisine. The top cover has a cone shape that encourages condensation to run back down into the bottom of the pan, allowing tough cuts of meat to braise over low temperatures. In Moroccan cuisine, tagine also refers to a slow-braised stew with vegetables and spices, including Ras el Hanout.

Since a tagine is not in my cooking arsenal, I used a dutch oven which is probably the closest western equivalent. When covered tightly, a dutch oven can serve a similar purpose in cooking. If you do not have chipotle chili powder, use regular chili powder or cayenne pepper. You can also used smoked or hot paprika. We served this dish with clementine oranges on the side (interestingly, our crate of clementines read “Product of Morocco,” so it seemed fitting).

Chicken & Butternut Squash Tagine
adapted from Cooking Light

Olive oil
2 onions, diced
1 sweet bell pepper, such as yellow, seeded and diced
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp sweet paprika
1 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp chipotle chili powder
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
1 small butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1/3 cup golden or regular raisins
hot cooked rice, for serving

Heat oil in a large dutch oven. Add onions and bell pepper, sauteing under tender, about 5 minutes. Add cumin, paprika, turmeric, salt, cinnamon, ginger, chili powder, and garlic. Saute 2-3 minutes, then add chicken.

Saute chicken until coated in the spice mixture, then add chicken stock and butternut squash. Scrap the bottom of the pan to loosen any browned bits. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until squash is tender when pierced with a fork. Remove from heat, stir in raisins, and let stand for 5-10 minutes before serving.

To serving, spoon tagine over hot cooked rice. Serve with orange slices if desired.

As the old saying goes, you catch more flies with honey than vinegar…then again, as another saying goes, who wants a bunch of flies?

Vinegar is a somewhat under-appreciated staple in a culinary toolkit. It is often overlooked in favor of cooking wines or flavored oils, and it seems that some people are not quite sure how to use vinegar while cooking.

Here are just some of  your vinegar options, along with cooking suggestions:

White distilled vinegar: the most basic and least expensive vinegar, white distilled vinegar is best suited for household needs such as cleaning (there are tons of websites devoted to the uses of distilled vinegar). The flavor is very harsh; it will do in a pinch, but then again, so will soy sauce. For cooking, you can do much, much better.

Apple cider vinegar:often used in cooking, this is a common and economic choice with decent flavor. It is not a bad choice if you seldom use vinegar or just want it on your salad, as this is a popular restaurant choice for “oil and vinegar” combos.

White wine vinegar: this is starting to crack the moderately priced vinegars. White wine vinegar is a good starter if you want to learn to cook with vinegar without a big investment. This one is a bit milder and great for making flavored and infused vinegars (see below).

Red wine vinegar: a must have staple for a serious cook’s pantry. This is great for splashing on vegetables, adding  to pasta dishes and tenderizing red meat. Red wine is also often used in pickling, especially in Mediterranean cuisine.

Balsamic vinegar: the king of vinegars. Balsamic  is very smooth and adds a great sophistication to salads and is great sprinkled over strawberries and apples. It is also excellent in tomato sauces, vegetable soups, and gives homemade BBQ sauce a kick.

Flavored or Infused Vinegars: these are great for adding a little something extra to flavor in dishes. Recently, I purchased a shallot vinegar and it is quickly becoming my favorite for steamed veggies. Here is a link for flavored vinegar recipes you can make at home.

Rice Vinegar: good to have on hand if you cook and enjoy Asian cuisine. This is a popular ingredient in Chinese and Japanese fare, including sushi rice. Rice vinegar has a slightly sweet flavor and pairs well with soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and brown sugar.

Don’t be shy about trying out new vinegar, just remember that a little goes a long way! Start with a splash or a sprinkle, then increase as you become more comfortable. For a large stir-fry or batch of sauteed veggies, I may use up to 2 tablespoons but will also balance the flavor with salt, pepper, and a pinch of sugar. For marinating meat, a teaspoon or two will suffice depending on how much meat you are using.

For the Gift of Food, try making something with a healthy twist. Who could say no to granola with cherries and dark chocolate? Try making a batch of this great granola recipe and packing it in a glass jar with a festive bow on top. The wheat germ adds a nutty flavor and gives the granola texture and a nutrition boost.

Any kind of dried fruit or nuts can be substituted for the dried cherries and chocolate chips, just keep the proportions the same. You can also coarsely chop any kind of chocolate baking bar instead of using mini-chips.

Jenn’s Chocolate-Cherry Granola
2 1/2 cups quick oats
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup dried cherries
1 cup mini-chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 300F and coat a 13×9 baking sheet with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, toss the oats and wheat germ.

Combine oil, maple syrup, and salt in a glass measuring cup and heat in the microwave for 1 minute. Add the vanilla.

Pour the syrup over the dry ingredients and toss to coat everything evenly. Spread mixture over prepared baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.

Add the dried cherries. Add the chocolate chips while the mixture is still warm and stir to melt the chocolate into the granola, or add the chocolate chips after the mixture has cooled to keep in pieces.

Sprinkle granola on top of yogurt and fruit.