A Healthier Approach to Hanukkah

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Vegetable Tagine
Serves 8 generously

Ingredients

1 tablespoon coriander seed
1 2-inch cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon anise seed or fennel seed
2 whole cloves
1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
olive oil
1 medium Spanish onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium fennel bulb, trimmed and diced
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
2 medium parsnips, peeled and diced
1 acorn squash, peeled, seeded, and diced
1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced
1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 large russet potato, peeled and diced
2 medium zucchini, diced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup tomato paste
1/2 cup dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
3 to 4 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
1/2 cup pitted dates, thinly sliced
1/2 cup dried apricots, thinly sliced
1 cup pearled barley
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leafed parsley

Method

Preheat the oven to 325F. Combine the coriander seed, cinnamon, anise seed, cloves and chili flakes in a spice grinder and process until finely ground. Set aside spice mix.

Heat a large sauté pan and lightly coat the bottom of the pan with the olive oil. Sauté the vegetables, seasoned lightly with salt and pepper, in batches until lightly browned, adding more olive oil between batches if needed. Transfer the vegetables to a tagine, a large deep casserole dish, or an enameled cast-iron Dutch oven.

Lightly coat the pan with oil again and sear the tomato paste until visibly darkened, about two minutes. Add the ground spices to the tomato paste and stir to combine. Add the wine and 3 cups stock, stirring to dissolve the paste, then pour the liquid over vegetables. Stir in the dates, apricots, barley and salt and pepper to taste over the tagine and roast in the oven about 1-1/2 hours, until the barley is tender, and most of the liquid has been absorbed.