Heart Healthy Recipe

Moroccan Stew

with Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce and Whole Wheat Pita

from BFS Restaurant

Serves 6-8

2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups chopped onion
3 cloves minced garlic
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 to 1 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 cup sliced carrots
3 cups cubed butternut squash
1 cup cubed potatoes
2 cups cubed eggplant
1 green pepper, sliced
1 red pepper, sliced
4 cups sliced zucchini or yellow summer squash
2 large chopped tomatoes
2 cups cooked garbanzo beans, liquid reserved
a pinch of saffron
3/4 cup dried currants
2 cups chopped spinach
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup chopped scallions

Heat olive oil in a heavy-bottomed stew pot with onions and sauté two to three minutes. Add garlic and spices, stirring continuously. Add vegetables in order listed, allowing color to deepen. Stir in beans, saffron and currants. If stew is too dry, add tomato juice or garbanzo bean liquid reserve. Cover and simmer until vegetables are tender. Add spinach and serve topped with parsley and scallions.

Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce
2 cups non-fat plain yogurt
1 long cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
3 teaspoon dried mint
a pinch of salt
Drain yogurt in a colander lined with cheesecloth or paper towels for 6 hours. Add remaining ingredients and chill for one hour before serving.

Serve with whole wheat pitas.

Shaw Rabadi is the chef/owner of BFS Restaurant in Guilderland.

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