Five Fine Fish-Free Fridays – Volume 5

By now you are probably wondering why I have not mentioned such obvious choices of meals as:

Beans on toast,

Grilled cheese sandwich,

Garden salad,

Or even the ‘honeymoon’ salad (lettuce alone).

Of course, there are many others – including any number of dishes with eggs – that you could enjoy, but I was seeking things a little less ordinary. OK – the fruit dish in Volume 4 was hardly something ‘odd’ or ‘exotic’, but I got carried away with the ‘color thing’ the day before and a lack of ‘brain food’ (yes – fish!) must have taken over in me. I hope to seek salvation in this 5^th dish – one that is a little more exotic; at least if eaten in the right place – Casablanca for example! If you can’t get there - where Bogart was - any other old ‘white house’ will do!

Moroccan Stew

I chose this dish because I discovered an unopened bag in my pantry and saw that it contained a good source of fiber and a picture of a belly-dancer. [Just seeing if you were paying attention – no picture]

Ingredients – enough to serve 6

½ lb Garbanzo beans – soaked and drained

1 medium onion – chopped

1 red bell-pepper – bite-sized pieces

1 large sweet potato – 1-inch pieces

4 garlic cloves – chopped

1 tsp ground cumin

½ tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes

2 1/2 cups vegetable broth (add more if you like a 'thinner' stew) 

Preparation

Saute onion, bell-pepper, garlic for two minutes

Stir in cumin, pepper flakes and cinnamon.

Add broth and garbanzo beans.

Bring to boil; cover and reduce to a simmer for 1 hour. [Now go watch a belly-dancer video]

Add sweet potatoes and let simmer for 30 minutes [Take cold shower after video]

Put 2 cups of the stew in a blender until smooth; pour back into stew.

Serve in a bowl, as shown – topped with a few thin slices of red bell pepper and sprig of cilantro – or serve over hot cooked rice if desired.

Nutritional facts (excluding optional rice base)

Calories: 145 (about 600 kJ for those in the UK)

Calories from fat: 20

Carbohydrates: 36g

Fiber: 15g

Total fat: 2g

Saturated fat: <1g

Protein: 9g

Sodium: 37mg

Cholesterol: 0g