I use spices to create delicious meals on a budget! I am never tired of eating beans and vegetables. One can get a whole new dish by cutting vegetables in different shapes and sizes and adding new spice combos. If you are not sure you will like it, start by using small amounts of each spice. For this dish you may have heard you can add a mix called Ras el Hanout, which sometimes contains dozens of spices. Here my take this hearty stew.

Serve tagine alone or over couscous, with yogurt.

2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 cup of tomatoes
2 carrots, chopped
2 cups of winter squash, if available
4 medium potatoes, I like to keep them whole for this dish, but you could cut them
2 cups cooked chickpeas
3 cloves garlic
10 prunes, cut in half
2 teaspoon of each: turmeric, cumin, paprika (I like smoked)
1/2 stick of cinnamon
1 teaspoon of ground coriander
1 teaspoon of ground allspice
1 tablespoon of fresh ginger
1/4 teaspoon cloves
salt and hot chillies to taste
Water or broth to cover the vegetables about 2 cups depending on the pot you use.
I added celery because I had some, but you can omit or try other root vegetables as well.

This is a great recipe for the crockpot.
Soak your chickpeas overnight. In the morning, rinse them, add to the crockpot with all other ingredients. Add broth or water to cover the ingredients and let it cook on low for 8 hours.

I cook my chickpeas on the pressure cooker for 15 minutes. (More details here)

I do not have a tagine pot, so I use a dutch oven. But any pot with a lid will work. Add oil to the pot and sautee the onion. I add all the veggies and cook them for about 5 minutes until soft but firm, stirring often. Then add the cooked chickpeas, spices, water, cover and simmer until vegetables are cooked 25-30 minutes. The house always smells incredible and the leftovers are even better!
Bom Apetite!