Cheap as chips Vegetable Tagine with Wild Garlic Coucous

Today I found some wild garlic in the woods whilst out walking the dog and wanted to make something cheap and healthy for dinner, brain food for my daughter who started GSCEs and my husband who started a new job - a big day in our family today!

So here's my cheap as chips vegetable tagine with wild garlic couscous:

Place a medium casserole dish on medium heat (I use my Le Crueset, a wedding present from 19 years ago, still going strong!).  Add:

·          1tbsp olive oil

Prepare the following and sauté in the oil for around 10 mins till beginning to soften.  Add a little water if it starts to stick.

• ·          2 onions (Tesco Value) – each onion peeled and divided into 8 wedges
• ·          1 large carrot (Tesco Value) – peeled and cut into small bite sized chunks
• ·          10 little potatoes (Texco Value) peeled and cut into small bite sized chunks (waxy potatoes are good but any will do)
• ·          ½ butternut squash, peeled and cut into small bite-size chunks (by all means just use carrots which are cheaper, I just happened to have a squash in the drawer that needed using)
• ·          1 chopped fresh chilli (or dried/powdered)
• ·          2 large cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

You can use any combination of root veg including swede, carrot, parsnip or sweet potato too.

Add the following spices and stir round to coat all the vegetables for a couple of minutes (if you don’t have some of these ingredients then add what you like on an Eastern Theme!):

• 1 tsp harissa paste
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
•  1 tsp ground coriander
• ½ tsp ground cumin
•  1 tsp ras el hanout spice mix

Add in the following and simmer for about ½ hour or until the veg is soft and the sauce has reduced to a thickish stew consistency.

• 2 peppers (Tesco Value, any colour), chopped into small bite-size chunks
•  ½ 400g drained can chick peas  - use the other ½ in the couscous (I buy ‘East End’ which are 3 tins for £1 at Tesco)
• 400g tin of chopped tomatoes (Tesco value)
• One tin full of water (rinse out the tomato tin and add this to the stew)
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
•   2 crumbled vegetable stock cubes (Tesco value)
• 2 tsp honey or sugar
•  salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Meanwhile, to a small casserole dish/saucepan, add:

•  1 mug couscous (I used gluten-free)
• The remaining ½ can chickpeas
•  1 mug boiling  water
• 1 small handful raisins (Tesco Value)
•  5 chopped ready to eat dried apricots (Tesco Value)
•  1 crumbled vegetable stock cube

I often turn the heat on, bring to boil then turn the heat off and let it swell up in the residual heat.

You could use value rice if you don’t have couscous – in which case cook the rice with the sultanas and apricots then add the other ingredients

Leave for about 15 mins then stir through 1 handful of chopped wild garlic (or parsley, coriander or chives, whatever you have.  You could also use spinach or rocket) and  a few flaked almonds.  Season to taste.