Eggplant Tagine with Couscous, Chickpeas and Feta Cheese

Ingredients

• Garlic

  Raw

  3 clove or 9g

• Shallots

  Raw

  1 shallot (medium) or 43g

• Eggplant

  Raw

  1 eggplant, peeled (yield from 1-1/4 lb) or 458g

• Chickpeas

  (garbanzo beans, bengal gram), mature seeds, canned

  2 cup or 480g

• Lemons

  Raw, with peel

  1 fruit without seeds or 108g

• Almonds

  Nuts, raw

  ¼ cup, sliced or 23g

• Fresh cilantro

  Coriander leaves, raw

  ¼ cup or 4g

• Salt

  Table

  1 dash or 0.4g

• Pepper

  Spices, black

  1 dash or 0.1g

• Olive oil

  Salad or cooking

  2 tsp or 9g

• Ras El Hanout

  Frontier

  1 tsp or 3g

• Tomato paste

  Canned, without salt added

  2 tbsp or 32g

• Honey

  1 ½ tbsp or 32g

• Vinegar

  Cider

  2 tbsp or 30g

• Lemon juice

  Raw

  2 wedge yields or 12g

• Feta cheese

  ½ cup, crumbled or 75g

• Couscous

  Dry

  ¾ cup or 130g

Directions

1. Prepare the ingredients: Wash and dry the fresh produce. Peel and mince the garlic. Peel and thinly slice the shallot. Quarter the eggplant lengthwise, then cut into large pieces.
2. Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Smash half the chickpeas in a large bowl with a fork, then mix in the remaining whole chickpeas.
3. Quarter and deseed the lemon. Roughly chop the almonds. Pick the cilantro leaves off the stems and discard the stems.
4. Cook the couscous: In a small pot, combine the couscous and 1¼ cups of water; season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil on high heat. Once boiling, cover and remove from heat. Let stand for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed and the couscous is tender. Fluff with a fork and set aside.
5. Start the Tagine: In a large pan, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the garlic, shallot, and ras el hanout; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 to 2 minutes until softened and fragrant. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring frequently, for 1 to 2 minutes until dark red and fragrant.
6. Add the eggplant to the pan; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for 2 to 3 minutes until slightly softened.
7. Add the honey, vinegar, chickpeas, and 1¼ cups of water to the pan; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes until combined and saucy. Stir in the juice of 2 lemon wedges and a drizzle of olive oil; season to taste. Remove from heat.
8. Plate your dish: Divide the cooked couscous between plates. Top with the tagine. Garnish with feta cheese, almonds, cilantro, and remaining lemon wedges. Enjoy!