Beef Tagine with Butternut Squash over Couscous



I'm going to be honest...until this week, I had no idea what "Tagine" meant. Thanks to Wikipedia, though, I now know that Tagine refers to the pot in which this tasty Moroccan meal is cooked. A Tagine was originally made of clay, but nowadays, it's more like a shallow Dutch oven.

No matter what pot you use, however, this fragrant meal is easy to make and delicious. In fact, Myles wanted me to tell everybody that Beef Tagine is "off the map." (It's his new catchphrase).

So here's the recipe...

Beef Tagine with Butternut Squash*

2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 (1 lb.) beef shoulder roast or petite tender roast, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 tbsp. olive oil
4 shallots, quartered (we just used a couple of onions)
1/2 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1 (14.5 ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
3 cups (1-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash (about 1 lb.)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
cooked couscous

1. Combine first 6 ingredients in a medium bowl. Add beef; toss well to coat.
2. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add beef and shallots; cook 4 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally.
3. Add garlic; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently.
4. Stir in broth and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Cook 5 minutes.
5. Add squash; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until squash is tender.
6. Serve over couscous and sprinkle with cilantro.

* Cooking Light (January/February 2011), p. 80.