meatless moroccan

I know what you're thinking.  "This is a blog about vegan food.  Why would we need to specifically state something is meatless?"  You are absolutely right - there is no chance I will ever post a meaty recipe here, though I can't promise I won't share stories about Adventures in Meatland.

However, if you'll recall, when I listed Moroccan Chickpeas and Zucchini from Appetite for Reduction in my menu, I expressed my glee for finding the first Moroccan recipe in my repertoire that did not include fake ground beef.

Not too surprisingly, it tasted a lot cleaner since it was mostly zucchini and tomato.  The chickpeas did add a nice, savory "meatiness" to the dish and the carrots cooked down to a smushiness I never though I would find so delightful!  I could have done with a bit less broth and Mister was raiding the fridge for dipping bread within two or three bites, but I think it's more a matter of draining it off before serving, rather than considering it an actual sauce.

It's not that it doesn't taste good, it's just that a puddle of broth is not always what you want to see appearing to soak and consume what is supposed to be perfectly cooked (with my new za'atar secret) and chewy bulgur.  I was going to follow Isa's recommendation for couscous, until I pulled it out and realized how I didn't have quite a cup and I was actually going for two cups with this dish.

I can't deny that I'm excited that tomorrow is Friday.  I'm also a little excited about not being compelled to create a new menu when I get home from work, since I have a three day weekend and we're 2 dinners behind due to Mister's narcolepsy.  It's my guess that there are even more frequent buses and fewer shoppers at Trader Joe's on a Monday... I might just find out!