Tajine\Tagine of Chicken or lamb with Sweet Potatoes and Raisins

Men love meat and they love sweet things.  When you can combine both, then you will have a winner with them. Once at a dinner party, I had a man tell me this.  So, it came from the horses mouth, well, you know what I mean. I really like this dish very much.  It is savory, sweet with a hint of heat.  I used summer squash in this dish because I like the taste so much. 

Ingredients:

2 lbs of chicken, lamb, beef or goat

3-4 TBS olive oil

1 onion chopped

1 tomato, skinned and chopped

2-3 TBS cilantro chopped

3-4 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp ginger

1 tsp paprika

A pinch of saffron threads

¼ tsp cinnamon or a cinnamon stick (my preference)

1 chicken bouillon cube

Salt\pepper to taste

¼ tsp red chili pepper powder or cayenne or 1 tbs harissa

¼ cup of golden raisins

1 ½ - 2  lbs sweet potatoes or summer squash, cut into large cubes

Water if needed

Place the tajine bottom on medium heat.  When hot add the oil, onion, cilantro, garlic, tomato, bouillon cube, and all of the spices.  Mix well and simmer for about 5-10 minutes.  Then place the meat or chicken in the pan.  Cover and simmer until the meat is nearly cooked.  If you are using beef , lamb or goat it may have to cook for about 1- 1 1\2 hours until the meat is tender.  Add water if the sauce gets too thick.  Next, add the sweet potatoes and raisins and cook until the vegetables are tender.  If you have too much sauce and it is thin, uncover and simmer until the sauce has reduced. You want the sauce to be somewhat thick but not like a gravy.  Serve with a salad and crispy bread or khobz.  Enjoy!