Cooking with Herbs and Spices
If there’s one category of ingredients that distinguishes one cuisine from another, it’s herbs and spices!
Tabil is a mixture of coriander, minced garlic, crushed red pepper and caraway seeds, and it adds the perfect background of savory spice to this Tunisian-style tagine. Similar to a crustless quiche or frittata, serve it in generously sized squares, warm or at room temperature. This vegetarian version is perfect for Meatless Mondays—a mixture of vegetables and chickpeas is sautéed with aromatic spices, then baked into a casserole enriched with eggs and cheese.
Ingredients
SERVINGS: Serves 6
Vegetable Mixture
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 large diced carrot
- 3 ribs diced celery
- 1 medium white onion, diced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1½ tablespoons Tabil
- 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
Eggs
- 10 large eggs
- 1 (3-ounce) bunch flat-leaf parsley, stems removed, chopped coarsely
- 1 (2-ounce) slice whole-grain bread, processed or chopped into soft breadcrumbs
- 4 ounces strongly flavored hard cheese (parmesan, gruyere, manchego, etc.), coarsely grated
Garnish
- Chopped parsley
- Extra-virgin olive oil
Cooking
In a 10-inch cast-iron or other heavybottomed, oven-safe skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil on the stove over medium heat. Add the carrots, celery, onion and salt, then sauté until the vegetables are softened but not browned, about 10 minutes.
Add the Tabil spice mixture to the skillet, stirring it into the vegetables and sautéing until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the chickpeas, stir to combine and remove from heat. Set aside and allow to cool to room temperature.
When the vegetable mixture has cooled, preheat the oven to 350°F. and use the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to coat a 9- by 13-inch baking dish.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs vigorously until frothy, then stir in the parsley, breadcrumbs, cheese and cooled vegetable/chickpea mixture.
Pour the contents of the mixing bowl into the oiled baking dish. Bake until golden brown around the edges and cooked through, about 40 minutes.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least 15 minutes, then cut into squares and serve warm or at room temperature, garnished with chopped parsley and a drizzle of olive oil.
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