Slow Cooker Moroccan Stew over Couscous

Combine in Crock Pot and cook on high 4 - 4 and a half hours or more on low:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 onion, diced fine
1/3 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground curry powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3 garlic cloves, minced
5 med-large carrots, quartered lengthwise and chopped into 2 inch pieces (large julienne)
3 gold yukon or 1 large russet potato, cut in bite size pieces
1 can chickpeas, drained
3/4 cup pitted prunes, chopped
1/2 cup golden raisins
3-4 cups veggie broth

Add during last 30-45 minutes of cooking:

1 red bell pepper, cut to bite size
1 zucchini, cut to bite size

Serve over:

whole wheat couscous

This is a recipe we were introduced to at a Progressive Dinner. I changed it slightly to be completely vegetarian and a little less expensive. It's still kind of an expensive dish, but it makes a lot and it's really good. We splurged this week and made it. I don't think I would have picked this out of a cook book to make, so I'm really glad someone else made it and I just got to try it. My whole family really, really loved it. It was refreshing to have such different flavors for dinner. We sometimes get in a rut and this certainly was unique and tasty.

Original recipe came from THIS cookbook which I think I am going to buy. My friend told me that it has very healthy recipes and a lot are vegetarian- without being PURPOSELY vegetarian. There's not a vegetarian section or anything (I was glad to hear that, I think naturally vegetarian recipes are usually better than the ones that someone created just for the purpose of being vegetarian).

--Ashlee