Moroccan Beef Chili with Chickpeas and Raisins. I didn’t get any farther than the name of this recipe in the copy of Slow Cooker Revolution I got from the library before I knew I had to make it. Since I will have the house to myself tomorrow night I was originally planning to make this recipe then, but I decided make this for our Easter dinner/Laker game fare instead. It was definitely less stressful than making a slow cooker meal on a weeknight! Before I go into how much it sucked watching the Lakers lose Game 4 against the Hornets tonight, I’d like to say that the chili turned out magnificently. This recipe has become an instant favorite of mine and I know I’ll be making it often. Dan had two bowls so I know he liked it too. The chickpeas (which I ignorantly didn’t know were the same thing as garbanzo beans until yesterday), provided great texture and the raisins added a sweet element to the chili that set it apart. But it’s the spice combination that makes this recipe nearly perfect. I’m getting hungry just thinking about it. You really must try this recipe. Unfortunately the Laker game outcome wasn’t as great as the food. I gave up watching a few minutes before the end because the Lakers were playing so badly. I’m scared that they’re not going to survive this series, but I’m going to try to not stress about that until the next game on Tuesday night. Happy Easter everyone!
INGREDIENTS:
1 slice white sandwich bread, quartered (I used half of an onion roll left over from sloppy joes on Thursday)
2 Tbsp whole milk
1 lb lean ground beef
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 c diced onion (the onions I buy are HUGE so I just used 1/2 of a sweet onion and 1/4 of a white onion)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
2 tsp smoked paprika (the recipe called for sweet paprika, but I didn’t have any)
2 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes (I used my favorite variety with roasted garlic)
1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 Tbsp soy sauce (I used low sodium)
1 Tbsp packed brown sugar
1/2 cup raisins
Zest of one lime
Juice of one lime
DIRECTIONS:
1) Mash bread and milk into a pasta in a large bowl using a fork. Mix in ground beef, salt, and pepper using your hands.
2) In a skillet, cook onions, garlic, tomato paste, paprika, cumin, ginger, cinnamon, and cayenne in oil over medium to medium-high heat until vegetables are soft and slightly browned, 8-10 minutes. Stir in beef mixture and cook, breaking up any large pieces, until meat is no longer pink. Stir in tomato sauce, scraping up any browned bits. Transfer skillet contents to the slow cooker.
3) Add diced tomatoes (undrained), chickpeas, soy sauce, and brown sugar to the slow cooker and stir to combine. Cover and cook on high for about 3 hours, or until the beef is tender.
4) Let chili settle for 5 minutes, then remove any fat from the surface using a large spoon and break up any remaining large pieces of beef. Stir in raisins and let sit until heated through, about 5 minutes. Stir in lime zest and juice, and serve. Enjoy!
Based on Moroccan Beef Chili with Chickpeas and Raisins from Slow Cooker Revolution.