Moroccan Bean and Turkey Stew - A Flavourful Fowl Makeover

   
     When buying a turkey at the holiday's a good butcher will always know how to advise you on the right size bird to buy to feed your brood. For the average family the rule is 1 pound per person plus about another 3-4 pounds for leftovers. It's always a struggle trying to find that glorious turkey that will undoubtedly feed the family and maybe have enough to send home with the 'kids'. More often than not, there is so much food on your dinner table you could feed an entire army! Kids fight over the stuffing, the older folk fight over the neck and the kitties get the giblets. One happy family dinner! Once the hoopla is over and done with, doggy bags packed and gone, one often large problem remains. The remains of the often too large turkey, that is! What once was "will this be enough?" has now turned into "what the HECK am I supposed to do with all this?" Sounds familiar doesn't it?! So the next weeks regimen usually consists of a few (hundred) turkey sandwiches, some turkey pot pie, turkey soup, and some desperate attempts at making turkey NOT taste anything like turkey. I came up with one recipe that masks the flavour of the fading fowl and turns it into a mouth watering Moroccan myriad of flavours.

You'll need:

2 small onions, sliced or diced
Olive oil for sautéing
1 large diced carrot
2 Cloves of garlic, chopped
1 1/2 Tbsp tomato paste

2  tsp paprika 

2 1/2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp ground coriander

1 1/2 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/8 tsp ground mace

1/8 tsp ground cardamom

2 cups diced turkey (white and/or dark)
3 cups turkey stock

1 can 19fl oz (540 mL) navy beans rinsed and drained

1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/8 cup chopped parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Start with about 1 tablespoon of oil in a heavy bottom pot and sauté the onions until translucent, about 5 mins on medium heat. Add diced carrot and  for about 5 more minutes. Now add the chopped garlic and let cook for about 2 minutes.

2. Add in the tomato paste and all the dried herbs and spices. Stir in the diced turkey and add the turkey stock and beans. Let simmer for about 20 minutes or until your carrots are tender.

3. Add your chopped apricots and raisins and let cook for another 5 minutes (depending on how soft your apricots and raisins are - you want them soft but not mushy)

4. Just before serving your stew, garnish with the chopped parsley.

If you like a twist, you can replace the chopped parsley for cilantro, add a squeeze or two of lemon juice, or add a dash or ten of your favourite hot sauce ( mine is 'El Yucateco XXX-Hot'- a habanaro based hot sauce I pick up from my local Mexican restaurant

I served mine on cardamom and saffron infused rice and I could hardly tell that turkey was in my dinner...

(Sorry, no picture.. I ate it too fast!)

Xoxo,
-C