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Neven Maguire’s slow cooker Moroccan chicken tagine with butternut squash

Neven Maguire

By Neven Maguire

Celebrity Chef

As heard on the Brendan O’Connor Show on RTÉ Radio 1.

Ingredients

Serves 4–6

I like to make this with chicken thighs, but I’d always get my butcher to prep them for me by removing the skin, trimming them and removing the bones. Otherwise breasts also work well, and because the heat of the slow cooker is so gentle, they stay nice and moist. Use pumpkin instead of the butternut squash if it’s in season.

Prep: 25 mins
Cook: 4.5 hours

  • 4 tbsp rapeseed oil
  • 2 large onions, roughly chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1 × 2.5cm (1in) piece of fresh root
  • ginger, peeled and finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp mild curry powder or paste
  • 2 tsp ground turmeric
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 2 × 400g (14oz) tins of Italian chopped tomatoes
  • 500g (1lb 2oz) boneless, skinless
  • chicken cubes (thigh or breast)
  • 1 butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cut into cubes
  • 2 tbsp clear honey about 450ml (¾ pint)
  • Chicken stock (from a cube is fine)
  • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Garnish:

  • Chopped fresh mint and/or coriander
  • Roughly chopped toasted pistachio nuts

To serve:

  • Couscous
  • Natural yoghurt

Method

  1. Preheat your slow cooker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. If your slow cooker has a
  2. sauté option, you can use this; if not, use a large sauté pan on the hob over a medium heat.
  3. Heat the oil, then add the onions and sauté for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they are softened
  4. and have taken on a little colour.
  5. Add the garlic and ginger and sauté for another 3–4 minutes. Stir in the curry powder or paste, turmeric and cinnamon and cook for 1 minute. Pour in the tomatoes and carefully blend to a thick purée with a hand-held blender.
  6. Using a spatula, transfer to the slow cooker (if you have used a separate pan). Stir the chicken into the tomato base along with the butternut squash and honey, adding enough stock to make a thick-ish sauce that barely covers all the ingredients.
  7. Season with salt and pepper.
  8. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours, until the chicken and butternut squash are completely tender.
  9. When ready to serve, make the couscous according to the packet instructions and spoon into wide-rimmed bowls. Ladle over the tagine and add a dollop of yoghurt to each one, then scatter the herbs and pistachio nuts on top to garnish.

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This Cucumber-Avocado-Tomato Sandwich Has 20 Grams of Protein – from EatingWell. A Light and Easy Lunch

This tomato, cucumber and avocado sandwich is the perfect light and easy lunch. With just a few fresh ingredients, you can have a satisfying meal in just 10 minutes. Creamy avocado and hummus provide plant-based protein and healthy fats, while juicy tomatoes and crisp cucumbers bring refreshing crunch and flavor. Layer it all on whole-grain bread for an extra boost of fiber, and you’ve got a quick and wholesome sandwich at the ready!

Refreshing, light and satisfying, our Cucumber-Avocado-Tomato Sandwich is an easy and delicious lunch that will really hit the spot. Every sandwich starts with and needs a good condiment. For this one, we amplify store-bought hummus with the sweet tang of honey mustard and fresh dill for a hit of herby brightness. Then we stack on the fiber-packed veggies: cucumbers and onions give a nice crunch and contrast to the creamy, heart-healthy avocado and the juicy tomato; the alfalfa sprouts add great texture. Cheddar cheese adds bone-boosting calcium and a salty, sharp flavor that complements the fresh veggies perfectly, and hearty toasted whole-wheat bread is the perfect vessel for all these wholesome toppings. Keep reading for our expert tips, including recommendations on swapping out hummus flavors. 

Tips from the EatingWell Test Kitchen

These are the key tips we learned while developing and testing this recipe in our Test Kitchen to make sure it works, tastes great and is good for you too! 

  • Experiment with different flavors of hummus for your spread. Try garlic hummus, dill pickle hummus or even make your own. To prepare a batch of our Classic Hummus, use a food processor and add a handful of ingredients: garlic, chickpeas, lemon juice, olive oil, tahini and salt. Best of all, this flavor-spiked hummus takes just 10 minutes to make!
  • While a chef’s knife can cut cucumbers, a serrated knife is more effective for slicing tomatoes. The serrated edge easily cuts through the skin and flesh without damaging the soft interior.

Nutrition Notes

  • Cucumbers aren’t brimming with the typical vitamins and minerals that you’ll find in many fruits and vegetables, but they are an important vegetable because they contain antioxidant phytonutrients that can help protect against inflammation. They are also more than 95% water, which makes them a hydrating vegetable—great for your skin. 
  • Avocados are known for being high in fat, but it’s the type of fat that your heart loves: monounsaturated fat. Avocados are also brimming with fiber, which has been shown to improve the health of the microbiome, and impacts your health in many ways, including strengthening your immune system, improving cognition and lowering inflammation. 
  • There are few things tastier than a really good tomato, and they are really good for you. Tomatoes are high in vitamin C, which is essential for healthy immune function. They are also high in a carotenoid called lycopene, an antioxidant that helps maintain healthy cells throughout the body, and eating foods with lycopene regularly can help lower your risk of heart disease. 
  • Whole-wheat bread is a heartier choice of bread for this sandwich and you’ll get the benefit of more nutrients and more fiber. Eating more fiber can lead to better digestive health. Whole-wheat bread is also a source of important B vitamins—essential for your working metabolism.

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup plain hummus
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
  • 1½ teaspoons honey mustard
  • 2 thin slices whole-wheat bread, toasted
  • 1 (1-ounce) slice sharp Cheddar cheese
  • ½ small tomato, thinly sliced
  • ¼ medium avocado, thinly sliced
  • ¼ cup alfalfa sprouts
  • ¼ cup thinly sliced English cucumber
  • 1 tablespoon thinly sliced red onion
  • Pinch of salt

Directions

  1. Stir ¼ cup hummus, 1 tablespoon dill and 1½ teaspoons honey mustard together in a small bowl until well combined. Spread the hummus mixture on 1 side of each of 2 toast slices. Layer 1 cheese slice, tomato slices, avocado slices, ¼ cup alfalfa sprouts, ¼ cup cucumber and 1 tablespoon red onion over the hummus on 1 toast slice; sprinkle with salt. Top with the remaining toast slice, hummus-side down. Cut the sandwich in half diagonally.