Will's MoROCKan Chili

This dish has always been Will's thing. One of his first renditions of it was entered into a chili cook-off. It has always been one of my favorites that he makes and we couldn't believe it had been over a year since we made it! Oh the perks of blogging about practically everything you eat-helps you keep track! Once we realized one of our favorites meals was in fact not on this blog, we decided we had to remedy that ASAP. Luckily for us, the weather decided it was the perfect time to finally get "cold" (by Florida standards), which helped us justify our hankering for this chili; there's truly nothing more satisfying than a big bowl of chili on a cold evening.

Now despite its name, this chili is not necessarily Moroccan in origin. It kind of garnered this nickname from Will's use of Moroccan spices (harissa, ras el hanout, tagine spices) along with the addition of couscous to the final product. However, I would like to note that Will did not learn how to make this while studying abroad in Morocco, although that did inspire some of the ingredient selections of this chili. The concept of applying Moroccan spices to an American chili, helped to give the recipe more life and a stronger flavorscape (like a landscape, but with flavor instead). Thus why it has been popular amongst friends and could easily be a strong competitor in any chili contest, if Will wanted to enter any more!

Cooking Notes: Will only used 1/2 lb. ground beef this go-round, but he recommends using a full pound OR using ground turkey. Also, all of the spices are approximate estimates of what Will uses when he cooks this, so please adjust to your liking!

Will's Famous MoROCKan Chili (serves 8)

1 yellow onion, diced

1 white onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, diced

1/2 lb. ground beef

28 oz. diced fire roasted tomatoes

1 tsp Ras El Hanout

1 tsp Tagine spices

1 tbsp Chili powder

1/2 tbsp Paprika

1 tsp Cumin

1/2 tsp Coriander

1 tsp Cinnamon

1 tsp Ground ginger

1/2 tsp White pepper

1/2 tsp Cayenne pepper

1 tbsp harissa

2 cups garbanzo beans (or 1 15-oz. can)

2 cups kidney beans (or 1 15-oz. can)

1 can broth, approximately

1 cup couscous

Olive oil, to your discretion

Dice onions and garlic in preparation. Then brown meat in a pot with a bit of olive oil. Once browned, remove from the pot and add the onions and garlic, cooking until soft and translucent, then add spices. Add a splash of water to soften stuck on bits off the bottom of the pan, then simmer for a minute. Return the meat to the pan. Next, add the tomatoes, harissa, beans, and broth. Allow to simmer for 30-40 minutes, minimum.

About 5 minutes before you're ready to eat the chili, cook your couscous. Boil 1 cup water, then add 1 cup couscous, stir, cover and remove from heat, allowing to sit for 5 minutes. Fluff couscous and serve in a bowl with chili poured over, our combine with chili to thicken.