Moroccan Seitan Tagine

We've been in Tarifa now for 3 months and haven't yet taken the 35 minute ferry to Tangier, we're kind of saving the trip for my birthday in February.  But being as we are so close and are inspired by the Moroccan architecture we see around Tarifa, we thought we'd do a tagine and cous cous.  Oh yes, that and the fact that we have been watching Gordon Ramsay via I Store, and the recent episode on the best UK Moroccan restaurant, where a small cafe in Chiswick was chosen over the mighty London Momo, we always like when the underdog wins.

Moroccan Tagine with Seitan

This recipe was adapted from the Modern Vegetarian Kitchen by Peter Berley

Moroccan Tagine  (serves 4)

2 tbsp olive oil
2 carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 sweet potato, peeled and diced
Sea salt
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp caraway seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 cinnamon stick
1/2 tsp sweet paprika
1/2 tsp whole black peppercorns
2 cups chopped green cabbage
1.5 cups water
1 cup peeled and diced tomatoes, with their juice
1 zucchini, diced
1 cup seitan, chopped in 1 cm cubes
Freshly squeezed lemon juice
Chopped fresh cilantro or parsley to garnish

1. Warm the oil in a large heavy bottom saucepan over medium heat.  Add the carrots, celery and sweet potato, with 2 tsp salt.  Turn the vegetables over in the oil with a wooden spoon, raise the heat, and bring to a simmer.  cover, reduce the heat to low and cook for 20 minutes.
2. Grind the cumin seeds, caraway seeds, coriander seeds, cinnamon, paprika and peppercorns in a mortar or coffee mill  Add them to the vegetables along with the cabbage, water, tomatoes, squash and zucchini.  Raise the heat and bring the tagine to a boil.  Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 20 to 30 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and the tagine has thickened.  
3. Add the seitan and let simmer in for 10 more minutes.
4. Adjust the seasonings with salt or a squeeze of lemon juice to taste.  Serve sprinkled with cilantro or parsley and hot fresh cous cous.