Tagine or not ta gine

On Easter Tuesday the boys and I went shopping; Briscoes was having a sale (nothing unusual there), and I invested in an stovetop-to-oven pot and a new cookbook, "Easy Tagine" - tagine can refer to either the pot in which the dish is made, or the dish itself. Tuesday night we had Tagine of Lamb and Vegetables with Mint; Wednesday was Beef Tagine with Sweet Potatoes, Peas, Ginger and Ras-el-Hanout, and tonight was Chicken Tagine with Pears and Cinnamon, served with couscous. I've had to buy new spices and even fresh herbs, since buying a few leaves for nearly $4 each time is not going to suit the budget. The boys are getting less and less fond of my tagine book, but admittedly the meals went on a slow downhill slide during the week. Caleb's comment after tonight's meal was, 'there doesn't seem to be much to it'. The pears cooked away, so it was really just chicken on couscous with some yummy flavours, but flavours don't fill a stomach. Will have to start modifying the recipes to include more substance! The combinations of ingredients are fabulous though.

Saffron is the most expensive spice in the world - the threads are actually stigmas from crocus flowers, and each thread is hand collected.  The tiny box above cost just over $10.

Mint and Italian Parsley are now installed on my windowsill. I wonder how long before this current food novelty wears off and the plants wither and die - I have black fingers when it comes to gardening :(