Moroccan Beef Chili with Chickpeas and Raisins

Summary
Prep time	45 min
Cook time	3-5 hours on high; 6-8 hours on low.
Source	Slow Cooker Revolution (pg 124)
Yield / serves	4-6 servings
Rating	Very good , especially the second day

Ingredients

• 1 slice high-quality white sandwich bread, torn into quarters
• 2 T whole milk
• 1 lb 85% lean ground beef
• salt and pepper
• 2 T vegetable oil
• 2 onions, minced
• 2 T tomato paste
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 t sweet paprika
• 2 t ground cumin
• 1 1/2 t ground ginger
• 1/4 t cayenne pepper
• 1/4 t ground cinnamon
• 1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
• 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 2 T soy sauce
• 1 T brown sugar
• 1/2 c raisins
• 1/2 t grated lemon zest
• 2 t fresh lemon juice

Couscous with mint:

• 2 T olive oil
• 1 1/2 c couscous
• 1/2 t salt
• 2 c water, boiling
• 2 T fresh mint, minced
• 2 scallions, minced
• salt and pepper

Preparation

Mash bread and milk into paste in a large bowl using a fork. Mix in the ground beef, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper using your hands.

Heat oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onions, tomato paste, garlic, paprika, cumin, ginger, cayenne, and cinnamon and cook until vegetables are softened and lightly browned, 8-10 minutes.

Stir in beef mixture and cook, breaking up any large pieces with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 3 minutes. Stir in tomato sauce, scraping up any browned bits; transfer to slow cooker.

Stir diced tomatoes with juice, chickpeas, soy sauce, and sugar into the slow cooker. Cover and cook until beef is tender, 6-8 hours on low or 3-5 hours on high.

Let chili settle for 5 minutes, then remove fat from the surface using a large spoon. Break up any remaining large pieces of beef with the spoon. Stir in raisins and let sit until heated through, about 10 minutes. Stir in lemon zest and juice, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.

Couscous

Add the olive oil to a skillet over medium heat, and add the couscous. Stir occasionally until lightly browned, about 3-5 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 2 cups of boiling water. Cover and let sit until couscous is tender, about 12 minutes. Fluff with a fork, then stir in the mint and scallions, and season with salt and pepper to taste.