Moroccan Baked rice with sweet potatoes

This dish is very adaptable to how creative you want to get! You can certainly do this in a rice cooker or stove top as well but the texture will be a little different. You can omit the fennel for a slightly different taste or add additional veggies. I used brown rice which takes much longer to bake but white rice will be done in a jiffy! The Ras el Hanout seasoning is so worth making to use on other dishes. I think it will be a favorite on roasted sweet potatoes and black beans! 

​

Ras el Hanout spice mix:

I simplified this a little without sacrificing flavor for you all. You can use this in many
Moroccan dishes.

1 t. turmeric
1 t. ground cumin
1 t. sea salt
3/4 t. ground pepper
1/2 t. cinnamon
1  t. ground coriander
1/2 t. cayenne
1/2 t. ground allspice
1/4 t. ground cloves
3/4 t. smoked paprika
1 t. ginger
1 t. nutmeg

Moroccan Baked Rice with Sweet Potatoes:

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
1/4 c. Avocado, coconut or olive oil
salt and pepper
1 fennel bulb, stalks removed, bulbs halved, cored and chopped
1 small onion, chopped fine
1 1/2 cups long-grain white or long grain brown rice, rinsed
4 garlic cloves
2 t. Ras el Hanout seasoning
2 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 T. minced fresh cilantro
lime wedges

Directions:

Toss cubed sweet potatoes in oil and bake in a single later in a 425 degree oven until tender and caramelized, about 25-30 minutes. While these are cooking, prepare the rice:

Heat 2 T. oil in dutch oven over medium heat. Add chopped fennel and onion and cook about 5 minutes until softened. Stir in rice, garlic and seasoning. Cook, stirring constantly until the edges of the rice are clear. Add broth and bring to a boil. Cover and put in the oven for about 15 minutes for white or about 45 for brown. You may have to add more liquid. Remove from the oven and let sit about 10 minutes. Toss in potatoes and cilantro. Squeeze lime juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. If using a rice or pressure cooker, sauté veggies and rice first in oil then add the broth before cooking. 

**Recipe adapted from the The Complete Mediterranean Cookbook