Heralding the coming of winter

It's getting dark around 5pm, we just turned the heating on, and this morning there was this weird wet stuff falling from the sky. Yep, winter has arrived. I know I can't complain, since the East of the country is languishing under feet of the white stuff, which is wet and cold. Nevertheless, even in California, our diet changes somewhat with the seasons, even if the change in the seasons isn't quite as drastic. It is at this time of year that I crave bowls of steaming stew and soup, and my slow cooker comes into its own. This week has been no exception, with a couple of great new recipes filling the Farrar bowls.

This one is a recipe which came originally from Skinnytaste, but I modified it a little since it wasn't as rich and spicy as I wanted it (spicy as in flavorful, rather than hot!). And I added extra vegetables, since I wanted it to be a complete meal in a bowl, with no sides required. Other than that, I stayed true to the original. It even made enough to feed my evidently starving family. So go put on a sweater, load up the crockpot, and then languish under a duvet while it bubbles away...or do a full day's work, the choice is yours :-)

Moroccan-style Turkey and Chickpea Stew
Serves 6

1 1/4lbs ground turkey
olive oil
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 poblano/pasilla pepper, finely chopped
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced celery
28 oz can petite diced tomatoes
2 cups chicken broth
2 tsp ground turmeric
3 tsp paprika
1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
2 bay leaves
3/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 tsp coarse sea salt
2 cans chickpeas/garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
3 cups chopped chard or spinach.
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh mint
couscous to serve

1. In a large skillet, brown the ground turkey in some olive oil, breaking it up as you cook. Put the meat into the slow cooker stoneware.
2. Add more olive oil to the skillet if necessary and sauté the onions, garlic, carrots and celery together until softened (about 8 minutes).
3. Transfer to the slow cooker, and add the tomatoes, broth, spices and chickpeas.
4. Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours.
5. 15 minutes before serving, stir in the spinach or chard.
6. Just before serving, stir in the fresh parsley. Serve over couscous with mint sprinkled over the top.