Warming Winter Squash Tagine

Directions

1. Heat 3 Tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan with a well-fitted lid (or a tagine, if you have one!) over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute until soft but not browned, about five minutes. Add the spices and stir until they are fragrant -- they should really be swoon-worthy.
2. Add the squash and stir all the vegetables together to coat them in the spices. Add the chick peas, apricots, and enough water to come almost to the top of the vegetables. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 20-30 minutes, as long as it takes for the squash to be squashable with a wooden spoon but not so long that everything is falling apart. Add salt to taste.
3. While the tagine is simmering away, preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Spread the couscous out in a shallow baking dish. Cover with boiling water and let sit for five minutes, until the couscous soaks up all the liquid. With a fork, stir in some salt to taste, plus the chopped almonds and the remaining 1 Tablespoon of olive oil. Put the dish in the oven to warm through and get a little brown and irresistibly crunchy on top.
4. Once the couscous and tagine are ready, dish up, top with chopped parsley, and present to your adoring friends.