From Everyday Food October 2006 1 whole chicken (3 to 4 pounds), skin removed (I used an already cut up chicken) 1 1/2 pounds carrots (9 to 10 medium), peeled and halved crosswise (I used baby carrots because their cuter) 1 pound parsnips (5 to 6 medium), peeled and halved crosswise (I did not use these) 4 stalks celery, thinly sliced crosswise 2 large onions (about 1 pound), halved and sliced 2 bay leaves 2 garlic cloves, smashed 1 tablespoon whole peppercorns Coarse salt 1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice 6 scallions, white and green parts separated and thinly sliced (I didn't include these either, wish I had but the ones at the store looked like they would give me Salmonella ) 1. In a large soup pot, combine chicken, carrots, parsnips, celery, onions, bay leaves, garlic, peppercorns, and 1 teaspoon coarse salt. Add water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium. Simmer partly covered, occasionally skimming and discarding fat from surface, about 1 hour. 2. With a slotted spoon or tongs, remove chicken, carrots, and parsnips from pot; set aside. Pour remaining contents of pot through a fine-mesh sieve into another large pot; discard solids, and bring broth to a boil. Add rice and white part of scallions. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer, uncovered, until rice is tender, about 20 minutes. 3. Meanwhile, remove chicken from bones, and shred into bite-size pieces (discard any fatty or discolored parts). Cut carrots and parsnips into bite-size pieces. When rice is cooked, return chicken, carrots, and parsnips to broth in pot; add green part of scallions. Season generously with 5 to 6 teaspoons coarse salt.

I've been busy learning how to cook in my new tagine. It's been a variation of very simple chicken dishes so far. This one is chicken with garlic and rosemary. A simple one pot meal. Recipe: Marinade a whole chicken in soy and pepper. Heat oil in the tagine, brown the chook Add: a whole head of garlic, cut in half, some potatoes cut into wedges or chunks, (optional - sweet potatoes, pumpkin), lots of rosemary, and enough stock to just cover the vegetables. Bring to the boil, then simmer for an hour and a half. When it's ready, add some green vegetables - beans, brocoli, zuchinni etc, cover, steam for a few minutes, and serve.