Vegetable Stew With a Punch

— -- A major emphasis in the new food pyramid is vegetables, and Sara Moulton's Moroccan Vegetable Stew from "Sara's Secrets for Weeknight Meals" is packed with nutrient-rich veggies, with an added punch of harissa -- a Tunisian chili paste.

"This is the kind of meal that would sneak up on a carnivore who would be surprised there's no meat in it," Moulton said.

You can find the recipes for both the vegetable stew and the harissa below.

Harissa
Hands-on time: 5 mins.
Total prep time: 5 mins.
Serving: Makes about 1 cup

Ingredients
One 12-ounce jar of roasted red peppers in water, well drained, or two roasted peppers
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves minced, about 2 teaspoons
1 teaspoon of cumin seed
½ teaspoon of coriander seed
½ teaspoon of caraway seed
½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes
Kosher salt and freshly milled black pepper

Moroccan Vegetable Stew
Hands-on time: 20 mins.
Total prep time: 35 mins.
Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients
2 tablespoons of extra virgin oil
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
4 garlic cloves, minced (about 4 teaspoons)
2 teaspoons of finely grated fresh ginger (use a Microplane)
1 cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon of ground cumin
½ teaspoon of allspice
6 medium parsnips (about 1¾ pounds), peeled and cut into ½-inch-thick chunks
2 large sweet potatoes (about 1½ pounds), peeled and cut into ½-inch chunksOne 15 ½-ounce can of chopped tomatoes
One 14-ounce can of vegetable broth
One recipe of harissa
One 15-ounce can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 small zucchinis (12 ounces to 14 ounces, cut into ½-inch-thick chunks)
One 5-ounce package of rinsed baby spinach
½ cup of golden raisins
Kosher salt and freshly milled black pepper
Rinsed and dried chopped fresh cilantro or mint