First Slow Cooker Attempt

With the weather being as cold as it was today...and my husbands love of red meat that i rarely indulge in I decided to give my new slow cooker a shot with brisket. Being that I have 1. never cooked a brisket 2. never used a slow cooker before and 3. am not much of a meat eater myself....I thought the meal was decent. My darling husband went back for seconds, contemplated thirds and said he cant wait to make a brisket sandwich tomorrow so i say this is a winning recipe. I found this on food network and changed a few things like not adding parsnips but baby potatoes instead and using gara masala spice mix in place of the sweeter spices and corriander and did not serve it over the couscous because of the baby potatoes. I also made a gravy out of the juices in the bottom of the cooker to top it with.

Keep in mind this is a "sweeter" recipe with the apricots and hints of cinnamon.

Moroccan Beef Brisket

1 large red onion, sliced into thin wedges

2 parsnips, chopped

2 pound boneless beef brisket

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons ground coriander

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Pinch nutmeg

1 cup whole dried apricots

1 cup dry red wine

1/2 cup reduced-sodium beef broth

2 tablespoons honey

1 cup couscous

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Arrange onion wedges and potatoes in bottom of slow cooker. Season beef all over with salt and black pepper. In a small bowl, combine coriander, cumin, cinnamon, garlic powder, and nutmeg. Rub spice mixture all over beef. Arrange beef over onions and parsnips in slow cooker. Arrange apricots around beef.In a small bowl, whisk together wine, broth and honey. Pour mixture over beef and vegetables. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or HIGH for 3 to 4 hours. Cook couscous according to package directions. Serve beef, vegetables and apricots over couscous. Pour over extra sauce from slow cooker and top with cilantro.