Blaze of not quite glory

OK, so I went off to make dinner comprising of Harissa chicken, Moraccan inspired squash and Moroccan-Style carrots. Well...the recipe I followed for the Harissa seemed simple enough, and required nothing that I didn't have on hand, here is the link to this recipe by the way: http://www.recipesource.com/side-dishes/condiments/01/rec0123.html
I made only one-third of the batch and rubbed it on chicken quarters, then baked them for what seemed like forever. The outcome: I will say that it is not for the faint of heart. In fact, if you have a heart condition, leave the room when this is even being prepared! Holy smokes! In my own defense, I would not have subjected myself and my husband to this sort of death defying feat of ingestion had the local grocery stores stocked harissa, saving me the trouble and issue of creativity on my own. To say the least, this was not quite what I was after for the chicken, (we almost died, you know) however, the sides came out spectacularly, so I'll focus on that.

The Moroccan-Styled Carrots Recipe is from Gourmet June 1991, published on epicurios.com, here is the link:
http://www.recipesource.com/side-dishes/condiments/01/rec0123.html
These were quick and easy to make, and used spices of cumin, cinnamon, sugar and cayenne, with garlic, olive oil and a dash of lemon at the end. Mmmm. Doesn't it make your mouth water?

But wait! The star of the show was my Moroccan-inspired squash, and this you should definately try!
Here is my recipe, it serves 2 as a side.
1 acorn squash
4 Tbs. margarine
2 (hearty) garlic cloves, chopped finely
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/4 tsp. cayenne
1/2 tsp. salt

I halve the squash, scoop out the seeds, and place face-down on a plate with a bit of water, then microwave for 13 minutes or until you can tell it's tender by pressing in with a spoon handle (hot hot hot!).
While the squash is cooking, in a small pan, sautee the garlic with a tablespoon of margarine until fragrant and tender, about 2 minutes.
Scoop out the squash meat and put it in a bowl.
Add the remaining margarine in pieces.
Add the spices and the garlic.
Stir and plate.
It smells wonderful and tastes divine! Trust me...wink...try it!

I paired this meal with a large glass of water (hahaha) and a Shiraz-Grenache blend from the Yellow Tail label. It worked well.

I will not claim anything I make is my own, or post the recipe unless it is mine orgininally, otherwise, I will just give you the link.

Thanks for reading, next up: giant muffins.