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Mix the ground beef with the mashed bread with milk and cream. Using your hands, mix in a pinch of salt. Set aside.
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Using a small skillet, toast the whole spice ras el hanout until fragrant, 1-2 minutes on medium (if you do not have whole spices, then just toast the ground powder). Then transfer to a coffee grinder and grind into a powder. Set aside.
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Heat the avocado oil in a cooktop-safe slow cooker insert or a skillet. Add the onions and cook over medium-high heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, to lightly caramelize.
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Add the minced garlic and tomato paste. Stir and continue to cook for another 2 minutes.
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Add your reserved toasted ground ras el hanout as well as the paprika, aleppo pepper, marash pepper, cinnamon and ground ginger. Stir to roast the spices, about 1 minute.
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Transfer this mixture to the slow cooker insert or place the slow cooker insert onto the slow cooker base.
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Stir in the ground beef mixture and cook, stirring, until the beef is no longer pink, about 3 minutes.
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Add the crushed tomatoes, chopped tomatoes, V-8 vegetable juice, water and chickpeas. Stir together.
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Cook on low heat for 6 hours or high heat for 3 hours.
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Add the sweet potato, prunes, red onion and zucchini. Mix in. Cover and cook another 2 hours on low and 1-2 hours on high.
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Mix in lemon juice and lemon zest. Taste for more lemon juice and salt and black pepper. Serve over the minted couscous (see below).