So I am currently obsessed with the following spices: cinnamon, cumin, coriander and turmeric.....and will basically cook anything that uses those spices....they give such a yummy, rich, flavourful taste in your mouth.....and this recipe meets all my expectations. I ended up substituting Quinoa for the couscous just because I wanted the extra protein (cooked the Quinoa in a separate pot, which allowed for the extra juices from the chicken and veggies to be used as a sauce for the Quinoa....YUM!). Easy to prepare, and so beyond delicious! Enjoy!
Moroccan Chicken Couscous
Serves: 4 -6
Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 36 minutes
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| A bowlful of flavour! |
Ingredients
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/4 Cup sliced almonds
3/4 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1/2" pieces
1/2 Teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 Bunch green onions, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
1 Zucchini, cut in half lengthwise, thinly sliced
2 Carrots, cut in half lengthwise, thinly sliced
1 Teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 Teaspoon ground cumin
1 Teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 Teaspoon turmeric
1 1/4 Cups low sodium chicken broth
1 Large tomato, chopped
1/2 Can chickpeas, drained
1/2 lemon, zest peeled into 1/2 inch thick strips, juice to taste
1/3 Cup raisins
3/4 Cup whole wheat coucous
Directions
1. Warm oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add almonds, toast until golden (2 min). Using slotted spoon, transfer them to a bowl.
2. Season the chicken with the salt, pepper, add to pot and cook until browned (10 min). Using slotted spoon, transfer chicken to a plate. Add the green onions, zucchini, carrots and cook for 6 min. Mix the cinnamon, cumin, coriander and turmeric, saute 1 min.
3. Add the chicken stock, tomato, chickpeas, lemon zest and raisins, bring to a simmer. Return chicken to pot, cover and simmer for 10 min. Using a slotted spoon, transfer chicken and vegetables to a serving bowl. Season with lemon juice, cover and keep warm.
4. Add the couscous to the liquid remaining in the pot, cover and turn off heat. Let rest 5 min, fluff couscous with a fork. Serve chicken and vegetables over couscous, garnished with almonds, extra raisins and shredded coconut.
Taken from Fitness Magazine, October 2011.
My hubbie enjoyed this one....our plates were so clean I considered putting them back in the cupboard without washing! :) As for the kiddos, Lily gobbled it up after loading on some more raisins and coconut and Kaitlyn took a bit more convincing. How food "looks" is a big deal for her....if something looks weird, she says she doesn't like it, but once she tried a bit or two....she mustered enough courage to finish half of her portion. So the final conclusion for our family is that I would definitely make this again.....4 out of 5 people gobbled it up (Grandma was with us for dinner too) which is a winner in my books!
