A few weeks ago I decided to crack open some cookbooks in hopes of finding a few new go-to recipes. I found this recipe which sounded really intriguing, easy, quick & delicious so we gave it a whirl. First off, this recipe smells like heaven. I've never made anything like it before. When I pulled my turmeric out of the cabinet, I realized it expired in either 2003 or 2008 (yikes) it was kind of rubbed off so I wasn't sure, either way, I tossed it and started with a fresh jar. The combination of the turmeric, ginger, cinnamon & chili powder is really what makes this great. As far as the taste, it was good, but when I made it again this past Sunday- I doubled the spices (with the exception of the chili powder) just to give it that extra kick and I think I liked it better that way.
On a completely unrelated note- it only occurred to me recently, that chickpeas and garbanzo beans are pretty much the exact same thing. While I am a huge fan of hummus, chickpeas in their natural form don't do a whole lot for me-- although I did find a good looking recipe today for chickpeas which I am excited to try out. Will keep you posted. So I may omit those in the future. This is a one pot dish (heaven) and is ready in about 30 minutes. Also, if you are vegetarian, it'd still be delish if you wanted to omit the chicken. We used chicken breasts instead of the thighs and it seemed like 30 minutes was too long; it made the chicken a bit tough so I need to find a way to work around that. The recipe says it makes (4) servings, but I felt like it made a lot more than that. The couscous is completely separate from this recipe, so make sure you have some on hand.
Start by cutting up your veggies. Set aside. Next, you'll throw everything into the pot. Start with the chicken:
then add the veggies (except the zucchini- that goes in later)
you'll also add the chickpeas and then the spices:
Aren't they gorgeous? It's turmeric, cinnamon, ginger, chili powder and salt & pepper. Give it a good stir:
Cook it for 15 minutes, then add the zucchini:
Then cook for another 15 mintues.
Here's the recipe:
Moroccan Chicken Couscous
8 bone-in skinless chicken thighs (we used 3 breasts cut into chunks)
3 carrots, cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks
3 onions, thinly sliced
1 (14.5 oz) can whole tomatoes, drained
1 (15.5 oz) can chickpeas, drained & rinsed
1 3/4 C chicken broth
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
2 zucchini (about 1 lb) halved crosswise and quartered lengthwise
Couscous, for serving.
Directions:
In a Dutch oven (or other 5-qt pot with a tight fitting lid), combine the chicken, carrots, onions, tomatoes, chickpeas, stock, 3/4 C water, the ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, chili powder, salt & pepper. Break up the tomatoes with a spoon.
Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cover, and cook for 15 minutes. Add the zucchini, and cook until the chicken is cooked through, yet still tender, about 15 minutes more.
Divide the couscous evenly among 4 bowls. Spoon the chicken, vegetables, and broth on top. Serve immediately.
Recipe from Everyday Food "Great Food Fast"
*****here's a helpful chicken tip from blog-reader LeAnne:*****
You are right to assume you need to cut back on the cooking time for breast meat over dark meat in poultry. They actually do cook up differently. I won't bore you with my Animal Science skills, but it boils down to long acting muscle fibers (dark) and short acting muscle fibers (white). Generally, you'll notice that poultry stews contain dark meat. Dark meat actually needs a longer cooking time and higher cooking temperature (170-175) vs white meat (160-165).
For example, let's say you were baking chicken and stuffing and you brought home a package of chicken breasts and chicken legs. If you were to bake them up separately the chicken breasts would be done 20-30 min sooner than the legs (assuming the same weight)!
Most food scientist would suggest in a recipe where you are substituting white meat for dark, to brown your chicken first and get all your little brown bits in the bottom of the pan, remove the protein, then continue to cook the remaining ingredients. Add the chicken back in at the last moment to reheat the meat and serve.
