Middle Eastern Chicken Pot And Butter-nut Couscous

Total Time: 40 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs, chopped into bite-sized pieces
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, grated
• 1 cup carrot, shredded
• 1 fresh bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon coriander
• 1 pinch ground cinnamon
• salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup dried apricot, chopped
• 1 lemon, juice and zest of
• 3/4 cup kalamata olive, chopped
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons pine nuts
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds
• 1 1/2 cups couscous
• 1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped

Recipe

• 1 heat the extra-virgin olive oil in a deep skillet over medium-high heat. when the oil ripples add the chicken and brown 3 to 4 minutes on each side. add the onions, garlic, carrots, bay leaf and season with spices, salt and pepper, cook 5 to 6 minutes. stir the fruits into the chicken and vegetables, add the zest of the lemon, olives and 2 1/2 cups of stock. reduce heat to low and simmer 10 minutes more. sprinkle with lemon juice and turn off heat. remove bay leaf.
• 2 while chicken simmers, melt butter in a sauce pot over medium heat. add nuts and lightly toast for a couple of minutes. add 1 1/2 cups stock and bring up to a boil then stir in couscous. cover and let stand 5 minutes.
• 3 serve chicken over couscous, or vice versa, and garnish with parsley.
• 4 prep time:.