Moroccan Style Chicken with Apricots and Couscous

One pan meals are a great idea for busy weeknights, and with a full arsenal of flavours in your spice racks and pantries, it's amazing how creative a cook can get! In fact, stocking the pantry is the first piece of advice I give any new cooks, and was something I did for my son when he finished school and got his own apartment.

Spices like cumin, coriander, cinnamon, and paprika are wonderful to have on hand and dried fruits like apricots, cranberries, or raisins can add a hint of sweetness to a dish. Put that all together with boneless, skinless chicken breasts, vegetables, and a cup of dried couscous, and you've got the makings for an exciting, and easy to prepare meal.

Better still, this is a weeknight dinner that will satisfy the soul and the waistline as the flavour in this dish comes from wholesome ingredients like toasted almonds, fresh broccoli, low sodium chicken stock, and orange juice.

So join me this Weekday Wednesday in putting together this exotically comforting, easy dish!

Visit the printable recipe here: Moroccan Style Chicken with Apricots and Couscous

Please enjoy my easy to follow step by step video.



Ingredients

• 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 3/4 teaspoon coriander
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper 
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite sized pieces
• 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 cup broccoli florets
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup couscous
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint

Directions

1. Mix the spices, salt and pepper together in a small bowl and sprinkle them over the chicken. Stir well, cover and refrigerate until ready to cook. 
2. Saute the broccoli and onion in 1 tsp of the olive oil over medium heat until the onions are translucent the broccoli is softened slightly. Add the garlic and continue to saute about another 30 seconds until the garlic is fragrant. Remove the cooked vegetables to a bowl. 
3. Heat the second tsp of olive oil in the same pan and saute the chicken over medium high until cooked through. Add the apricots, orange juice, and honey and stir to get all the flavour off the bottom of the pan. 
4. Return the broccoli and onion to the pan and add the chicken stock. Bring to the boil, add the cous cous, stir an remove from heat. Cover for five minutes. 
5. Stir in the toasted almonds and fresh mint and serve. 

Tweet

***

Author:

Lyndsay Wells is a professional trainer, writer, and program developer with a passion for food and cooking. She is an award winning recipe developer, and a website ambassador for Kraft Foods Canada. Lyndsay believes cooking should be approachable and easy and has great tips and ideas for putting together sophisticated looking dishes that cooks of all levels can accomplish.

Visit her daily on her blog, The Kitchen Witch or on her YouTube Channel, CHARMED With The Kitchen Witch.