Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Quick Cook: Chicken, Apricot & Almond Dinner

YUM! I cooked another great meal from my new cook book, Quick Cook this past weekend. I'm loving this cook book, and trying the easy, healthy recipes from it one at a time.

Did anyone try the Sweet Potato and Butter Bean Stew meal I last posted about from my new cook book?

Well, here is a new one that I recommend you try! Baked Chicken* with Apricots and Almonds:



Served over Couscous:


What you'll need:
1.25 lbs of chicken (the recipe calls for chicken with skin on, but I used skinless chicken breasts)
*Vegetarian? I think you could swap the chicken out with sweet potatoes and/or beans (butter, navy, black)
3 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
pinch of ground ginger
1x5.5 oz can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
4 cups hot chicken stock (I used broth - is that the same thing?)
Handful of whole blanched almonds
Handful of dried apricots
Handful of fresh cilantro, finely chopped
Juice of 1 Lemon
Sea Salt and Ground Black Pepper
Couscous, for serving

The Recipe:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Season the chicken well with salt, pepper and 2 tbsp of cinnamon
3. Heat 1tbsp of olive oil in a large flameproof casserole (or skillet if you don't have one, like me) over medium-high heat
4. Add chicken pieces and cook 5 minutes on each side (it's ok if it doesn't get all the way cook - it'll cook in the oven later) - Remove from casserole, or set skillet aside off heat.
5. In the Casserole, or dutch oven, heat to medium and add the remaining olive oil, onion, and a pinch of salt and cook for 5 minutes (or until onion is soft).
6. Mix in garlic, ginger and rest of cinnamon to casserole/dutch oven
7. Then add in chickpeas and stir
8. Add in the chicken to the mixture and chicken stock/broth
9. Bring pot to boiling
10. Once boiling, add the almonds and appricots - either cover the casserole/oven safe dish already using or transfer hot boiling mixture to oven safe dish and cover and plop into the pre-heated oven
11. Bake for 1 hour, make sure the chicken is cooked in the middle
12. Add cilantro and squeeze the lemon juice
13. Serve over the Couscous.

Bon Appetit!

P.S. Don't forget to enter my giveaway before Sunday at midnight!!!