Chicken And Apricot Stew With Couscous Recipes

CHICKEN AND APRICOT STEW WITH COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot, but not smoking. Add the chicken, and cook until browned, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons oil.
• Reduce heat to medium; add onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 7 minutes. Add garlic; saute briefly. Add apricots, cinnamon, saffron, ginger, coriander, 2/3 cup water, and 2 tablespoons honey; season with salt.
• Return chicken to skillet; bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook until chicken is cooked through and liquid is thickened, 45 to 50 minutes. (If sauce has not thickened, transfer chicken to a platter and place it into an oven preheated to 200 degrees to keep warm. Reduce sauce to desired consistency.) Add remaining 2 tablespoons honey and salt to taste. Pour over chicken on platter.
• Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, bring stock to a boil. Place couscous and butter in a medium bowl. Pour stock over couscous; cover with plastic wrap. Let stand until the couscous absorbs all the stock, about 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork, and season with salt. Stir in almonds. Serve couscous with chicken, and garnish with sesame seeds.

APRICOT COUSCOUS

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan add a 2 count of extra-virgin olive oil. Add the red onion, apricots and almonds and saute gently over low heat until translucent and slightly fragrant. Add the couscous then dump in the warm chicken broth. Stir with a fork to combine, add lemon zest and cover. Let sit for 10 minutes, then uncover and add the scallions, mint, and cilantro. Fluff again with a fork. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Toss gently to combine.
• Serve family-style on a large platter and garnish with fresh cilantro.

MOROCCAN APRICOT CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add almonds; cook and stir until lightly browned, 2-3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon; drain on paper towels. In the same skillet, brown chicken on both sides. Remove from heat. Transfer chicken to a 4- or 5-qt. slow cooker. Stir chili sauce, preserves, apricots, Moroccan seasoning, vanilla and garlic powder into drippings. Pour over chicken., Cook, covered, on low until a thermometer inserted in chicken reads 170°-175°, 4 to 4-1/2 hours. Stir in garbanzo beans and orange juice. Cook, covered, on low until heated through, 15-30 minutes longer. Serve with almonds. If desired, sprinkle with parsley.

APRICOT GLAZED CHICKEN AND COUSCOUS

Steps:

• (To finely chop the apricots, spray kitchen shears with non stick spray, and snip them into small pieces.) Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper.
• Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium high heat, add chicken and cook for about 4 minutes or until just done.
• Don't overcook, you don't want chewy chicken.
• Combine preserves and vinegar in a bowl, then add the cooked chicken.
• Add the broth to the pan, scraping up the good stuff on the bottom, add the apricots.
• Bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat and cover, simmer 2 minutes.
• Stir in couscous, top with chicken mixture.
• Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes.
• Fluff couscous with a fork, and serve.

CHICKEN AND SUMMER VEGETABLE STEW WITH COUSCOUS

Steps:

• For the chicken stew: Put the garlic, carrots, onion, cinnamon, raisins, ginger, cumin, paprika, sugar, turmeric, 1 tablespoon salt and several grinds of black pepper in a large saucepan or Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid. Add 2 cups water and bring to a boil over high heat; cover, reduce the heat and simmer until the carrots start to get tender, about 15 minutes. Add the chicken, chickpeas, tomatoes and zucchini and stir to combine. Return to a boil over high heat, cover, reduce the heat and simmer until the stew is slightly thickened and fragrant and the vegetables are tender enough to cut with the side of a fork, but still hold their shapes, about 15 minutes. (If the vegetables are fork-tender a bit sooner, remove them to a bowl while the liquid reduces then return them to the pot when ready to serve.) Remove and discard the cinnamon sticks.
• For the couscous: Bring 1 1/2 cups water to a boil with the butter and salt in a small saucepan. Stir in the couscous, remove from the heat, cover and set aside until the water has been absorbed and the couscous is plump, about 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and keep warm.
• For the topping: Combine the cilantro, parsley, almonds, pistachios and raisins in a medium bowl.
• To serve, divide the couscous among bowls, top with the stew and sprinkle with the herb topping. Serve with harissa and yogurt on the side.

GRILLED CHICKEN COUSCOUS WITH APRICOTS AND PISTACHIO

Steps:

• For the couscous: Put 1 1/2 cups water, the salt, cumin and pepper in a small saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil. Stir in the couscous, remove from the heat, cover and let sit until the water is absorbed and the couscous is tender, about 5 minutes.
• Transfer the couscous to a bowl, fluff with a fork and add the pistachios, mint, parsley and lime zest to taste. Set aside.
• For the apricot-balsamic glaze: Put the vinegar in a small saucepan and cook over medium-high heat until reduced to 1/2 cup. Whisk in the apricot jam and let cool slightly.
• For the chicken and apricots: Heat a charcoal or gas grill to high for direct grilling.
• Brush the chicken and apricots with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill the chicken until golden brown and slightly charred on both sides and just cooked through, about 9 minutes total. Let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
• Grill the apricots cut-side down until golden brown and slightly charred; turn over and grill until just heated through. Slice into wedges.
• Transfer the couscous to a plate and arrange the chicken and apricots on top. Drizzle with the apricot-balsamic glaze.

CHICKEN STEW WITH COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350ºF.
• Heat oil in ovenproof Dutch oven or large deep skillet on medium-high heat. Add half the chicken; cook 3 to 4 min. on each side or until evenly browned on both sides. Remove chicken from pan; cover to keep warm. Repeat with remaining chicken. Discard all but 1 Tbsp. drippings from pan.
• Add carrots, tomatoes, dressing, ginger and garlic to reserved drippings in pan; stir. Bring to boil; simmer on medium-low heat 10 min., stirring occasionally. Top with chicken; cover.
• Bake 25 to 30 min. or until chicken is done (165ºF). Serve with couscous.

CHICKEN STEW WITH GREEN OLIVES AND APRICOTS

Steps:

• Heat oil over medium heat in a large, heavy casserole. Add garlic and cook until golden. Meanwhile, combine coriander, salt, and pepper. Rub chicken pieces with half the spice mixture and add to casserole in one layer, skin side down. Cook until well browned, about 10 minutes. Brown other side, then transfer with garlic to a plate.
• Drain most of the fat from casserole. Add onions, tomato paste, saffron, ginger, and a pinch of remaining spice mixture; stir well. Cook over a low flame, stirring often, until onions are soft and translucent, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Add wine and brown sugar to casserole and bring to a boil, stirring well. Add olives and apricots. Return chicken and garlic to casserole. Cut lemons into 1/4-inch-thick slices and arrange on top. Cover and bake for 45 minutes.
• Cook bulgur according to package directions; keep warm until ready to serve.
• Remove casserole from oven. Discard lemon slices. Remove chicken pieces. Reduce sauce over high heat until thick, about 15 minutes. Adjust seasonings, using remaining spice mixture. Return chicken to sauce and heat through. Stir in cilantro; serve stew with bulgur.