Spicy Moroccan Chicken With Apricots And Prunes Low Fat Recipes

HEALTHY AND EASY MOROCCAN CHICKEN...A ONE POT CHICKEN RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450-degrees and oil up a medium sized casserole dish. Feel free to use a foil pan for easier cleanup.
• We are going to start out with some chicken breast and boneless chicken thigh pieces cut up into large bite size pieces.
• Place those pieces into your casserole pan (don't mind me, I apparently did not mind doing dishes and used a bowl instead.). Add you turmeric, nutmeg, cinnamon, paprika, cumin, minced ginger, minced garlic, salt, pepper, lime juice, balsamic vinegar and cilantro.
• Toss and combine and let stand for at least 15-20 minutes or even overnight.
• In the meantime, slice up some dried prunes and apricots. You do not need to get fancy. Just slice them up so they are similar in size.
• Dice up an onion into medium dice.
• Place about 1 tbsp of olive oil into a large pan and add in your onions. Go ahead and let the get nice and sweaty for about 3 minutes.
• Now add in the sliced dried fruit, salt and pepper and a cup of water. This is going to do two things. 1. it will hydrate the fruit so they get beautiful and plump. And two it will make the sugars come out of the onions, allowing for an easier and faster caramalization. (Check out my French Onion Soup recipe to see how easy it is to caramelize onions.)
• Allow this mixture to boil until all the water is boiled out and the water has evaporated completely.
• Now, add this mixture to your marinading chicken. Toss to combine, careful as the mixture is hot (you can of course cool the mixture, but I don't have that sort of time).
• Place into the oven and bake uncovered for 15-20 minutes or until chicken is tender.
• Garnish with some extra cilantro. I served this up with my favorite lemon infused couscous and it was a hit.

SPICY MOROCCAN CHICKEN WITH APRICOTS AND PRUNES (LOW FAT)

Steps:

• In the morning (or the night before), combine first 13 ingredients in ungreased 2 quart shallow casserole.
• Add chicken. Turn to coat. Cover. Chill for at least 8 hours or overnight. Stir.
• Bake chicken, uncovered, in 400 degree F oven for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chicken is no longer pink.

MOROCCAN TAGINE OF CHICKEN WITH PRUNES, APRICOTS, AND ALMONDS

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or other large, heavy frying pan with a cover. Add the onions, and sauté slowly until golden. While the onions are cooking, season the chicken pieces well with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with cinnamon. Push aside the onions and tuck the chicken pieces into the pan. Brown them well on all sides.
• Add the prunes, raisins, and apricots to the chicken pieces, along with the saffron, cumin, and paprika, and a cup of water. Simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, for about 40 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked and most of the liquid has evaporated. (Add more water if necessary.)
• Just before serving, toast the almonds in the microwave for 3 minutes, and sprinkle them over the chicken. Serve with saffron rice (see page 278).

MOROCCAN CHICKEN WITH APRICOTS

Steps:

• Chop the chicken into bite size pieces and salt and pepper.
• In a heavy skillet heat oil and saute chicken in oil until brown and cooked through.
• Remove chicken from skillet and keep warm while you make the sauce.
• Add onions and garlic to the skillet and saute.
• Add flour, cinnamon, cumin, and ginger to skillet and mix well.
• Whisk in chicken broth.
• Stir in apricots, lemon juice and honey.
• Boil sauce for about 5 minutes or until the sauce is thick enough to coat a spoon; while the sauce is boiling occasionally stir to prevent burning it.
• Coat the chicken with the sauce by either mixing the chicken back into the skillet or mixing both chicken and sauce into a serving dish.
• Sprinkle with toasted almonds.

SPICED MOROCCAN CHICKEN WITH ONIONS AND PRUNES

Steps:

• Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; sauté until brown and just cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Using tongs, transfer chicken to plate. Add onions and garlic to same skillet. Sauté until onions begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Mix in flour, ginger, cinnamon and cumin; stir 1 minute. Gradually whisk in broth. Add prunes, lemon juice and honey. Boil until sauce thickens enough to coat spoon, whisking occasionally, about 8 minutes. Return chicken to skillet. Simmer until heated through, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Transfer chicken and sauce to platter. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.

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.

SPICY MOROCCAN CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a shallow bowl, combine 2 tsp cinnamon, cumin and coriander, plus cayenne pepper and salt. Dredge chicken in spices.
• In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add chicken; sauté until browned, turning once. Remove chicken.
• Add onion to skillet, sauté 3 minutes. Add garlic, ginger and broth; sauté 5 minutes.
• Add all remaining ingredients and the chicken. Cover and simmer 30 minutes. Serve in bowls with whole-wheat pitas.