Recipe #6 Day 6

Day 6 of 30
Moroccan Chicken Tagine

This recipe was a complete "unknown" to me. Had no idea what to expect.
The recipe calls to be cooked only 5 hours so I assembled everything at 11:15am, set on LOW and went about my day. After 12:45pm I went to check on the progress, thinking I should be smelling something by now. Hmm....nothing. Check everything out and realize, It's best to plug in the slow cooker to get the best results. UGH ! 1 1/2 hour setback for dinner time, which affects swim team practice, and you know, just about the whole evening routine. Oh, well.

Have you ever felt like you were just tired of the same ol' recipes? Meat, Chicken, Spaghetti, Tacos and maybe, maybe a fish recipe. And you think to yourself, I want something new. Well, I can say this recipe is truly something new. It was very good and it really was a flavor that I've never really had before, even in restaurants, although I'm not frequently visiting Moroccan restaurants these days.

My family liked it and ate all of their portion without coaxing on my part. The chicken was again very tender and I loved the toasted almonds on it and the couscous underneath. Overall, I'd give it a solid 8, no more no less. I would love to hear someone else opinion of this recipe. So if you like just a tad of adventure without too much difficulty, this is a good one to try. Don't let the long list of ingredients deter you, it's really quite simple, especially if you plug in your slow cooker.

6 skinless, boneless chicken breast (I used two packages of 3)
2 cups chicken broth
1 can (14.5 ox) diced tomatoes, undrained
2 onions, chopped (I use 1 1/2, my onions were fairly good size)
1 cup dried apricots, chopped (I cut each apricot in 8th's, you don't want them too big)
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. ground red pepper
6 springs fresh cilantro
1 tbsp. cornstarch
1 tbsp. water
1 can ( 15 oz) chick-peas, drained and rinsed
2 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted
Hot cooked couscous or rice

Place chicken in slow cooker. Combine broth, tomatoes with juice, onions, apricots, garlic, cumin, cinnamon, ginger and red pepper. Mix to combine. Pour over chicken. Place cilantro sprigs on top of mixture. Cover; cook on LOW 4-5 hours or until chicken in longer pink in center. Transfer chicken to serving plate, cover to keep warm. (I put mine in a 200 degree oven with foil over the top)

Combine cornstarch and water in small bowl; mix until smooth. Stir cornstarch mixture and chick-peas into slow cooker. Cover; cook on HIGH for 15 mixture or until sauce is thickened. It took 25 min. for mine to thicken. Pour sauce over chicken. Sprinkle with almonds and cilantro. Serve with couscous. (I used chicken herb couscous).

To toast almonds: Heat small nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add almonds' cook and stir about 3 mintues or until golden brown. Removed from pan at once. Let cool before adding to other ingredients.

I think the toasted almonds MADE the dishes, loved it. Very good flavor and unique, in a unique good way. Try it, I'd love to hear what ya think.............


Bon' Appetit'