Chicken Tagine with a Twist!

Some days I have to work a very long 12 hours. A 12 hours in a busy O.R. that wipes me out. A 12 hours that isn't as easy to recover from as it used to be. These are the days that cooking is the very last thing I want to do at the end of the day. Eating a hot, home-made dinner however, is just what I do need. Dilemma.

Crock Pot to the rescue! I keep most of these ingredients stocked in my pantry and only had to pick up some chicken thighs as we have been really limiting chicken lately for various reasons (read more about this life changing decision in my post/rant here). Also, I have been trying to not eat meat for dinner since IMO it isn't good for your body to be digesting meat while you sleep. Meat takes several hours of hard work for your GI system to digest and disrupts sleep.

Chicken Tagine is a classic Moroccan dish made several in several yummy variations but usually with the spices ginger, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, paprika and turmeric.  Tajines are slow-cooked stews braised at low temperatures, resulting in tender meat with aromatic vegetables and sauce. The best thing about Chicken Tagine is that you can throw in any combination of your favorite ingredients such as dried fruits, nuts, olives, veggies, preserved lemon, honey ect. and as long as you use the classic base of spices and tomatoes you've got yourself a Moroccan Delight!

I love my veggies and so I threw in some diced eggplant along with my olives, dried apricots and fresh cranberries. *On a side note, I don't think I will use fresh cranberries next time as they were pretty tart, or maybe I'll just use less to compliment the other flavors without over powering them.

A pretty Tagine pot is on the top of my wish list. I use a 'crock pot' for now ;)

Image from Emily Avila

The traditional tajine pot is formed entirely of a heavy clay, which is sometimes painted or glazed. It consists of two parts: a base unit that is flat and circular with low sides, and a large cone or dome-shaped cover that rests inside the base during cooking. The cover is so designed to promote the return of all condensation to the bottom. With the cover removed, the base can be taken to the table for serving

Recently, European manufacturers have created tajines with heavy cast-iron bottoms that can be heated on a cooking stove to a high temperature. This permits the browning of meat and vegetables before cooking.



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Ingredients


2 tablespoons olive oil

8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 eggplant, cut into 1 inch cubes

2 large onions, thinly sliced

4 large carrots, thinly sliced

1/2 cup dried cranberries

3/4 cup chopped dried apricots

1/2 cup green olives, sliced

2 cups chicken broth

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons garlic salt

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 cup water

1 cup couscous



Directions:
* Searing the chicken before adding it to the crock pot is important to lock in flavour.

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Place the chicken pieces and eggplant in the heated oil; stir and cook until the chicken is browned on all sides but not cooked through. Remove the skillet from the heat.

Place the browned chicken and eggplant on the bottom of a slow cooker. Layer the onion, carrots, cranberries, and apricots over the chicken.

Whisk together the chicken broth, tomato paste, lemon juice, flour, garlic salt, cumin, ginger, cinnamon, and ground black pepper in a bowl. Pour the broth mixture into the slow cooker with the chicken and vegetables.

Cook on Low setting for 8 hours.

Bring water to boil in a saucepan. Stir in couscous, and remove from heat. Cover, and let stand about 5 minutes, until liquid has been absorbed. Fluff with a fork.

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Moroccon Cous Cous with Orange Muscat Champagne Vinegar

 What to make for dinner when you don't feel like making dinner.

I decided that I wasn't going to talk about how amazingly delicious this cous cous was. I'm also not going to tell you how simple it is even though it looks all fancy and exotic and some what like an elaborate, artistic masterpiece. I'm also not going to even mention the fact that besides being sweet and tart and complex and lovely, it is light and healthy and nutritionally perfect. No meat necessary. Mum's the word.

Instead, I decided that I was going to talk about balloons. And motherhood. But mostly about balloons.

Every kid loves balloons right? Begs for them at the store. Plays with them at birthday parties and happily marches around the house with one tied to their wrist, squealing in delight.

Not. In. This. House. We have a balloon hater in this house. No, that does not even begin to describe the chaos, turmoil and complete madness that consumes our home when a balloon enters it.

Is there a certain word for severe balloon phobia? There must be, there's a phobia for everything. Does anyone know what the word for fear of balloons is?

My sweet little 4 year old, Nolan, is utterly and completely terrified of balloons for some reason. I thought he'd have gotten over it by now, hopefully he will someday I mean he's only 4... and 1/2. In the beginning I didn't think much of it, 'eh, he's just a little kid, he'll get over it. I mean how often do you run into balloons in every day life? Well let me tell you.

Birthday's, obviously. So a year has gone by since the last birthday party balloon fiasco I didn't think anything of getting some balloons for Jack's 6th birthday a few weeks ago. Bad idea. BAD. Good grief, you can not imagine the torture this poor 4 year old boy went through because of a couple of regular ol' balloons! I spent All morning trying to sympathize, coax, reassure and rationalize with an insanely out of control 4 year old that there was no reason to be afraid of a balloon.

Why is he afraid?

It starts at the store. He's afraid the string is going to come loose and it's going to blow away. You should see his poor little face, genuine fear I tell you. Then, in the car {good Lord, the car ride home!} he completely stiffens up and stresses and cries out in panic the entire time that they are going to blow out of the (closed) windows. Jack, his 6 year old brother who's birthday is causing all the ruckus, is of course perfectly intent on further torturing his little brother; what are brothers for? Jack holds onto his balloon string with one hand while tapping it with his other so that it bops Nolan in the back of the head (3rd row seating) just to aggravate the situation.

Then baby Mona happens to get her hands on Nolan's balloon and with her chubby baby hands begins squeezing the balloon which makes that squeaky balloon sound (which kind of irks me too) and that really sets off poor Nolie. I mean at this point I'm a little unnerved. I don't like seeing my baby this upset. I'm thinking o.k. we're in the drive way, things will get better. No. We get inside and the ceiling fan is on...............................

Have you ever seen a 4 year old have a nervous breakdown? Come completely unglued.  Not pretty. Of course I had to take away the balloons, right? There was no rationalizing with him at this point. This of course upset the birthday boy, Jack.  So,

Give Jack back his balloon.

Take away Jack's balloon after further torture treatment ensues in hallway.

Put both boys to bed to give it a rest (my sanity, not the boys).

Listen to Nolan cry for 20 minutes about how he needs his balloon.

Put the balloon back in Nolan's room and tell him to take a nap and the balloon will be just fine.

Listen to Nolan cry for another 45 minutes about how the balloon is going to pop.

Finally, I pop. I take the balloon out of the room and well, pop it. No more balloons in this house ever!

So today, we stop by Sonic for a treat and what does the car hop/waitress bring to our car window?

A stinking balloon!

Go back up to the beginning of this story and this is what I dealt with all stinking over again today.

I don't get it. He is scared to death of them but is equally upset if I let it fly away or pop it.

The morale of my story is:  Sometimes you just don't have the energy or give a crap to make dinner.

Unfortunately, I hate take-out and boxed meals even more than making dinner when I'm exhausted. So, I come up with a fuss-free, throw together dinner that is still healthy and delicios-O. Cuz that's how I roll. Makes mamma happy.

This is one of those meals. I promise.

So, super simple and you just won't believe how tasty.

Keep things like slivered or sliced almonds, currants or raisins, mixed dried fruit, kalmata or green olives, a variety of canned or dried beans, cous cous, quinoa and millet in your pantry and you will always, always have

the makings of a last minute, throw together dinner.



I would really appreciate it if you could take the time to vote for me to be

one of babble.com's Top 100 Mommy Bloggers of 2011

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Adapt this recipe how you like it! Here's what I used this time.

Ingredients:

1 cup cous cous

1 cup chicken broth (or water, I like the vitamins in home-made chicken broth)

1/2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil

1-14 oz. can chick peas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed

1 cup grape tomatoes, sliced

1/2 cup slivered almonds, Raw

1 yellow bell pepper, chopped

1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped

1/4 cup currants

1/4 cup flat parsley , chopped

1 tsp. cinnamon

*1/2 tsp. Mediterranean seasoning

sea salt to taste

Kalmata olives

I found this Orange Muscat Champage vinegar at Trader Joe's. No perservatives, all natural. You could also use: 1/4 cup O.J. 1/4 cup Muscat grape juice (white grape juice), 1 tbsp. champagne vinegar, 1 tsp. sugar

* use garlic powder, onion flakes, rosemary, thyme, red pepper flakes etc. I'm loving Braggs Organic 21 seasoning and Sea Kelp delight seasoning.  

Throwing it all Together:

Bring broth to a boil. Add olive oil and cous cous, stir, remove from heat and cover. Let sit for at least 5 minutes while you get everything else in order.

In a large bowl throw all other ingredients together and toss to combine.

Add cous cous. Toss.

That's it! Bam! Dinner in 10 minutes.

Serve with grilled fish if your really hungry. Serve with a glass of wine if you deserve one. I know I do!

This post is linked to:

La Bella Vita's  Seasonal Saturday's
E Kat's Kitchen  Friday Potluck
Fun with Food Friday

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Delicately Sweet and Light Mad House Wife

So, Once upon a time there was a contest... 'of sorts'.

and there was a girl who was not necessarily into contests.... per say.

but then they mentioned it involved wine.

Not just any wine.

but wine labeled 'Mad Housewife' wine.

and the girl knew.

She knew it was meant to be.

She was meant to be involved.

Meant to... share her knowledge in this matter to other housewives, No. To the world.

It stirred her inner creativity. Her, not so inner competitiveness

{so she's been told by less imaginative people}

and so it was.

A not so ordinary, slightly nutty yet totally and completely spectacular in every way

House Wife

found herself in a bit of a predicament. A pickle, if you will.

Should I take the challenge.  Can I?  Dare I?

I Do.

I Did.

Prepare yourselves.

The rules for the competition were simply to write about what type of Mad Housewife you are, using the wine somehow in the post. Hmmmm, the possibilities were endless. I had more than a few crazy ideas spinning around in my head.

For instance; should I be utterly honest? Then I would most definitely be a scatterbrained, tired and desperate Mad House Wife. Who fervently looks forward to her evening hot bubble bath by candle light, or in the complete dark whatever, with earplugs inserted snuggly, book in one hand and glass of Cabernet in the other for a completely blissful 10 WHOLE minutes to herself. Heaven. Have I mentioned how wonderful my husband is? He is. The hand off happens so fast when he walks in the door I'm sometimes wondering if it wasn't a door to door salesman I've just shoved my children at. Mamma needs her bubble bath. It's best for everyone.

Or, should I go for a more creative and fun story with a glimpse into my inner flight of fancy?

I could be a polished, put together, sophisticated and demure Mad Housewife who always wears high heels while cooking the perfect dinner and has cocktail parties every weekend with perfect hors d'oeuvres and lovely friends galore while sipping on my sparkling white wine. With always put together, well behaved children who say things like "Yes mother." and "May we please have seconds of your delicious spinach tart?" Ehhhh, who am I kidding? Too many expectations, who can keep that up.

In the end however, reality and children (which I tend to blame for most of my creativity and time constraints) weeded out a few of my more errrrr, interesting ideas. This is not to say that I was not completely thrilled with my end result. I ended up with a new and amazing way to cook my favorite food, salmon. And most importantly I had fun with the whole process and found a wonderful new wine.

The chardonnay was light and slightly sweet, a perfect accompaniment to salmon.

L.O.V.E the wine cork messages.

Did I mention that I very seriously considered packing up my camera, apron and some leftovers and driving to IKEA, which is a 60 minute hop, skip and a jump from our home to take some

 'Vintage' kitchen inspired pictures?

Told Ya. Nutty... In a cute, loveable way.

Alas,

and without further ado my fellow busy and interesting friends, I give you my recipe and also, to enlighten you as to which type of Mad House Wife I am ....

{Trumpets sound off...... Now!}

I, Gwen, mother of four, slightly crazed, totally exhausted and always distracted Mad House Wife.

Can still cook a kick ass, yet delicately light dinner and have her entire family relish in all of it's glory.

Amen.

Before I unleash this baby, I would like to thank Heather, from girlichef for hosting this contest and also, to

Mad Housewife Wine  for, let's be honest, was a big part in my creative inspiration *wink wink, nod nod  and for the delicious outcome of this absolutely perfect dinner that was created using their wine.

Chardonnay-Poached Salmon with Fennel and Orange
served in endive cups with caper creme sauce.

I have cooked salmon many, many times in every way possible. So I thought. This time, however, I used a slow cooker to poach the salmon for as long as possible in a sea of oranges and chardonnay.

For a special treat to our taste buds, I added red onion for a gentle kick, fennel for it's interest and unique bite and capers for the ever important salt factor.

I wanted this to be a Delicate and Light meal that was equally as delicious as it was beautiful. One that would be perfect for hors d'oeuvres at any party as it would be simple for an ordinary Sunday family dinner.

Mission accomplished. While this meal looks and sounds fancy, it was ridiculously simple and fuss free.
All I did was throw a few ingredients into my crock pot and about 50 minutes later, dinner was served.
I tell you the little guys eagerly used their endive lettuce cups to scoop up their salmon and veggies. A side dish of Grilled Asparagus and Moroccan Cous Cous made this a frugal feast for Kings.

Cous Cous with cinnamon and currants.

Salmon is best when just cooked through. Honestly, it's a trial and error sort of thing, but a good rule of thumb if your baking/roasting is for every inch thickness your fish is, bake about 8 minutes at 400° F.  No more!




You Will Need:

2 lbs. *wild salmon fillet, skinned.
1 cup fresh orange juice
2 cups chardonnay (I used Mad Housewife)
1 bulb fennel, sliced
1 small red onion, sliced
1 tablespoon capers
1 teaspoon French grey sea salt

Garnishes:
1 Orange thinly sliced
Fennel fronds



Fold a 36 inch piece of aluminum foil lengthwise to a width slightly larger than the salmon fillet. Place foil in a 4-6 qt. slow cooker with foil ends hanging over the handles.

Combine orange juice, Chardonnay, fennel, onion, capers and salt in the slow cooker. Place salmon on top. Cover and cook on high heat setting for 45-60 minutes.

Test salmon for doneness at 45 minutes by using a fork to gently pull at salmon. When it easily flakes it is done. Test every 5 minutes after 45 min until done.

When salmon is done, remove it from the slow cooker by carefully lifting the ends of the foil and placing it on a platter. Using a fork, scoop into endive cups, crackers or on top of cous cous. Dollop with a bit of Caper Creme Sauce, recipe to follow.




Caper Creme Sauce:

1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons sour cream
2 tablespoons orange juice
2 tablespoons red onion, diced
1 tablespoon capers
Tabasco or Hot sauce if you please

Whip cream with sour cream and orange juice until soft peaks form, about 3 minutes. Gently fold in capers and onion, season with hot sauce if you like.

Salmon is very easy to over cook when cooked conventionally.

 Using this slow cooker method literally ensures a perfect salmon every time.

Capers add the all important salt factor to this seafood dish.

Chardonnay-Poached Salmon with Fennel and Orange

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Baked Rock Fish with Green Harissa over Zucchini and Roasted Tomato Cous Cous

Harissa is a hot chili paste that is commonly found in North African cooking, mainly Moroccan, Algerian, and Tunisian cuisine. It is used as a dip for pita bread, added to couscous, grilled vegetables, pastas and spread on fish and poultry. Toasting cumin, mustard and coriander seeds brings out a impeccable aroma and flavor that pre ground spices just can't match. This is one to try. 

In the words of my five year old daughter, "What a Day!".  Indeed. We made bottle rockets at preschool, you've never seen such an excited bunch of 4 and 5 year olds I just love those little squeals of delight. We picked peas from the school garden that we planted a few months ago.... and even ate them. We made a new friend, we went out to lunch and had root beer, macaroni and cheese aaaand french fries. And then, well then we signed up for Karate!!!  Or as little miss 'M' says it "Kyratee" and then we came home, sat on the patio and had strawberry Popsicles by the pool.


It doesn't get much better than that.

Toasting the cumin, mustard and coriander seeds brings out a impeccable aroma and a flavor that pre ground spices just can't match. Toast them in a cast iron skillet over medium low heat for a few minutes until a glorious, yes glorious aroma wafts through the air. You should see me hanging over the skillet breathing deeply and trying not to drool into the pan. 

In a small grinder (preferably not one used for coffee as flavors can linger) pulse a few times until ground. Again, breath in the toasted loveliness. 

Serve with fluffy cous cous and your favorite vegetables. I lightly saute chopped zucchini and shallots in the pot before I add broth and cous cous. Throw some grape or cherry tomatoes in the baking dish with the fish.

TIME        30 MINUTES        SERVES     4

You Will Need


3 pieces of Rock fish or other fish, about 8 ounces each
2 teaspoons olive oil to coat baking dish
salt and cracked black pepper to taste



For the Harissa

1 cup cilantro, stems removed
1 cup flat leaf parsley, stems removed
2 jalapenos, seeds removed
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (preferably cold pressed)
1/3 cup scallions, chopped
2-3 garlic cloves smashed
2 tablespoons cumin seeds
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 tablespoon mustard seeds
1/2  teaspoon sea salt



Pre heat your oven to 425F.

In a small cast iron skillet over medium low heat toast the seeds for 2-3 minutes until fragrant and lightly browned. Immediately remove from heat and place in a small bowl or 'coffee' grinder. Grind the seeds to a fine consistency. Place remaining ingredients along with the spices in a small food processor or blender. Blend on low speed or pulse just until combined.

In a ceramic baking dish coat with olive oil. Place the fish in the dish and lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spoon desired amount of harissa over the fish. Bake uncovered for 15-20 minutes until fish flakes easily with a fork. 

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE





Pan Crusted Sable Fish 

Grilled Fish Tacos on Home Made Blue Corn Tortillas w Mango Salsa

Fish en Parchment 101 with Asian Veggies and Miso

From Around the Web


No Cook Green Harissa Pasta with Shrimp from Food and Wine



Moroccan Spiced Chicken Enchiladas with Harissa Sauce from Climbing Grier Mountain



Garden Vegetable Tagine with Harissa from Nutrition Stripped

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