According to the Cooking Light recipe, this is a North African dish that is also served in Spain & Italy. Wherever it is from, I call it delicious. I like to serve it over couscous that I’ve cooked with chicken broth.
Ingredients:
1 Tbls olive oil
8 chicken thighs, skinned
¾ tsp black pepper, divided
¼ tsp salt
2 cups chopped onions
1 Tbls fresh garlic, minced
2 tsp minced fresh ginger
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika
½ tsp ground turmeric
Dash of cayenne pepper
1 cinnamon stick (about 3”)
1 bay leaf
2 cups chicken broth, preferably fat-free low sodium
2/3 cup pitted green olives
2 Tbls fresh lemon juice
¼ cup chopped cilantro
3 cups hot cooked couscous
Directions:
Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with ¼ tsp of black pepper and ¼ tsp salt. Add chicken to pan; cook 10 minutes, browning on all sides. Remove chicken from pan, reduce heat to medium.
Add ½ tsp black pepper, onion and next 8 ingredients, cook 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Return chicken to pan and reduce heat. Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, or until chicken is done. Discard cinnamon stick and bay leaf.
While chicken cooks, place olives in a small saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil, drain. Repeat procedure. This brings out the full flavor of the fruit of the olive rather than the flavor of the salty brine. Drain olives well and add to chicken mixture along with the lemon juice; sprinkle with cilantro. Serve over couscous.
Yield 4 servings – 2 chicken thighs, ¾ cup couscous and ½ cup of sauce. 397 calories.
Ingredients:
1 Tbls olive oil
8 chicken thighs, skinned
¾ tsp black pepper, divided
¼ tsp salt
2 cups chopped onions
1 Tbls fresh garlic, minced
2 tsp minced fresh ginger
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika
½ tsp ground turmeric
Dash of cayenne pepper
1 cinnamon stick (about 3”)
1 bay leaf
2 cups chicken broth, preferably fat-free low sodium
2/3 cup pitted green olives
2 Tbls fresh lemon juice
¼ cup chopped cilantro
3 cups hot cooked couscous
Directions:
Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with ¼ tsp of black pepper and ¼ tsp salt. Add chicken to pan; cook 10 minutes, browning on all sides. Remove chicken from pan, reduce heat to medium.
Add ½ tsp black pepper, onion and next 8 ingredients, cook 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Return chicken to pan and reduce heat. Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, or until chicken is done. Discard cinnamon stick and bay leaf.
While chicken cooks, place olives in a small saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil, drain. Repeat procedure. This brings out the full flavor of the fruit of the olive rather than the flavor of the salty brine. Drain olives well and add to chicken mixture along with the lemon juice; sprinkle with cilantro. Serve over couscous.
Yield 4 servings – 2 chicken thighs, ¾ cup couscous and ½ cup of sauce. 397 calories.
