Upon Request

Someone has asked that I post the recipe for my dinner last night, and I will oblige. I discovered this recipe in Cooking Light magazine 6 or 7 years ago and have been enjoying it ever since with my own modifications, which are reflected below as opposed to the linked recipe. While it takes awhile to cook, the prep time is not bad and the results are fantastic. Even though it is called a tagine, you do not need to have one of the fancy conical bakers pictured above in order to make this; any dutch oven or deep saucepan will do.

Chicken Tagine with Lemon and Olives

2 large or 3 smaller skinless boneless chicken breasts
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. black pepper
1 T. olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 c. reduced-sodium chicken broth
3/4 c. whole green olives, pitted and sliced
3/4 c. white mushrooms, sliced
1 T. cinnamon
1/2 t. ground ginger
1 1/2 t. grated lemon rind
Juice of one lemon
1 T. fresh cilantro, minced (or 1 t. dried)
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced (if desired)

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over high heat. Add chicken; cook 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove chicken from pan. Add onion, mushrooms and garlic to pan; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add chicken, broth, olives, cinnamon, and ginger; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 45 minutes. Turn chicken over; cook, uncovered, 15 minutes. Add lemon rind, juice, cilantro, and parsley to pan; cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Serve chicken either pulled and shredded in the sauce, or as whole breasts with sauce spooned over.

I like to serve this over whole wheat couscous, which you can find at any grocery store and make from a box in under 10 minutes. Last night, I put the tagine in the oven for an hour rather than simmering it on the stove for 45 minutes, and I roasted carrots, sweet potatoes and golden beets alongside it. The end result meal took awhile, but was truly wonderful.

(This can also be made with chicken thighs or pieces instead of breasts, though the fat content will rise.)