INGREDIENTS
2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper1 tsp. ground turmeric
1?8 tsp. ground red pepper
2 tsp. olive oil, divided
1 cup chopped onion
1 Tbsp. fresh ginger, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chicken broth*
¼ cup green olives, pitted and halved
1 cinnamon stick
¹?³ cup slivered almonds, toasted
PREPARATION
• Place cubed chicken in a zip-lock bag. Pour lemon juice in the bag. Seal, shake and let marinate in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
• Mix salt, black pepper, turmeric and red pepper together in a small bowl. Set aside.
• After 30 minutes, remove chicken from bag and pat dry on paper towels. Dredge chicken pieces in spice mixture.
• Heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a tajine or Dutch oven. Cook chicken until all sides are lightly browned. Remove and keep warm.
• Heat remaining teaspoon of olive oil in the tajine or Dutch oven. Add onion, ginger and garlic. Sauté until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes, stirring frequently so that the garlic does not burn.
• Add chicken to onion mixture and stir well to coat. Next, add broth, olives and cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 50 minutes or until the chicken is very tender. Discard cinnamon stick. Garnish with almonds. Serve with couscous or flatbread.
* If you desire more sauce, add another œ cup of chicken broth.
This article appears in May 1-31, 2008.