Moroccan Chicken Couscous

The writers for the Back Burner are celebrating all that is “mom” this week.  I tossed around different approaches of how to honor my mother in a meaty sort of way.  I won’t lie it was a bit challenging.  There is not a meaty recipe in my collection that makes me think of mom, so I took another approach.

If, I was lucky enough to be cooking for my mom on this very special day, I would take her to Morocco by making one of my favorite standby recipes.  I would have mom sit down at the kitchen counter, pour her a glass of chilled Rose, give her a plate of nibbles, and I would make her an intimate dinner of Moroccan Chicken Couscous.

I love making this hearty but light recipe using whatever vegetables are in season.  In the winter, I will use chunks of butternut squash.  And in the summer, I have used green beans, fresh tomatoes, and even corn.  The one ingredient I never change is using meaty chicken thighs.  I prefer to use chicken thighs as they have more flavor and are moist.  White meat tends to dry out even when cooked with a broth.  We love chick peas so I always include them in the recipe no matter which season it is.

This recipe is very simple to make, and you can have a complete meal on the table in thirty minutes.  After browning the chicken thighs in a little olive oil, I lightly cook the vegetables in the drippings to coat them with all of the great flavors, and then I let everything simmer with some stock.  While the chicken and vegetables are forming the perfect marriage, I cook the couscous.  It is that simple.

To make mom’s special dinner complete, I would serve this dish with a salad of arugula, roasted beets, pistachios and a little feta, simply tossed with olive oil and fresh lemon juice, and big chunks of warm bread.