Orange-Tomato Couscous W/Chicken (ZWT-9 - Morocco)

Entered for ZWT-9, this is the 1st of 3 recipes from an article at the Eating Well website titled “Healthy Couscous Recipes”. The recipe list at the website pays homage to the main Moroccan Berber dish most people are familiar with & consider a national delicacy - Couscous. Per Wikipedia, couscous is a staple food throughout the No African cuisines of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Mauritania & Libya. From the website intro: “This cinnamon & cumin-spiked couscous w/chicken takes its inspiration from Morocco. It’s made mostly w/pantry staples. All you require is some chicken thighs (or breasts), a bunch of cilantro & an orange. The orange slices become tender after cooking, so you can eat them - skin & all. For a variation, sub diced leg of lamb for the chicken. Serve w/steamed green beans or a spinach salad.” Prep & Cook times were given as an identical total, but I have allowed an extra 10 min for assembly of ingredients & Prep Step 1. Enjoy!

• Ready In: 55 mins
• Serves: 6
• Yields: 6 Thigh/Breast Servings w/1 Cup Couscous

Ingredients

• 6  chicken thighs (boneless, skinless. May use breasts, About 1 1/2 lbs)
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄4 teaspoon black pepper (freshly ground)
• 1 1⁄4 teaspoons cinnamon (divided)
• 1 1⁄4 teaspoons cumin (divided)
• 2  tablespoons olive oil (divided)
• 1  medium onion (thinly sliced)
• 1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes (with juice)
• 1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas (rinsed)
• 1  cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 4  tablespoons fresh cilantro (chopped & divided)
• 1  orange (scrubbed, halved & cut into 1/4-in slices)
• 1  cup  whole wheat couscous

Directions

1. Pat chicken thighs dry w/a paper towel. Season w/salt, pepper, 1/4 tsp cinnamon & 1/4 teaspoon cumin.
2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a Dutch oven over med heat. Add the chicken thighs & cook until browned (3-4 min per side). Transfer to a plate & set aside.
3. Add the remaining 1 tbsp oil & onion to the pan. Cook (stirring occ) until the onion is softened (about 2 min). Add the remaining 1 tsp each of cinnamon & cumin. Cook (stirring constantly) for 30 seconds. Add tomatoes & their juice, chickpeas, broth, 2 tbsp cilantro & orange slices. Bring to a simmer (stirring w/a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits). Return the chicken & any collected juice to the pan. Cover & cook over med-low heat until the chicken is cooked through (5-10 min). Transfer the chicken to a clean plate.
4. Bring the cooking liquid back to a boil. Stir in couscous & place the chicken thighs on top of the mixture. Remove from heat, cover & let stand for 5 min before serving. Garnish w/the remaining cilantro.
5. NOTE: Altho not mentioned in the recipe, I have allowed for using chicken breasts vs thighs because I prefer them. However, if lrg breasts are used, you may want to consider adjusting the ingredients & cooking times accordingly.