The flavors of Moroccan food are one of my favorite. I love the earthy, subtle spiciness of the spice combinations. It’s just all good. I don’t know that I’ve ever met a Moroccan dish that I did not like.
However, until last week, I had never attempted to make a full Moroccan dish. I have made plenty of Moroccan inspired sides, salads and appetizers though. But I have been waiting to tackle a main dish for a while. I am so glad I finally did.
The key element of this meal is the spice blend. This one is very subtle. I’d actually prefer it a bit spicier, but sometimes it’s good to remember I’m not going for only myself. As it was, everyone loved this dish.
Moroccan Chicken & Lentils
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 2 tsp cumin
- 2 tsp coriander
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion, sliced thin
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 – 1 1/2 lb chicken breasts
- baby carrots or sliced carrots
- 1 1/4 chicken stock
- 12 cup dried lentils
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the 6 first ingredients to make the Moroccan spice blend. Set aside.
- In a large skillet, heat olive oil. Add onions and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes over medium heat. Stir in spice blend and cook for an additional 3 minutes, stirring frquently so that the spices do not burn.
- Add chicken, carrots and chicken stock to the skillet. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer. Cook at least until the chicken is fully cooked, about 20-25 minutes. Longer simmering will increase the flavor.
- 20 minutes before you plan to eat (and after the chicken is fully cooked), remove chicken from skillet and set aside. Add lentils to the skillet, bring stock back to a boil, cover and simmer about 15 more minutes, until lentils are fully cooked but not mushy.
- Shred or dice chicken and add back to the skillet. Stir to combine. Serve over rice or couscous.
Notes
This post is being linked to:
- $5 Dinner Challenge at $5 Dinners
- Tasty Tuesday at it’s new home on my friend Jen’s blog – Balancing Beauty and Bedlam.
- Tempt My Tummy Tuesday at Blessed With Grace.
- Kitchen Tip Tuesday at Tammy’s Recipes
- Tackle It Tuesday at 5 Minutes For Mom
- Talk About Tuesday at The Lazy Organizer
And don’t forget to check out the Virtual Great American Bake Sale ebooks where you can find 170 delicious, tummy-tempting recipes and support Share Our Strength at the same time.
