Orange-Tomato Couscous with Chicken

 

This cinnamon- and cumin-spiked couscous with chicken takes its inspiration from Morocco. It’s made mostly with pantry staples—all you have to pick up is some chicken thighs, a bunch of cilantro and an orange. The orange slices become tender after cooking—you can eat them skin and all. For a variation, substitute diced, boneless leg of lamb for the chicken. Serve with steamed green beans or a spinach salad.  

Ingredients

• 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 1 1/2 pounds), trimmed
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
• 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cumin, divided
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin 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 chopped fresh cilantro, divided
• 1 orange, scrubbed, halved and cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 1 cup whole-wheat couscous

Preparation

1. Pat chicken thighs dry with a paper towel. Season with salt, pepper, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon cumin.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the chicken thighs and cook until browned, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
3. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and onion to the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened, about 2 minutes. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon each cinnamon and cumin and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and their juice, chickpeas, broth, 2 tablespoons cilantro and orange slices; bring to a simmer, stirring with a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits. Return the chicken and any collected juice to the pan; cover and cook over medium-low heat until the chicken is cooked through, 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a clean plate.
4. Bring the cooking liquid back to a boil; stir in couscous and place the chicken thighs on top of the mixture. Remove from heat, cover and let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with the remaining cilantro.

Nutrition

Per serving: 417 calories; 14 g fat ( 3 g sat , 7 g mono ); 74 mg cholesterol; 44 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 29 g protein; 8 g fiber; 458 mg sodium; 509 mg potassium.
Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (37% daily value), Iron (20% dv), Zinc (18% dv).
Carbohydrate Servings: 2 1/2
Exchanges: 2 1/2 starch, 1 vegetable, 3 lean meat, 1 fat