Chicken tagine with lemon couscous
Loaded with fragrant Moroccan-inspired flavours, this simple chicken recipe is a hearty winter meal. Served with a zesty lemon couscous, this nutritious tagine is mild enough for the whole family to enjoy.
Ingredients
Method
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped or grated or 2 teaspoons crushed garlic
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 2 tablespoons Moroccan spice mix
- 1 teaspoon dried mixed herbs
- 400g skinless chicken breast, cut into 3cm chunks
- 2 large carrots, cut into small cubes
- ¼ celery*, sliced
- ½ pack silverbeet*, stalk thinly cut and leafy green roughly chopped
- ¼ head cauliflower*, florets and stalk roughly chopped
- 400g can chopped tomatoes
- 250ml (1 cup) water
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Lemon couscous
- 150g couscous*
- ½ lemon*, rind and juice
- 100g dried apricots, chopped (optional)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
* These ingredients are shared with other recipes from week two of the winter weekly meal planner.
Method
- Heat oil in a large tagine pan, deep frying pan or large pot on the stove over medium high heat. Add diced onion and sauté for around 5 minutes or until it has begun to soften. Add garlic, smoked paprika, Moroccan spice mix and dried mixed herbs and stir fry for a minute until fragrant.
- Turn heat to high, add chicken and stir through. Once the chicken is seared, add carrots, celery, and silverbeet stalk. Mix to heat through.
- Add cauliflower and chopped tomatoes. Fill the can with 1 cup water and gently swirl around to get any remaining sauce and pour into the pan or pot. Stir to combine and cover with a lid.
- Bring to the boil and reduce the heat to medium and leave to simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the chicken and vegetables are cooked, stirring occasionally. Stir through the leafy tops of the silverbeet. Test taste and season with salt and pepper.
- As the tagine is simmering, prepare the lemon couscous. Cook couscous according to packet instructions. Grate lemon rind over the couscous, add the lemon juice, and chopped apricots (if using) and gently toss to mix through. Test taste, and season if desired. Serve chicken tagine with lemon couscous.
Cooking tips:
- For a hint of sweetness, add raisins or chopped dates to the tagine.
- You can also use your favourite spice mix instead of the Moroccan spice mix.
- Use chicken stock instead of water if preferred.
- For larger appetites cook 250g couscous. Keep any uncooked dry couscous in an airtight container in a cool place.
Adapt it:
- Beef, lamb or firm white fish can be used instead of chicken, adjust cooking method accordingly.
- To make this meat free, add chickpeas or other pulses instead of the chicken. Cook the spices with the onion and garlic, then add the pulses in at the same time as the other vegetables.
- Serve with rice or quinoa instead of couscous to make this gluten free.
- Use spinach instead of silverbeet if you prefer.
Kid friendly alternatives:
- Adapt the level of spice mix to suit their taste.
- You can use frozen peas, corn or mixed vege in place of the other veges if preferred.
Leftover tips:
- Reheat for lunch the next day. Any leftover tagine can be frozen in portions and reheated thoroughly before serving.