Middle Eastern Chicken Pot and Butter-Nut Couscous

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, eyeball it
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, chopped into bite-sized pieces
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, grated or chopped
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1 fresh bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon coriander
• Pinch ground cinnamon
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup chopped dried fruits - pick 1 or combine: figs, pitted dates, apricots, sultanas
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 3/4 cup pitted mixed olives, chopped
• 4 cups chicken stock, divided
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons pine nuts
• 1/4 cup slivered or sliced almonds
• 1 1/2 cups couscous
• Handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped

1. Heat the extra-virgin olive oil in a deep skillet over medium-high heat.
2. When the oil ripples add the chicken and brown 3 to 4 minutes on each side.
3. Add the onions, garlic, carrots, bay leaf and season with spices, salt and pepper, cook 5 to 6 minutes.
4. Stir the fruits into the chicken and vegetables, add the zest of the lemon, olives and 2 1/2 cups of stock.
5. Reduce heat to low and simmer 10 minutes more.
6. Sprinkle with lemon juice and turn off heat.
7. Remove bay leaf.
8. While chicken simmers, melt butter in a sauce pot over medium heat.
9. Add nuts and lightly toast for a couple of minutes.
10. Add 1 1/2 cups stock and bring up to a boil then stir in couscous.
11. Cover and let stand 5 minutes.
12. Serve chicken over couscous, or vice versa, and garnish with parsley.

extravirgin olive oil, chicken thighs, onion, garlic, carrots, bay leaf, paprika, ground cumin, coriander, ground cinnamon, salt, fruits pick, lemon, mixed olives, chicken stock, butter, pine nuts, almonds, couscous, handful

Taken from www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/middle-eastern-chicken-pot-and-butter-nut-couscous-recipe.html (may not work)