Moroccan Chicken Stew with Couscous

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Peel the onions and cut into 1/4- to 1/2-inch pieces. Cut the peppers in half, remove and discard the stem and seeds, and cut into 1/4- to 1/2-inch pieces. Peel the garlic and finely chop.

   Step 2

   Heat the oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, curry powder, cinnamon, salt, and pepper and cook for 1 minute, or until fragrant. Add the chicken bouillon, water, and tomatoes (with the juice) and bring to a boil. Reduce to medium heat, cover, and cook for 10 minutes.

   Step 3

   Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces. Cut the olives in half. Add the chicken, olives, and raisins to the pot, cover, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. (Cut into one of the pieces to make sure there is no pink inside.) Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the lemon juice and parsley.

   Step 4

   Meanwhile, bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Stir in the couscous and remove from the heat. Cover and let stand for 10 minutes, or until all of the water is absorbed. Fluff the couscous with a fork before serving.

   Step 5

   Spoon some of the couscous in the center of each plate or shallow bowl and top with some of the stew.

2. Food for Thought

   Step 6

   Couscous is a coarsely ground semolina pasta that is a staple in many North African countries. It started appearing on American dinner tables about ten years ago and is swiftly gaining in popularity not only because of its taste, but because it is loaded with complex carbohydrates, vitamin B, and minerals. This delicious, healthy meal is low in calories and each serving contains only 6 grams of fat and 1 gram of saturated fat. It also has 32 grams of protein and almost 7 grams of fiber. Your friends don’t need to know that; they’ll just know it’s yummy.