Moroccan Chicken with Pistachio Couscous

This is another simple, easy and quick meal to put together, it is a good mid week, no fuss meal, that can be on the table in about 35 Min's. This recipe serves 4 but can be halved if just making for 2. I made this with chicken breasts coated them in the spice mixture, cooked them and then sliced thickly, but you could also use tenders or thigh fillets instead. Feel free to adjust spice quantaties to suit your personal tastes.

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Ingredients

1 Teaspoon garlic powder
1 Teaspoon gound cumin
1 Teaspoon paprika
1/2 Teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 Teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 Teaspoons finely grated lemon rind
4 Chicken breasts
1 Red capsicum, sliced thinly
2 Sachet's quick cooking couscous, 100g each (I buy my couscous in a box of 4 quick cooking sachets each one serves 2, so make according to your brands directions.)
Water for boiling couscous
1-2 Teaspoons vegetable stock granules
2 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/2 Cup roasted pistachios, chopped coarsely
2 Tablespoons sultanas, chopped roughly
1/2 Cup fresh coriander, chopped coarsely

Method


1. Combine spices and rind in a bowl mix well, add chicken one breast at a time and rub spice mixture firmly into chicken. Cook chicken in a heated, oiled fry pan until browned on both sides and cooked through. Remove and set to one side.

2. In same cleaned pan add capsicum and cook for 1 minute, stirring.

3. While chicken is cooking, boil enough water to cover sachet's, with 1-2 teaspoons of chicken stock added, place sachet's in water and cook for 1-2 min's until couscous softens.

4. Cut bag open and pour into a large bowl fluff with fork, stir in juice and oil.

5. Stir in nuts, sultana's and coriander.

To Serve: Place couscous in a serving bowl, top with sliced chicken and capsicum.

All photos taken by me unless otherwise stated.

Braised Lamb Shanks with Caramelized Vegetables

Here is another lamb shank recipe, I absolutely love lamb shanks, I just don't seem to be able to buy them often here in Switzerland. This one tastes wonderful and just falls off the bone, it does not have too many ingredients but they all come together so well. I served it over mash and with roasted honeyed vegetables. I will list the recipe for the vegetables below I usually make this with parsnips, turnips and carrots but I could not get a hold of any, so I just made it with carrots and sweet potatoes instead, so use whatever vegetables you like.

If you have been keeping up with the progress of my beautiful handcrafted camphor laurel chopping, cheese boards and Mezzaluna Boards. My official site is finally finished and live so to see my full collection please click here.

Ingredients

4 Lamb shanks
Olive oil
2 Red onions, sliced thinly
1 Stick celery, chopped finely
500ml Red wine
375ml Hearty beef stock
1 Whole garlic bulb
3 Rosemary sprigs
6 Thyme sprigs
1 Bay leaf
100ml Balsamic Vinegar
2 Tablespoons cornflour

Method

1. Brown lamb shanks all over in a fry pan, remove and set to one side.

2. In a large saucepan, heat some oil, add onion and celery, cook until onion softens.

3. Add wine, stock, garlic bulb, rosemary, thyme, bay leaf and vinegar. Return lamb and bring to the boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook covered over a very low heat, for 2-21/2 hours or until lamb is falling off the bone.

4. Remove lamb and keep warm, remove garlic bulb, strain the liquid through a sieve, return liquid to pan.

5. Squeeze garlic from bulb (either use a few sheets of kitchen roll to hold the back and squeeze or place in the fridge to cool quicker.) Either blend or process sauce until smooth.

6. Mix a little water with the cornflour and add to sauce, bring to the boil and stir until mixture thickens.

Serve over mash with caramelized vegetables

Caramelized Vegetables

Ingredients

You will notice if you read the intro above I usually make this with parsnips, turnips and carrots but I could get a hold of these so I made it with carrot and sweet poatoes instead.

2 Carrots (about200g)
500g Sweet potato
2 Tablespoon olive oil
3 Tablespoons honey
4 Thyme Sprigs

Method

1. Combine all the ingredients, except thyme, in a roasting pan, coat vegetables well, place thyme sprigs on top, and roast 30-40 Min's, covered, in a pre-heated oven 180 degrees celcius or until vegetables are cooked through.

All photos taken by me unless otherwise stated.