Lunch: Moroccan Chicken Thighs

Recipe by Mark Scarbrough Inspired by North African tagines, this Moroccan chicken recipe uses skinless, boneless chicken thighs and is ready in a little over an hour. Serve the chicken over couscous, and garnish with a cilantro sprig for color.

This recipe includes superfoods such as:

Cinnamon

Health benefits of Moroccan Chicken Thighs

Cinnamon is one of the best ingredients that someone with insulin sensitivity can eat. Half a teaspoon of cinnamon per day has been shown to be very effective at normalizing blood sugar levels. Cinnamon contains hydroxychalcone, which is thought to enhance the effects of insulin. It has also been suggested that Cinnamon prevents post-meal blood sugar spikes by slowing the gastric emptying rate - meaning that food digests slowly. (Reference: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11506060).

Ingredients

1/2 teaspoon olive oil
2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs
2 cups thinly sliced yellow onion
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 (15 1/2-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
1 (7-ounce) package dried apricots (about 1 1/3 cups), halved

Instructions

Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add half of chicken to pan; cook 5 minutes, browning on all sides. Remove chicken from pan. Repeat procedure with remaining chicken.
Add onion to pan; sauté for 3 minutes or until tender. Add ginger and next 6 ingredients (through garlic); sauté for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Stir in broth, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Return chicken to pan; bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour or until chicken is tender.
Remove chicken from pan with a slotted spoon; cool slightly. Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces. Add chicken, chickpeas, and apricots to pan. Cover and simmer 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

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