Moroccan Chicken Couscous

A few years ago I had given this recipe to a friend and she recently told me that she makes it all the time and it is one of her family's favorites.   So I decided to dig it out and try it out again.   It is pretty delicious, though it reminds me a lot of Tuscan Chicken Artichoke recipe I posted in October, just with a Moroccan flare instead of Tuscan.   


I'll post the recipe how it is written, but I ended up throwing all of the ingredients except the zucchini and couscous in the crockpot cooking on low for 6 hours.  I doubled the amount of spices for crockpot cooking.  I threw the zucchini in 30 minutes before dinner and let it cook up.   I then took all of the ingredients out of the crockpot with a slotted spoon so all of the juice was still in the crockpot.   I then dumped the box of couscous in the crockpot and let it cook up which took about 5 minutes.   Then I poured the couscous into the bowl of chicken and mixed it all up together, which made for one pot cooking (ya easy clean-up).


Moroccan Chicken Couscous

8 bone-in skinless chicken thighs (about 2 1/2 pounds)  I used bone-in thighs the first time I made this recipe, but prefer boneless chicken cut in chunks,...makes life so much simpler.
3 carrots, cut into 1 1/2" chunks
3 onions, thinly sliced  I think 1 onion is plenty, but if you want to be onion happy, go ahead
1 (14 oz) can whole tomatoes, drained   I used diced since you chopped them up anyway
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon chili powder
Coarse salt and fresh ground pepper
2 zucchini halved crosswise and quartered lengthwise
1 box couscous

In a dutch oven (or other 5 quart pot with a tight fitting lid), combine the chicken, carrots, onions, tomatoes, chickpeas, stock, 3/4 cup water, the ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, chili powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.  Break up the tomatoes with a spoon.

Bring to a simmer over medium heat.  Cover, and cook for 15 minutes.   Add the zucchini, and cook until the chicken is cooked through, yet still tender, about 15 minutes more.

Follow box directions for cooking couscous.  Divide the couscous evenly among 4 bowls.   Spoon the chicken, vegetables, and broth on top.  Serve immediately.