Brick Chicken With Apricot Couscous Food

APRICOT COUSCOUS

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan add a 2 count of extra-virgin olive oil. Add the red onion, apricots and almonds and saute gently over low heat until translucent and slightly fragrant. Add the couscous then dump in the warm chicken broth. Stir with a fork to combine, add lemon zest and cover. Let sit for 10 minutes, then uncover and add the scallions, mint, and cilantro. Fluff again with a fork. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Toss gently to combine.
• Serve family-style on a large platter and garnish with fresh cilantro.

APRICOT-DIJON MUSTARD CHICKEN WITH COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Combine apricot necar and mustard in a large skillet; bring to a boil. Add chicken; cover, reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, bring chicken broth to a boil in a medium saucepan; stir in couscous. Cover, remove from heat, and let stand 5 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.
• Turn chicken, cover and simmer an additional 5 to 8 minutes or until done.
• Place couscous on a serving platter and place chicken on top of it, reserving the cooking liquid in skillet. Keep couscous and chicken warm.
• Bring the reserved cooking liquid in the skillet to a boil; cook uncovered about 10 minutes or until it is reduced to one cup. Spoon the sauce over the chicken; sprinkle with minced basil.

APRICOT CHICKEN I

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Place the chicken pieces in a 4 quart casserole dish. Mix the soup mix, dressing and jam together, and pour over the chicken.
• Cover dish and bake for 1 hour in preheated oven.

CHICKEN AND APRICOT STEW WITH COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot, but not smoking. Add the chicken, and cook until browned, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons oil.
• Reduce heat to medium; add onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 7 minutes. Add garlic; saute briefly. Add apricots, cinnamon, saffron, ginger, coriander, 2/3 cup water, and 2 tablespoons honey; season with salt.
• Return chicken to skillet; bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook until chicken is cooked through and liquid is thickened, 45 to 50 minutes. (If sauce has not thickened, transfer chicken to a platter and place it into an oven preheated to 200 degrees to keep warm. Reduce sauce to desired consistency.) Add remaining 2 tablespoons honey and salt to taste. Pour over chicken on platter.
• Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, bring stock to a boil. Place couscous and butter in a medium bowl. Pour stock over couscous; cover with plastic wrap. Let stand until the couscous absorbs all the stock, about 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork, and season with salt. Stir in almonds. Serve couscous with chicken, and garnish with sesame seeds.

HERBY CHICKEN WITH APRICOTS AND FETA

Steps:

• Combine the first 5 ingredients; sprinkle over chicken. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Brown chicken in batches; return all to skillet. Add onion, apricot and dates; cook 5 minutes longer. Stir in stock and lemon juice; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, until a thermometer reads 170°, 5-7 minutes. Uncover and top with feta and green onions. If desired, serve with couscous.

MOROCCAN CHICKEN WITH APRICOT COUSCOUS AND GREEN OLIVE SAUCE

Steps:

• To prepare the Moroccan Spice Mix for the Chicken: Combine the cinnamon stick, cloves, cayenne, cumin, fennel, coriander, and paprika in a dry skillet over low heat and toast for just a minute to release the fragrant oils; shake the pan so they don't scorch. In a spice mill or clean coffee grinder, grind the toasted spices together, with 1 1/2 teaspoons of kosher salt and the brown sugar. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Rinse the chicken with cool water, inside and out, then pat it dry with paper towels. Massage the chicken skin with the spice rub; make sure you don't miss a spot. Season the inside of the chicken generously with salt and pepper. Stuff the lemons halves, cilantro, and garlic in the cavity and place the chicken in a roasting pan fitted with a rack. Fold the wing tips under the bird and tie the legs together with kitchen string. Drizzle the oil all over the chicken. If you have time, let the chicken marinate for 30 minutes to really get the flavors down deep into the meat. Roast the chicken for 1 hour; pop an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh; if it reads 160 degrees F, it's done. Allow the chicken to rest for 10 minutes so the juices can settle back into the meat. Remove and discard the skin from the chicken. Pull the chicken from the bone and shred the meat, with your fingers or 2 forks. Put the shredded chicken in a large bowl and squeeze the lemon halves that have cooked inside the bird over the meat to moisten.
• To prepare the Apricot Couscous: Put the couscous in a medium bowl; pour the water over it, stir with a fork to combine. Cover and let sit for 10 to 15 minutes, then uncover and fluff with a fork. Put the apricots, almonds, green onions, mint, and cilantro on a cutting board and coarsely chop everything up; add this to the couscous. Add lemon juice, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Toss gently to combine.
• To prepare the Green Olive Sauce: In a small skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Saute the shallots and chile over low heat for 8 minutes until caramelized, then scrape into a food processor. Add the olives, parsley, vinegar, lemon juice, and 1/2 cup of oil; puree a good 3 minutes until totally smooth.
• To put the whole thing together: put the shredded chicken and couscous on the lavosh bread, add a few spoonfuls of the olive sauce, and roll the sandwich up. Wrap in foil and take the sandwich to a picnic, if desired.

SKILLET CHICKEN WITH APRICOTS AND CAPERS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a large straight-sided, oven-safe skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Cook chicken until golden brown, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
• Add onion and saute until translucent, about 4 minutes. Stir in couscous, apricots, and capers and cook until couscous is lightly toasted, 3 minutes. Add broth and bring to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper. Add chicken, skin side up, and transfer to oven. Bake until couscous is tender and chicken is cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve with cilantro.