Date Night Dinners - Moroccan Stew

12/26/2014 tringel 0 Comments

Moroccan inspired food seems to be popping up everywhere I turn: stews, soups, and chicken. Considering my mild obsession with these flavors I have fully embraced the trend. Brenden and I even tried our own version of Moroccan chicken and were thrilled with how it came out, so thrilled in fact, that I have told my whole family about it, resulting in me being "forced" to make it again and again for them to try. Oh darn.



This week when I tried another Moroccan flavor infused recipe at one of our favorite lunch spots, I was inspired to make a version at home, and what better a time to try then for date night. Don't worry guys, we used an actual recipe this time! Sometimes we really do learn from our mistakes.

We found a few recipes that sounded good and took inspiration from them all, but stuck to one main recipe as our base. It worked out surprisingly great for us, especially because there is a 50/50 chance we will have terrible luck with our resulting dish. Is anyone else thinking we should be nominated for Worst Cooks in America yet? Just kidding...maybe.


Anywho, this soup was just what I was looking for. It had an array of flavors that made my mouth and tummy so very happy. After a first taste, I was worried it was going to be way to spicy for me, although Brenden thought it was perfect. However, once we added the lemon juice at the end, the heat was really toned down. You still got that spicy kick with every bite, but the flavors were much more balanced and enjoyable without having to chug a glass of water after each spoonful.



Moroccan Chicken and Bean Soup
Recipe adapted from livinglou.com, Moroccan Chicken Soup and myrecipes.com, Moroccan Chickpea Stew

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb bonesless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and diced
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 medium carrots, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1.5 tsp ground cumin
• 1.5 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp turmeric
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1-15.5 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup white beans
• 1-28 oz can crushed tomatoes
• 7 cups vegetable broth
• 2.5 Tbsp lemon juice

Directions

1. In a skillet, over medium heat, cook the chicken for about 6 minuted on each side, or until seared and browned on the outside.
2. Remove from skillet, dice and set aside. Note: If the chicken is still a little pink in the middle it is okay, it will cook some more when it is added back to the soup broth.
3. In a large pot, heat oil on medium high heat.
4. Add the onion and carrots to the pan, string occasionally until onions begin to soften, about 7 minutes.
5. Add the garlic, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, turmeric, and cayenne pepper, stirring until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
6. Add the cooked chicken, chickpeas, white beans, crushed tomatoes, and vegetable broth to the pot, combining thoroughly.
7. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer partially covered for 30-35 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked.
8. Stir in the lemon juice.
9. Taste and adjust spices if desired and/or serve and enjoy.