A little spicy with a nice wave of heat, Moroccan chicken is an explosion of flavors in your mouth. It is a meal unto itself and is a great way to add some pizazz to chicken. Most folks have had chicken at some point in their life unless they are vegetarian. Because chicken is eaten so often at our house I have to come up with new and creative ways to prepare it for dinner.

I was inspired to create a Moroccan chicken dish after watching a show about Moroccan foods. I was fascinated by the combination of seasonings the chefs used to to produce new flavors. Since I started blogging I have been more adventurous in trying new seasonings and combinations of foods. For this dish I stretched myself and crossed my fingers that I had not gone too far in throwing together seasonings I don’t usually use with chicken.

I have to be honest. While the Moroccan chicken was simmering on the stove my youngest son came and asked me what was that smell. He told me it smelled good and bad at the same time. He couldn’t quite explained why but said it was unusual. Not a good sign I thought to myself then told him to be patient and wait until he tasted it before he judged it. I figured it was the combination of nutmeg, cinnamon and turmeric that may have thrown him off. I just kept my fingers crossed that I was not cooking a flop.

Not to worry. Once they tasted it I saw nothing but smiles and happy faces. My hubby loved the various flavors and layers of heat. He could not pin point any one flavor he liked but enjoyed the combination of flavors. You know you have a hit when folks want to lick the plate to make sure they get every drop.

Moroccan Chicken

Ingredients:
8 – 10 boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 large onion sliced
1 can spicy diced tomatoes
2 stalks of celery sliced
4 tbsp frying olive oil or vegetable oil
1 cup lite coconut milk
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Seasonings
½ tbsp cumin
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp cayenne pepper
½ tsp turmeric
½ tbsp thyme
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp pepper

Wash chicken and season with salt and pepper. Heat frying pan with 4 tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat. Add chicken in batches and brown. Drain chicken on a paper towel and set aside.

Add onions to pan and saute until translucent. Pour off oil. Add can of diced tomatoes, garlic and 1 can of water. Add remaining seasonings then whisk in coconut milk. Add chicken to the pan and cover. Reduce heat to medium and let simmer for 10 minutes then lower heat and let simmer 30 minutes more.

Serve over angel hair pasta or rice.

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