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Prep Time:

15 minutes, plus marinating time

Cook Time:

35-40 minutes

Serves:

Serves 4

Ras el Hanout Chicken with Persian Saffron Couscous

Ingredients

For the Chicken:

4 boneless chicken thighs and 6 boneless breast tenders (or whatever combination your family likes)

1 cup Greek yogurt

1/4 cup Ras el Hanout seasoning (salt free)

juice of 1 lemon

1 1/2 tsp salt (to taste)

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil


For the Couscous:

1 cup dried couscous

1 cup vegetable or chicken stock

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp dried cranberries

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp Ras el Hanout seasoning (salt free)

1 tsp salt

saffron threads (1/4 tsp or as many as you want to spare)




Preparation

Combine chicken, yogurt, Ras el Hanout, lemon juice, and salt in a bowl. Mix to coat chicken evenly. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours, or overnight, to marinate. When marinated, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a rimmed cookie sheet with foil. Drizzle olive oil on the foil and spread around. Remove chicken from marinade and arrange on pan, without crowding. Roast 15 minutes, then turn chicken. (If chicken is sitting in liquid, drain from pan.) Continue roasting until chicken reaches 160 degrees internal temperature or juices run clear. (Breast tenders may take less time than thighs. Monitor closely and remove when done.) Rest, covered lightly with foil, until time to serve.


While chicken is cooking...


Soften cranberries by placing them in a bowl and adding just enough boiling water to cover. Soak until the final step. Bring stock to a boil in a medium saucepan, and remove from heat. Place saffron in a small cup, and add 2 Tbsp of the boiling stock to the saffron. Soak until the final step. (This helps the saffron release its color and flavor.) Add couscous to the hot stock, stir, and cover. Let sit for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork. Drain cranberries and add them and all other ingredients to teh couscous, fluffing to combine. Avoid stirring or "mashing." 


Plate couscous and add chicken so that it rests on top--because it looks nice. Consider garnishes of lime wedges, slivered almonds, cilantro, parsley, or a few loose saffron threads. Enjoy!

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