Moroccan-Spiced Chicken

Moroccan-Spiced Chicken

Serves 4-6

When I think casserole I think mushy and white. I was flipping through Diana Henry’s cookbook Simple, Effortless Food, Big Flavors and found this fabulous recipe. I made some changes based on what I have in the house and what foods make me feel best.

I encourage you to be creative in the kitchen. Want to go grain free, cut out the millet, want to make it vegetarian replace the chicken with garbanzo beans. This is exactly the kind of recipe that lends itself to substitutes (and leftovers).

Ingredients

1 cup millet

1 large onion coarsely chopped

3 chopped zucchini

3 garlic cloves chopped

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 pinch of crushed red peppers flakes

the zest and juice of one orange

6 skin-on bone-in chicken thighs

6 dates pitted and roughly chopped

2.5 cups hot water

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons chopped unsalted pistachio nuts

 

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Put the rice (millet) in the bottom of an oven-safe pan. I used a cast-iron casserole. Pick one that is big enough for all of the ingredients in a single layer.

Add everything else to the pan, except the oil, pistachio nuts, and salt. Mix everything up. Add the chicken skin side up and sprinkle with salt.

Drizzle with the olive oil. Bake uncovered for 40 minutes or until the chicken is golden and cooked through.

Scatter with the pistachio nuts and serve with a green salad.