Moroccan Chicken with Couscous

I had paid an exorbitant amount of money for a whole chicken last week and decided to get my buck's worth. So, I washed the chicken, lightly salted and peppered it and then cooked it in the crock pot for 4 hours. I allowed the chicken to cool to room temperature and then placed it in the refrigerator. The next day I ripped that sucker apart and divided the meat into three portions. One portion I froze. One portion I used to make chicken and biscuits. One portion I refrigerated. Tonight, I used the refrigerated chicken pieces to make Moroccan chicken.

The recipe that follows cooks the chicken with the stew, but either method is super tasty. If you have a picky eater in the house (like my family), this is a great way to prepare veggies! This is a modified recipe from All Recipes.com (ID#83565).

1 cup couscous
1 tbls oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 bay leaves
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp ground turmeric
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
6 chicken pieces (breasts, thighs, legs)
16 oz can garbanzo beans
16 oz can crushed tomatoes
6 c chicken broth
2 carrots, diced
1 zucchini, cubed
1 summer squash, cubed
1/2 eggplant, cubed (optional)

Prepare the couscous per package directions.

Saute the onion and carrots until the onion is tender. Mix in spices, add chicken pieces and cook until browned. Add zucchini, summer squash, and eggplant, cook additional 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, cover and simmer 25 minutes. Serve over couscous.

Homemade Mac & Cheese

So you know your favorite boxed mac & cheese? Stop buying it! I started making homemade mac & cheese a few years ago, and though I still eat the boxed stuff from time to time it is not nearly so tasty. I use cellentani pasta because it is corkscrew pasta with lines, so the cheese sticks well to it and the pasta does not become mushy. There are a few alternatives to jazz this basic recipe up. Also, the same technique applies to making fettucini alfredo if you are so inclined.

1 lb Cellentani pasta
1 1/2 c sharp cheddar cheese
2 tbls butter (not margarine)
2 tbls flour
2 c milk
1/4 tsp ground mustard
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 c diced onion (optional)

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile in a medium sauce pan over medium heat, saute onions in butter until translucent. Add flour to pan and stir to combine, allowing the flour to cook for 1-2 minutes. Gradually add the milk and continue stirring until the milk is thick and bubbly. Stir in cheese, ground mustard, and pepper. When pasta is al dente drain, but do not rinse, and return to pot on stove. Allow the excess liquid to cook off in the hot pot. Stir cheese mixture into pasta. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

To make this a hearty meal you can add diced ham, then pour the mac & cheese into a buttered casserole dish. Melt 2 tbls butter and stir into 1 cup panko bread crumbs. Top mac & cheese with bread crumbs and bake in 375F oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.

Pear and Blueberry Crisp

As you may know, I enjoy cooking. My mom gets the credit for my possession of this fine attribute. Love ya, Mom! I decided to post some of my favorite recipes for you to enjoy. For the most part, they are simple and easy. Most of the time, they'll probably be what I ate for breakfast, dinner, or dessert. As a side note, if the recipe is not original I will make every effort to give credit to my source, but I cannot make any promises.

For dessert tonight I made a pear blueberry crisp using pears, since they are in season, and frozen blueberries. The blueberry oatmeal intensifies the blueberry flavor and adds a little extra texture to the crisp. Let me know if you like it. Enjoy!

1 1/2 cups blueberries
4 pears, peeled and diced
1/4 tsp almond extract
2 tbls cold butter
1 tbls sugar
1/2 tbls tapioca (optional)
3/4 c flour
1/4 c brown sugar
1/4 c sugar
2 packages blueberries & cream instant oatmeal (or plain oatmeal)

Preheat oven to 375F. Butter a 1 qt baking dish, add diced pears, blueberries, almond extract, 1 tbls sugar and tapioca. Mix to combine. In small bowl combine flour, brown sugar, sugar, and oatmeal. Cut in butter until crumbly. Top fruit with crisp mixture and gently pat down. Bake until golden brown and bubbly, approximately 35 min.

Notes: I did not use almonds in the topping, but they would be yummy. This recipe uses a fine crisp top due to extra flour, you could reduce the flour by 1/4 cup if you desire. The tapioca is not necessary, but it acts as a thickener. If you do not have tapioca, sprinkle some flour in with the fruit. The ingredient measurements are approximate, since I do not measure out ingredients for simple desserts. I urge you to experiment :)