Spiced Chicken and Cinnamon Onions on Couscous

By flavorofvanilla

Spiced chicken and sauce, served on a bed of couscous and topped with cinnamon-spiced onions.

Ingredients

• Cinnamon onions:
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 medium sweet onions, chopped
• 1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar (packed)
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• Spiced chicken:
• 1 medium sweet onion, roughly chopped
• Juice of 2 lemons
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 3/4 teaspoon ginger
• 3/4 teaspoon paprika
• 5 thinly sliced chicken breasts
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups diced tomatoes (1 can)
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 handful cilantro, chopped
• 2 cups couscous

Preparation

Step 1

Cinnamon onions:
Heat the olive oil in a heavy (I prefer cast-iron) skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onions and saute, stirring every 5 minutes, until browned. Add the sugar and cinnamon, and continually stir for an additional 5 minutes, or until the onions are soft. Scrape out of the skillet and set aside.


Spiced chicken:
In a food processor, add the onion, lemon juice, cumin, ginger, and paprika. Turn the processor on to high, until all the ingredients are puréed. Pour this marinade into a plastic bag, and add the chicken. Squeeze out any excess air and place in the refrigerator for 30-90 minutes. Heat the olive oil in a large non-reactive skillet (not cast iron - the tomatoes will react with it) over medium-high heat. Remove the chicken from marinade and cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes on each side. Remove the chicken from skillet and pour in the marinade. Add the diced tomatoes and broth, and boil until thickened. Return chicken and braise until cooked (cut into the thickest part of each chicken to make sure there's no remaining pink). Remove chicken and set aside. Add cilantro and continue cooking sauce, stirring frequently, until thickened to an almost paste-like consistency. Pour the sauce into a separate bowl. Prepare couscous according to package directions.

Spoon out a bed of forked couscous, a bit over 1/3 c. for each serving. Add a spiced chicken breast, and spoon on some sauce. Add the cinnamon onions, and sprinkle with cilantro for presentation.