Spicy Chicken with Dates & Butternut Squash
I’m working on some baby gifts, that I can’t reveal yet, so I thought I’d post a recipe :). This recipe is by Rachel Ray and it goes well with both couscous and rice. It’s a sweet dish and my versions never turned out even close to spicy, but I really like it and so does the hubby! :)
Ingredients (for 4 servings)
- 1 butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds), seeded, peeled and cut into bite-sized cubes
- 4 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
- Salt and ground black pepper
- 2 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts and thighs, chopped
- 1 large onion, quartered and sliced
- 12 dried pitted dates, coarsely chopped (~ 1 cup)
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 1 tablespoon ground turmeric
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 1/2 cup (a large handful) cilantro or flat-leaf parsley leaves, roughly chopped
Preparation
– While the squash is working, place a large, high-sided skillet over medium-high heat with 2 turns of the pan of EVOO, about 2 tablespoons. Add the chicken to the pan, season with salt and pepper and cook until golden brown and almost cooked through, 6-7 minutes.
– Add the onion, dates, spices, bay leaf and cinnamon stick to the pan, and continue cooking until onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the pan and cook for about 1 minute. Add the stock to the pan and bring up to a bubble. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until thickened and dates are plump, 5-6 minutes.
– Remove and discard the bay leaf and cinnamon stick from the stew. Stir in the roasted butternut squash. Garnish with the cilantro or parsley and serve with Citrus Couscous alongside.
Oo, sounds nice! I like sweet main courses.