Moroccan Chicken Stew

Several months after I asked for crockpot recipes from friends, I'm finally following up and posting some I received. Here's one from my dear friend, Emily, who is an excellent cook. I have yet to try it, but maybe if I post it here, I will make it some day soon!

Emily's notes:

I got this recipe out of the December 07 issue of "Better Homes and Gardens" and I made it for Lukas for Valentine's Day. It was delicious! A very good blend of spices....made the house smell wonderful.

Ingredients:

4 carrots, peeled and sliced

2 large onions, halved and thinly sliced

3 lb. meaty chicken pieces (breast halves, thighs, and drumsticks), skinned

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup dried apricots, coarsely chopped

14-oz. can chicken broth

1/4 cup tomato paste

2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1 1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

Hot cooked couscous

Pine nuts, toasted

Fresh cilantro (optional)

Preparation:

In a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker place carrots and onions. Sprinkle chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add to cooker; top chicken with raisins and apricots. In bowl whisk broth, tomato paste, flour, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, ginger, cinnamon, and 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper. Add to cooker. Cover; cook on low-heat setting for 6 1/2 to 7 hours or on high-heat setting for 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Serve in bowls with couscous. Sprinkle with nuts. Garnish with cilantro.

The only variation I would make to this recipe is to add the raisins and apricots halfway or later in the cooking process as opposed to the beginning with the chicken. They were somewhat leeched of color and flavor and I would have preferred them to be more chewy. Also, I used chopped macadamian nuts instead of pinenuts because pinenuts were $6.99 for a small bag at my local grocery store. However, I did see pinenuts later at Wal-mart for a lot cheaper (still expensive though). Don't forget the cilantro...the cilantro adds a nice fresh flavor to this dish!