Chicken with orange-tomato couscous

The orange slices become tender after cooking – you can eat them skin and all. For a variation, substitute diced, boneless leg of lamb, for the chicken. Serve with steamed green beans or a spinach salad.

Ingredients (serves 6)

• 6 boneless, skinless free range chicken thighs, trimmed
• 1 ¼ tsp ground cinnamon, divided
• 1 ¼ tsp ground cumin, divided
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 1 420 g can diced tomatoes, with juice
• 1 420 g can chickpeas, rinsed
• 1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 4 tbsp chopped fresh coriander, divided
• 1 orange, scrubbed, halved and cut into 2 cm slices
• 1 cup whole-wheat couscous
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Method
Pat chicken thighs dry with a paper towel. Season with salt, pepper, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon cumin.

Heat one tablespoon oil in a casserole dish over medium heat. Add the chicken thighs and cook until browned, three to four minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

Add the remaining one tablespoon oil and onion to the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened, about two minutes. Add the remaining one teaspoon each of cinnamon and cumin and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and their juice, chickpeas, broth, two tablespoons coriander and orange slices; bring to a simmer, stirring with a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits. Return the chicken and any collected juice to the pan; cover and cook over medium-low heat until the chicken is cooked through, five to 10 minutes.

Transfer the chicken to a clean plate.

Bring the cooking liquid back to a boil; stir in couscous and place the chicken thighs on top of the mixture. Remove from heat, cover and let stand for five minutes before serving. Garnish with the remaining coriander.

Recipe by Kitty Morse