Our weekend was wonderful. Our BBQ Friday was delicious and the wedding on Saturday was a wonderful celebration with friends and then a little “go out” with some friends afterwards to Crave. I enjoyed a very delicious martini that evening. J Sunday was our first house showing and then we were surprised with another one right after. Both went well. I made cookies for the people coming to look at the house and they ate them! I was really excited.

 

After our walk with Argos and the house showing, Beau and I settled in for the evening. I started dinner while he sat in the kitchen and talked to me. We had a nice cocktail and relaxed. We ate a delicious dinner with a wonderful bottle of wine and watched a movie. Sunday nights are wonderful.

 

The wine? It’s a new brand that one of Beau’s docs told us about. It’s $4 and really good. It’s a very bold, full-bodied wine. Very good. And I made one of my favorites, Moroccan Chicken with Chickpeas and Almonds.

 

Moroccan Chicken with Chickpeas and Almonds

 

1 c whole almonds

4 chicken legs (drumstick and thigh)

2 T clarified butter or smen

Salt

Pepper

3-4 saffron threads

¼ tsp turmeric

1 cinnamon stick

½ tsp ground ginger

½ c minced yellow onion

2 c sliced yellow onion

½ c cooked chick peas

4 c chicken broth

¼ c chopped flat-leaf parsley

2 tsp lemon juice

Couscous

 

Place almonds in a small saucepan and add enough water to cover them. bring them to a gentle simmer over low heat, cover and immediately take off the heat. Let them soak for 1 hour.

 

Crush saffron threads together with turmeric. Heat butter in casserole or tagine over medium high heat until hot but not smoking. Season chicken with salt and pepper and sear in hot butter.

 

Add ½ of saffron/turmeric mixture, ginger and cinnamon stick to butter mixture (you may  need to add more butter) and sauté, stirring constantly, until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Add minced onion and sauté, stirring, about 6 minutes.

 

Add chicken, along with juices, sliced onion and chick peas to casserole. Add enough chicken broth to barely cover chicken. Cover the casserole and braise over very low heat for 50-60 minutes.

 

Drain almonds and add them to the sauce, along with parsley and remaining saffron/turmeric mixture. Simmer the sauce long enough to heat the almonds, 1-2 minutes. Season to taste with lemon juice and salt and pepper.

 

*I serve this over couscous. J