Apricot Chicken Stew

This is a special recipe I've been working on for some time now. It is a crock-pot adaptation of one of the very first Martha Stewart recipes I ever made for myself and my grandmother. Actually, it's an adaptation of an adaptation, since in deference to some dietary restrictions of my grandmother's delicate digestive system, I had to replace the onions with shallots, and couldn't add the bell-peppers at all.

You'll find it's has a great middle-eastern flair, and I always serve it with jalapeno cheese bread. My roommate enjoys it a great deal, and specifically asked that I make up a batch today in fact.

You'll need a 5 quart crock-pot for this dish, and I recommend you buy the crock-pot liners, to make clean-up a snap.

Apricot Chicken Stew

• 2 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs*, quartered
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large white onion, chopped
• 1 red, 1 yellow, and 1 green bell-pepper seeded and chopped
• 1 large clove of garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 lbs small, ripe apricots (about 10 to 12) pitted and quartered
• 3/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 box (11 oz) whole wheat couscous
• 1 can (14 1/2 oz) chicken stock
• 3/4 cups slivered almonds
• 1/2 lbs sliced mushrooms

1. Place chopped onions and bell-peppers in bottom of crock-pot
2. Add apricots
3. Add salt, pepper, garlic and spices
4. Add couscous and slivered almonds
5. Add chicken
6. Pour chicken broth, olive oil and honey over top
7. Add mushrooms and cover
8. Cook on low for 8 hours, stirring thoroughly after 6 hours, 7 hours, and right again before serving.

This makes about 8 or so servings (unless you're a total glutton).

As always, eat and enjoy.

*Try this little trick: Freeze your chicken and let slightly thaw before quartering. The chicken should still be slightly frozen, but thawed enough that a sharp knife can still slice through it. This makes quartering the chicken a LOT easier and less messy.