Chargrilled Moroccan Chicken, Sprouting Broccoli and Couscous Salad

For some reason, this recipe feels closer in style to something I would've cooked a couple of years ago. Only one dish is needed to create a satisfying meal that's full of flavor. The original recipe calls for cooking the chicken on a griddle pan and then slicing it once it's cool. I opted for pre-slicing the chicken and pan-frying for a slightly quicker meal, albeit minus delicious char marks. Of course, I don't own a griddle pan and don't know many people who do. I also doubled the amount of broccoli included in the recipe below.

One year ago: Butter Lettuce and Clementine Salad with Brown Butter Dressing
Three years ago: Gorgonzola Drop Biscuits

Chargrilled Moroccan Chicken, Sprouting Broccoli and Couscous Salad (from Mighty Spice)

Ingredients
1/3 cup almonds, toasted
500g boneless, skinless chicken thighs, sliced into 1" strips
3/4 cup couscous
1 1/2 cups roughly chopped sprouting broccoli
2 large handfuls mint leaves, roughly chopped
juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
Spice Paste
1 garlic clove
1 red chili
1" piece ginger, roughly chopped
1 handful mint leaves, roughly chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp turmeric
juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp sea salt

1. Put all spice paste ingredients in food processor and blend until smooth.
2. Place chicken in bowl and add paste. Mix well. Cover and marinate 30 minutes - overnight.
3. Pour couscous into a large mixing bowl. Pour 1 cup of warm water over, cover, and let stand 10 minutes or until tender.
4. Heat a skillet over high heat. Cook chicken. Set aside.
5. Meanwhile, bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Add broccoli and cook until tender, 3 - 4 minutes. Drain and shock with cold water.
6. Add chicken, broccoli, almonds, mint, lemon juice, and oil to couscous. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.

Moroccan Spice-Rubbed Lamb Shoulder Chops

I was thrilled when I picked up our meat CSA box to discover not just the ground lamb I had specifically ordered, but two bonus cuts of lamb. I thought the lamb shoulder chops might be a good for a quick heat on the grill, but luckily, I checked my recipe archive instead and discovered they're much better suited to a long braise. I must admit that I was a bit skeptical of the idea of cooking such a small piece of meat for more than an hour, but the unbelievably tender results were well worth it. This recipe shines with a bit of planning ahead for the rub, but requires very little effort.

One year ago: White Chocolate and Raspberry Tartlets
Three years ago: Tomato and Olive Penne

Moroccan Spice-Rubbed Lamb Shoulder Chops (from All About Braising)
Ingredients
Spice Rub
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1/4 tsp coriander seeds
1/4 tsp black peppercorns
1/4 tsp allspice berries
3/4 tsp coarse salt
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
pinch of ground turmeric
pinch of cayenne
Braise
4 bone-in lamb shoulder chops, at least 3/4" thick
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 large yellow onion (8 ounces), sliced 1/3" thick
large pinch saffron
coarse salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup lamb, veal, or chicken stock
pepper

1. Combine fennel, coriander, peppercorns, and allspice in skillet. Toast until fragrant, 3 - 4 minutes. Grind to coarse powder. Add remaining rub ingredients.
2. Dust lamb with rub on both sides. Lay on plate and cover with plastic. Refrigerate 12 - 24 hours.
3. Heat oven to 300F.
4. Melt 1 tbsp of butter in large ovenproof skillet. Add chops and brown well on both sides, turning once, 5 minutes per side. Transfer to plate.
5. Lower heat to medium-low and add remaining tbsp of butter. Add onion and coat with butter.
6. Sprinkle saffron onto onion, season with salt, and cook until onions have softened, 8 - 10 minutes.
7. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
8. Add stock, increase heat to medium-high, and simmer. Deglaze pan. Simmer 3 - 4 minutes.
9. Return lamb chops to pan and spoon onion on top. Place parchment over pan and cover with lid. Cook for 1 hour 20 minutes, turning after 30 minutes.
10. Transfer chops to plate and cover with foil. Reduce sauce. Serve chops with onion sauce on top.