North African Spiced Chicken with Zucchini & Raisin-Sunflower Quinoa

Tangy, spiced marinated chicken and zucchini served with sweet and crunchy raisin-sunflower couscous.
Using a delicious homemade spice blend not only adds oodles of flavor to recipes, but can be used in place of higher sodium premixed spice blends and can save you lots of money! Check your grocery store for a bulk spice section and check out the tip section on the back for East Side Table Ras El Hanout spice blend recipe.
These healthy North African chicken bowls are a great way to get a balance of protein, vegetables, dairy, healthy grains and flavor ! It is important that all meals in our day have a good, healthy balance.

Cooking Terms

  • Sear

    To cook the surface of meat very quickly with intense heat.

  • Mince

    To cut a food into very small pieces.

  • Deglaze

    To dissolve the small particles of sautéed meat left in a pan by adding liquid and heating, then scraping pieces off the bottom of pan.

Ingredients

  • 1 each Lemon
  • 10 sprig Parsley
  • 4 oz Raisins
  • 2 oz Sunflower seeds
  • 6 each Garlic cloves
  • 2 each Zucchinis
  • 1.5 cup Quinoa
  • 2 tbsp Ras al Hanout
  • 4 each Chicken breast

From Your Home

Salt
Black pepper
Olive or canola oil

What You Need

Small pot
Large pan
Small bowl

Per Serving

Calories: 420

Carbs: 55

Fat: 12

Protein: 30

Tips

  • Ras al Hanout Spice Blend

    You can buy pre-mixed spices pretty much anywhere BUT blending your own allows you to make sure there is no added salt.
    Ras al Hanout:

    1 ½ tsp. coriander seeds
    ¾ tsp. cumin seeds
    ½ tsp. crushed chili flakes
    1 ¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
    1 tsp. paprika
    ½ tsp. ground cardamom
    ½ tsp. ground ginger
    ½ tsp. ground turmeric

    Besides the incredible ability to flavor things up, chili flakes are a great source of antioxidants (Vitamin C and carotenoids) that can help improve insulin regulation.

  • Vegetarian

    The North African Spiced Chicken can easily be made vegetarian  by substituting tofu for chicken.  Tofu is less expensive and better for your heart health.  Choose extra firm tofu and always drain it and press between two plates to squeeze out the extra liquid.

  • Adding More Vegetables

    Want to add more vegetables to this recipe?  We recommend sweet peppers, yellow or summer squash, carrots, radishes, or spring turnips.  Aim for having 2 cups of chopped vegetables total. Double your marinade portion for each additional cup of vegetables.

  • Homemade Vegetable Stock

    Save your parsley stems in a freezer bag with your garlic clove skins, onion skins and ends, carrot tops/bottoms/peels, celery leaves and ends, and other scraps for making your own no-cost vegetable or meat stocks.

  • Zesting

    Remember to zest your citrus before juicing.  You can save the zest for future recipes by freezing it in small bags or ice cube trays.  Frozen and fresh zest are better than dried zest.

  • Citrus and Pepper Blend

    A simple use for zest is a citrus and pepper blend.  Use equal parts zest and kosher salt (or half if using granulated table salt), add a pinch or two of garlic or onion powder, 1 teaspoon ground pepper, and ½ teaspoon cayenne (optional).  Use on roasted vegetables or in salad dressings and soups.

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Steps

Mise En Place

Read through entire recipe before getting started. Wash and dry all produce. Zest lemon; cut in half, then juice. Mince parsley. Mince or grate garlic. Remove root from zucchini, slice into ¼” rounds. Remove chicken from package; rinse, pat dry and cut into ½” cubes.

Marinate Chicken

Add 1 Tbsp. lemon juice, ras al hanout, half parsley, 2 tsp lemon zest, diced chicken, a pinch of salt and pepper and 2 Tbsp. oil together in a small bowl. Mix until combined and evenly seasoned.

Cook the Quinoa

Bring 1 cup water to boil in a small pot over medium heat. Add quinoa, cover and turn heat off. Allow to cook for 8-10 min. While quinoa is cooking, begin to sear chicken (Step #4).

Sear the Chicken

Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in large pan over medium heat. Remove chicken from marinade (reserve marinade), add chicken to pan and sear until lightly browned, about 3-4 min per side. Add zucchini, marinade liquid and ¼ cup water to deglaze the pan. Simmer 1-2 min until flavors have dissolved into the liquid.

USDA recommends cooking chicken to an internal temperature of 165ºF.

Finish the Quinoa

Fluff quinoa with a fork. Add sunflower seeds, other half parsley and raisins; mix well. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Plate Your Dish

Divide quinoa between two bowls. Top with chicken, zucchini and plenty of pan drippings. Mix together before eating. Enjoy!