sweet 'n savory

I love mixing sweet and savory flavors together - like dipping sausage in maple syrup, pairing pretzels with ice cream, brown sugar in my turkey chili...the list goes on. Tagine dishes are slow cooked and combine flavors like raisin, cinnamon, cumin, vegetables, olives, etc. They are aromatic and delicious. This chicken tagine cooked all afternoon on Sunday and resulted in an easy and tasty dinner.

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 zucchini, peeled and cubed
5 chicken thighs, bone-in
2 onions, chopped
4 large carrots, chopped in chunks
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into bite sized chunks
1 yellow squash, peeled and cubed
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
2 cups chicken stock
2 tbsp. tomato paste
2 tbsp. lemon juice
2 1/2 tbsp. flour
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. pepper

Heat olive oil in a pan, place the chicken pieces in the pan and cook until chicken is browned but not cooked all the way through. Lightly Pam the inside of the slow cooker. Place browned chicken  inside and layer the zucchini, squash, onion, carrots, sweet potatoes, raisins and apricots over the chicken.  Whisk together the remaining ingredients, pour the broth into the crock pot.  Cook on high for 5 hours or low for 8 hours.  Serve with couscous if desired. Top with fresh parsley.