Casbah Chicken and Rice

I am the worst when it comes to leftovers. No matter how good a dish was the day before, I just don't want to eat the same thing again. There are a few exceptions to this issue of mine, namely chili because chili is always better the second and third time around, but for the most part leftovers and I don't really play well together. Luckily the kids didn't inherit this problem from me so I send them off to school with the leftovers in their lunchboxes and everyone is happy.

I'm telling you about this aversion to leftovers only because I had a little break through recently. I've been making this Casbah Chicken and Rice with some frequency because it's warm, tasty, and really simple on busy weeknights - it's a really easy chicken dinner recipe. But the other day, I found myself in a hangry situation - nothing to eat and no time to remedy the empty fridge situation. I was so hangry I forced myself to reheat a leftover bowl of Casbah Chicken. And here's the thing, it was so good.

Was it this particular Casbah Chicken recipe? Was it the dire hangry situation? Was it just a fluke? Or, and this is the big question, have I been missing out on the wonderful world of leftovers? 

I can't answer these big ponderous questions yet. I haven't tried testing this new leftover breakthrough with anything else yet. Will I be able to force down a two day old bowl of broccoli soup or a microwaved plate of last night's pasta? I don't know, I really don't know. I will, however, gladly reheat a bowl of this Casbah Chicken and Rice again and again though.

It wasn't one of those situations, like chili, where I would say this tastes even better on day two, but I can certainly tell you that it tasted just as good as it did before it earned leftover status. That makes this particular chicken dinner recipe one worth sharing.

I got this recipe for Casbah Chicken and Rice at a holiday dinner party ten years ago. After I proclaimed it's deliciousness, the lovely hostess sent me home with the recipe jotted down onto an index card that I've been carrying around ever since. It is dinner in an hour with hardly any prep time and enough vegetables that it earns a healthy dinner badge. It's a back pocket kind of recipe.

With Moroccan flavors, this chicken dinner recipe tastes exotic - tasty enough for a holiday dinner party - but so easy to whip up. You can make a big pot of this to feed a crowd, or pull it out on a busy weeknight. You may even want to reheat a bowl on day two (wink).

Yield: 6

Casbah Chicken and Rice

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A delicious, simple Moroccan Chicken Dinner recipe that can be on the table in an hour!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 ½ pound chicken breasts, chopped
• 1 cup carrot, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 cup celery, chopped
• ½ cup walnuts, chopped
• zest from one orange
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons curry powder
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 (15oz) can garbanzo beans
• 1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
• ½ cup raisins
• ½ cup water
• ½ cup orange juice
• ½ cup wine

To Serve

• 4 cups cooked rice
• chopped green onions
• naan

Instructions

1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat and brown the chicken. Stir in the vegetables and nuts and saute for another 5 minutes, or until softened.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients, through the wine, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 40 minutes. Serve over prepared rice with green onions and a side of naan.