Quick Chicken & Apricot Couscous
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Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 12 mins+ soaking
This one-pot couscous is packed with hunks of organic chicken breast and sweet dried apricots, stirred with tender spinach leaves and flavoured with a kick of North African spice thanks to a generous dash of ras al hanut.
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558 kcal
(per portion)
Ingredients you'll need
  • 250g chicken breast mini fillets
  • 1 onion
  • 1 lemon
  • 50g dried apricots
  • 2 tsp ras al hanut
  • 150g wholewheat couscous
  • 100g baby leaf spinach
From your kitchen
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • Sea salt
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • 300ml boiling water
You'll need
  • Medium pan with lid
  • Measuring jug
  • Baking tray (optional)
Step by step this way
  • 1.

    Fill your kettle and boil it. Chop the chicken breast mini fillets into bite-sized chunks. Put a mediumsized pan on a medium heat for 1 min, then add ½ tbsp olive oil and the chicken. Fry for 4-5 mins, turning once or twice, till the chicken is browned all over.

  • 2.

    While the chicken fries, peel and finely chop the onion. When the chicken has browned, add another ½ tbsp oil to the pan with the onion (keep the chicken in the pan). Season with a good pinch of salt and pepper. Fry, stirring often, for 5 mins till the onion looks glossy.

  • 3.

    Finely grate the zest from the lemon. Roughly chop the dried apricots.

  • 4.

    Tip the chopped dried apricots into the pan. Add the lemon zest and 2 tsp ras al hanut. Cook, stirring, for 1 min, then tip in the couscous and stir.

  • 5.

    Pour in 300ml boiling water from your kettle. Stir to mix, bring up to the boil and then pop on a lid (or use a baking tray if you don’t have a lid) and turn the heat off. Set the pan aside for 5-6 mins till the couscous has absorbed the water and become tender.

  • 6.

    Fork the baby leaf spinach into the pan to just wilt it. Squeeze in the juice from half the lemon. Taste and add a pinch more salt and pepper or a squeeze more lemon juice if you think it needs it. Divide between 2 warm plates and serve with the remaining lemon, sliced into wedges for squeezing.

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