Roast Chicken with Couscous, Raisin and Almond Stuffing (Djaj M’Ammar Bil Kesksou)

I recently matter-of-factly told someone over tacos that chicken was at the bottom of the meat totem pole. What I meant was that chicken is not something I ever really order at a restaurant (the exception being fried chicken, of course) because, well, it’s boring and for the most part tasteless. Hot take! I still mostly stand by my assessment, but this week as I was organizing upcoming recipes to post, I noticed that every non-vegetarian dish I have on the list is…chicken.

I gave some thought as to why that might be, and I think the reasons align nicely with the (very loose) food resolutions I’ve made this year. (My real 2020 resolution is to be able to do one pull-up, but that’s a story for another day.) In terms of food, I’ve got three focus areas for the year. First, I’m thinking about my carbon footprint and sustainability. I really never thought I’d be one to say this, but I’ve been listening to interviews and reading a lot of research about the importance of eating less meat, and I’m on board. In recent years, I haven’t been a huge meat eater (I love it but my body doesn’t crave it that much, and if I eat meat for one meal a day that’s a lot for me). But if we ALL ate meat for one meal a day instead of 3, or 5 days a week instead of 7, or ate meats with a smaller carbon footprint (like chicken vs. beef) we’d all be doing a huge amount to reverse the environmental catastrophe we’re careening towards. There’s one point for chicken.

My second resolution is around healthier food choices, which is very boring and probably every other person’s resolution who made one. I’ve gotten a lot of mileage out of being anti-diet and shouting all over town that I eat whatever I want. And I guess that’s partially still true- if I’m on vacation or get a major reservation, I will certainly put down a 14-course tasting menu like a champ. But as I’m nearing my mid-30s, I’m finding that feeling healthy means thinking more about what’s going in my mouth day to day, and for me that means more vegetables, more fruit and more lean proteins. Like chicken! (Still prefer dark meat over breast though!)

And last…MONEY! As in, being smarter about spending it. I’m putting more thought into what I’m buying at the grocery store and getting more creative to ensure that less gets wasted and fewer unnecessary dollars get spent just because I decided that I’d make three dishes that require mail-order ingredients in one weekend. I’m actually having fun making a budget for weekly grocery shopping and finding ways to stay within it while ensuring I’m both getting the nutrition I need and actually looking forward to eating the stuff I’m making. And that means…also chicken!

So that, readers, is a very long-winded way of saying, “here’s some chicken that’s not boring.” This one hits a really nice note, like a lot of Moroccan food does, between sweet and savory, and it’s served on a nutty couscous that’s the perfect accompaniment. The chicken is brushed with oil, lemon, ground ginger, cinnamon and honey and gets super caramelized in the oven. The couscous has a similar flavor profile, with the addition of orange blossom water (don’t worry- it’s subtle) and raisins. And, obviously, butter. I served this with a side of carrots cooked in garlic and cumin and it was a killer dinner (and lunch!)

And so, here’s to 2020. Let’s make it a year full of really tasty food, kindness to ourselves and others and, above all, BALANCE.