Rotisserie chicken with taste of Morocco

#Middlbury #KitchenDiva

(Phil Curry photo)

I love using rotisserie chickens in my recipes when I’m pressed for time. Rotisserie chickens are reasonably priced, convenient, come seasoned in a variety of ways and can be transformed into a multitude of quick and easy main-dish meals. Best of all, if you purchase a plain, roasted chicken, you can use the bones to make a rich, homemade chicken stock or enhance the flavors of pre-packaged stocks or broths, so nothing goes to waste.

Most rotisserie chickens are large enough to serve at least four people as a main course. Or, you can pull the meat from the bones and use it in recipes that call for pre-cooked chicken. Shredded chicken can be used in recipes from salads, sandwiches and soups to enchiladas or chicken pot pies.

Using a pre-cooked chicken lets you explore new and unusual recipes that would ordinarily take a lot of time to prepare. This recipe for Speedy Mediterranean Chicken is ready in just 30 minutes and imparts all the exotic spices and flavors of the traditional recipe. A rotisserie chicken seasoned with lemon pepper is perfect for this dish.

Photo courtesy of Betty Crocker

The flavors used in this recipe are reminiscent of an exotic Moroccan tagine. A tagine is both a type of heavy clay pot with a domed lid and the dish that is cooked in it. Tagines typically are found in the North African cuisines of Morocco. Most Moroccan tagines combine lamb, chicken or beef with a variety of ingredients and seasonings, including citrus fruits, nuts, honey and pungent spices.

This recipe blends spicy salsa and curry powder, and adds a hint of sweetness by incorporating honey and raisins with spectacular results. Toasting the curry powder in the oil first gives this dish an authentic taste and brings out the flavors of the spice. Serve with hot cooked couscous or rice to make the most of the savory sauce that envelops the chicken.

Speedy Mediterranean Chicken

1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 jar (16 ounces) chunky salsa
1/2 cup sliced green olives
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup honey
1 deli rotisserie chicken (2 to 2 1/2 pounds), cut into 6 to 8 pieces, skin removed if desired

1. In 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Stir in curry powder. Cook over medium heat 1 minute, stirring constantly.
2. Stir in remaining ingredients except chicken. Add chicken; turn to coat.
3. Cover; cook over medium-high heat 5 to 6 minutes, turning chicken occasionally until sauce is bubbly and chicken is thoroughly heated. Makes 4 servings.
   (Recipe courtesy of Betty Crocker: www.bettycrocker.com/recipes)

Angela Shelf Medearis is an award-winning children’s author, culinary historian and the author of seven cookbooks. Her new cookbook is “The Kitchen Diva’s Diabetic Cookbook.” Her website is www.divapro.com. To see how-to videos, recipes and much, much more, Like Angela Shelf Medearis, The Kitchen Diva! on Facebook. Recipes may not be reprinted without permission from Angela Shelf Medearis.

(c) 2018 King Features Synd. Inc., and Angela Shelf Medearis