When looking for a quick meal idea, I often turn to Everyday Food. In the December issue, there is a recipe for Chicken with Dates. I have to admit, I haven’t used dates very much at all, so I was a little unsure, but the recipe sounds a lot like another Moroccan chicken dish I have made in the past with dried prunes, so gave it a try. I used skinless boneless chicken breasts for this – the recipe says to use actual whole chicken parts.

You’re supposed to do this in a Dutch oven but I just used a large skillet – you brown the chicken first. I did brown mine, but briefly, since breasts cook so quickly. Next I cooked 1 chopped onion, 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger, 1/4 tsp coriander, and 1/2 tsp sweet paprika and added the chicken (3 breasts) and about a cup and a quarter of chicken stock (Martha says to use water, but I think with the skinless breasts that I needed some flavor). Martha says to cook this for 45 minutes – mine obviously cooked much faster.  Martha says to remove the chicken and make the sauce with the dates separately – I just dumped the chopped dates (1/2 cup) in while the chicken was cooking, so that made this go even faster (I think it’s important to cook the dates long enough for them to soften).  I also added the cilantro (1/4 cup fresh) called for in the recipe at the same time. From start to finish, this cooked in about 15 minutes.I seasoned with salt and pepper at the end.

I served it with brown and wild rice and some lemon wedges which we squeezed over the chicken. It really was delicious. I love the Moroccan flavors. The dates added a sweetness that I liked. It wasn’t too sweet though. The sauce was dark and rich. I ate some of the leftover chicken the next day for lunch in a salad and put in some of the dates and that was delicious too.