Super Secret Recipe #2: Chicken Tagine

I've promised a couple of people this recipe and so I've been meaning to post it.  When I was in college, I lived in a big house with 50 girls and we would cook dinner every night.  Tagine, a spicy Moroccan stew, was one of the house favorite meals.  It's infinitely adaptable, and can be easily made vegitarian (just add more veggies and chickpeas).  This version is one of my favorite recipes for weeknight dinners.  Chop up everything the night before, stow it in the fridge overnight, and cook it in the slow cooker all day on low.  When you come home, make some couscous (5 easy minutes), and you've got dinner.  This is also tasty with lamb.

Ingredients

5 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 1 pound total) with bones
5 cups chopped vegetables (onions, sweet potatoes, zucchini, carrots, chickpeas)
1/2 cup raisins (optional)
1/2 cup dried apricots, coarsely chopped
2 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons garlic salt
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1-1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups couscous, cooked
Toasted pine nuts for garnish, optional

Directions

Layer chicken, vegetables, raisins and apricots in a 6 quart slow cooker. Mix chicken broth, tomato paste, lemon juice, flour, garlic salt, cumin, ginger, cinnamon and black pepper in a seperate bowl.  Pour over chicken and vegetables. Cook 5 hours on HIGH heat or 8 hours on LOW heat. 4. Serve over cooked couscous. Garnish with toasted pine nuts (optional).  Enjoy!