Instructions: Theres a picture of a Moroccan Chicken Soup with Couscous on the cover of Sam Guginos book, Cooking to Beat the Clock. This stew is a knock-off inspired by that sight.

This recipe serves 2. If you like the flavors of Moroccan cuisine, check out another book: Mediterranean Cooking by Matthew

1. Heat a nonstick saucepan. Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces. Add oil to pan. Saute chicken. While chicken browns, chop onion in food processor.

Add onion to the pan and cook briefly. Add the cumin, ginger, paprika and a pinch of cayenne. Cook, stirring, until aromatic. Add broth, stir and bring just to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for a few minutes while you prepare the next vegetable.

2. Wash the zucchini. Trim the ends. Slice lengthwise; then slice half-circles 1/4-inch thick. Add to the stew. Bring to a boil; add the garbanzos. Reduce heat to simmer uncovered. Cook for about 4 minutes. Add the cooked rice and heat through: 1- 2 minutes. Taste and add salt, pepper(s) and cilantro. Thicken if needed with a slurry of cornstarch and water. Serve with a dab or two of lemon curd and optional slice of bread.

Serves 2 generously.

RECIPE VARIATIONS: Instead of pasta (1/4 cup instant couscous) we used leftover brown basmati rice. Instead of ground ginger, we pureed fresh. We also used less chicken than he suggested 6 instead of 9 ounces). Our version was thick enough to be called a stew and we added the lemon curd condiment.

NOTES : The brown basmati rice added a nuttiness. The lemon curd was a like ....
putting a Hersheys kiss in a brown bag lunch!

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