Chicken Tagine

I found this recipe in Family Circle and it's posted on Parents.com. It was quick to prepare, cooks all day while you're away and has a variety of textures and complex flavors with a spicy upswing at the end.

I did change one thing from the recipe posted on-line. I detest dark meat so I made mine with chicken breast pieces. It cooked longer than the 8 hours called for in the recipe so the chicken was ultra moist and tender and pulled apart easily. The online recipe calles for couscous. I didn't have any in the cupboard so I substituted Basmati rice. With the pull-apart tender chicken, it ended up the perfect rice topper meal.

1 lb. chicken breasts (I buy 1/4 breast strips each weighing in about 2 oz)
2 large onions, halved and thinly sliced
4 large carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup dried apricots, coarsely chopped
2 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons tomato paste (those tubes of paste I bought were perfect for this measurement)
2 tablespoons lemon juice (from my previously zested lemons)
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
Pine nuts for garnish (optional - but very tasty)

Couscous or rice.

In a 6-quart slow cooker (I used my circa 1978 Harvest Gold Rival Crockpot), layer chicken, onions, carrots, raisins and apricots.
In a medium-size bowl, whisk chicken broth, tomato paste, lemon juice, flour, garlic salt, cumin, ginger, cinnamon and black pepper. Pour over chicken and vegetables.
Cook 5 hours on high heat or 8 hours on low.
Serve over cooked couscous or rice. Garnish with toasted pine nuts, if desired.

Calories without couscous or rice: 196 per serving. Recipe serves 8.