Chicken & Butternut Squash Tagine - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups chopped onions
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
8 ounces about 2 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash
1/3 cup halved potted black oil-cured olives
2/3 cup pitted prunes, chopped
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves (optional)
1/2 cup fresh flat leaf parsley (optional)

Preparation

Heat oil in a dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat. Add onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden, for about 8 minutes. Raise the heat to medium high and stir in the garlic. Cook until it becomes fragrant, for about 1 minute.
Stir the cumin and the other spices into the onions. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add the chicken pieces and coat with the spices.
Add 1 cup of water, and stir well to remove spices from the bottom of the pan. Add squash, olives, and prunes; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 10-15 minutes or until squash is tender. Taste for salt. Garnish with cilantro and parsley. Serve with Basic Couscous.
Recipe adapted from Cooking Light, November 2009.