Moroccan Chicken Thigh Kebabs

Who: Chef Dana Murrell for Green Chef

Instagram: @ChefDanaMurrell

Chef Dana’s Guest-Worthy Recipe:

Moroccan Chicken Thigh Kebabs with feta-studded couscous, kale salad with carrot and pistachios

Why?

“A lively dish inspired by North African cuisine. Chicken thighs and bell pepper, seasoned with ras el hanout (a popular Moroccan spice blend), are threaded onto skewers and grilled. They’re served over whole-wheat couscous strewn with feta cheese and fresh scallion. A kale salad — tossed with grated carrot, pistachios, and a currant-maple vinaigrette — completes the meal.”

Ingredients:

12 oz boneless chicken thighs

3 1/2 oz Red bell pepper

1 tsp Ras el hanout

1/2 c whole-wheat couscous

3 Tbsp feta cheese

1 whole scallion

2 3/4 oz Lacinato kale

1 whole carrot

2 1/2 Tbsp pistachios

1/4 c currant-maple vinaigrette

4 six-inch bamboo skewers

Directions:

Prep Veggies & Nuts

• Preheat well-oiled grill (or grill pan) to medium-high. Alternatively, preheat oven to 425 degrees.

• Soak bamboo skewers in water for about five minutes. Here’s how: Add water to the bag of skewers to evenly soak them.

• Remove center stems from Lacinato kale; discard. Roughly chop leaves.

• Grate carrot on large holes of a box grater into a large bowl.

• Shell pistachios; roughly chop nuts.

• Thinly slice scallion; discard root end.

• Large dice red bell pepper into about 3/4-inch pieces.

Make Salad

• Place kale in bowl with carrot. Drizzle with about one tablespoon of the currant-maple vinaigrette. Lightly season with salt. Massage until leaves soften.

• Add pistachios to bowl. Drizzle with remaining vinaigrette to taste. Salt and pepper to taste. Toss to combine.

Cook Couscous

• Bring 3/4-cup lightly salted water to a boil in a small pot. Add whole-wheat couscous to boiling water. Stir. Remove from heat. Cover pot with lid. Let rest (covered) five minutes, or until water is absorbed.

• Fluff couscous with a fork. Add feta cheese and scallion. Drizzle with about one tablespoon of olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine.

Season & Build Kebabs

• Place chicken and bell pepper in a medium bowl. Drizzle with about one tablespoon of cooking oil. Season with ras el hanout, salt, and pepper. Stir to evenly coat.

• Carefully thread chicken and bell pepper onto skewers.

Grill Kebabs

• Place kebabs on hot grill. Grill 10 to 12 minutes, or until chicken is fully cooked, turning occasionally. Note: Chicken is fully cooked when its internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.

• Alternatively, place kebabs on a lightly oiled, foil-lined baking sheet.

• Cover exposed ends of skewers with foil. Transfer baking sheet to oven.

• Roast 8 to 10 minutes, or until bell pepper is tender and chicken is fully cooked.

Plate Your Dish

• Divide couscous with feta and scallion between plates. Pile kale salad next to couscous. Serve Moroccan chicken kebabs over top. Enjoy!