In this post: Sweet Harissa Chicken with Golden Jeweled Rice and Feta

I will get to this ** fantastic ** Sweet Harissa Chicken with Golden Jeweled Rice and Feta recipe in just a minute, but firstly —-> Happy happy Valentine’s Day to you! This seems to be a bit of a love/hate sort of holiday – with some leaning way into it, fully embracing the spirit o’ love and others, preferring to turn the other cheek in protest to the “commercialization of love,” calling it a “Hallmark holiday” popularized by profit-seeking corporations in the attempt to monetize our affections and emotions and … and …

I’ll bet it comes as no big surprise to you that I fall in the former camp – the leaning into it camp – and I do, in fact, enjoy celebrating Valentine’s Day. The argument can be made that yes, one can and should try to demonstrate love (whatever that means to you) every day – not just on THIS day – in ways both big and small. Sure, I think that’s a solid rule of thumb by which to live; a strong code by which we’d we all do well to abide. But, a nice reminder can be helpful sometimes – like a swift kick in the pants to revitalize our spirits. Valentine’s Day tends to do that for me. Today, when wishing my two kids a Happy Valentine’s Day, I gave them eat little treats and stood back and reveled in their utter delight in the simplest act of affection from me. Why don’t I do this more often? I am going to do this more often. 

Favoring the smaller, quieter, less grandiose acts of l.o.v.e., Valentine’s Day typically serves as my reminder of how good they feel – those little acts of kindness – and how nice it can be (for all involved) to engage in more of them, no matter the day. New Year’s Day and all its resolution-generating tends to do the same – it reminds me of how beneficial it can be to boost your resolve and really sink your heels into a goal. Sometimes having that definitive, carved-out day on the calendar – when we’re all collectively doing the same types of celebrating and going through the same motions and traditions together – can be beneficial in those personally gratifying, less obvious ways … whether corporately nourished or not.

“The more I give to thee/The more I have, for both are infinite.” – Shakespeare

Man. Do I have a good one for you today, so far as recipes go. I seem to be on somewhat of a chicken kick right now, but I find that people ask me for interesting chicken recipes more than just about anything else. So, here we go. The colors alone could knock this one out of the park, but the sweet, savory and somewhat exotic flavors carry it the extra mile. A wonderful slow cooker recipe to have on hand. I like to serve this with my Orangey Roasted Carrots with All the Seeds, the recipe for which I’m also sharing here if you’d like to give them a try.

Lastly, (speaking of chicken) I’ve had a wonderful response to the previous recipe – the Sage Brown Butter Chicken Piccata with Creamy Mushroom Pasta – and I’m just thrilled that you guys are enjoying it! Hope this one works for you as well. Again, I’m wishing a very Happy Valentine’s Day to all of you. <3

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Sweet Harissa Chicken with Golden Jeweled Rice and Feta

A total flavor bomb of a meal, this easy slow cooker chicken number hits all of the right notes for me. It’s sweet and savory and, like most good slow cooker recipes, is very easy to play around with. I make this with either boneless or bone-in chicken, and just change up the way I finish it before serving. I typically shred the boneless chicken a little when plating, and I like to broil the bone-in before serving, on a sheet pan in the oven, just to crisp and darken up the skin a little. Either approach is delicious, and gives you options. If you can’t find harissa and don’t feel like making it, I suggest finding a “Moroccan style” barbecue sauce or finishing sauce at your market and subbing that in. I’ve done that before too, and it makes an easy, quick shortcut.

Course Main Course

Ingredients

• 1/2  cup  harissa store-bought or homemade; there are easy recipes online
• 1/2  cup coconut milk full fat, not lite
• 1/4  cup  Worcestershire sauce
• 3 Tbsp maple syrup
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1  tsp grated fresh ginger
• 2 garlic cloves minced or grated
• 2 cinnamon sticks or 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2  bell peppers sliced (any color)
• 1 small sweet onion sliced
• 1/3 cup golden raisins optional
• 1.5 to 2  lbs bone-in skin-on chicken thighs OR boneless/skinless chicken thighs see headnote
• Chopped cilantro parsley and/or mint for serving
• Feta cheese for topping

For the Jeweled Golden Rice

• 1  cup  uncooked basmati rice
• 1  cup  coconut milk
• 1  cup  water
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2  Tbsp butter
• ½ tsp turmeric
• 1/2  cup  roasted salted hazelnuts pistachios, or sliced/slivered almonds
• ½ cup chopped cilantro
• Arils from one pomegranate

Instructions

1. n the sleeve of your slow cooker, combine the harissa, coconut milk, Worcestershire sauce, maple syrup, paprika, ginger, garlic, cinnamon, bell peppers, onion and (if using) the golden raisins. Give it a stir. Add the chicken into the mix, ensuring that each thigh gets coated in the harissa mixture. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or high for 5 to 6 hours.

2. During the last 30 minutes before serving or before the cook time is over, I like to skim off some of the fat from the top of the mixture. I then take the lid off and set the heat to high. This will help the sauce bubble, sweeten and reduce, allowing the flavors to concentrate … all the better to coat the chicken with.

3. Note: if you’re using bone-in/skin on chicken, remove them from the sauce when the cook time is up and place them on a baking sheet. Pop them under a preheated broiler for a minute or two, so the skin will crisp up a bit for you, before serving. Keep an eye on them! This isn’t necessary if you’re opting for boneless/skinless chicken instead.

4. Meanwhile, prepare the rice. Make your rice according to the package directions but replace half of the water with coconut milk and add 1 tsp salt, the butter. and the turmeric.
5. When it is finished. Gently fold in the cilantro, pomegranate arils, and nuts. Serve alongside the chicken and top everything with extra cilantro/parsley/mint and some feta.

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Orangey Roasted Carrots with All the Seeds

A classic flavor combination dressed up and modernized just a bit. The seeds add a great crunch and texture to the tender, sweet carrots and these make a fantastic side dish at almost any occasion, any time of year.

Ingredients

• 5 or 6 large carrots peeled or not; I never peel my carrots
• Olive oil for drizzling
• 1 to 2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 to 2 tsp fennel seeds
• 2 tsp poppy seeds
• Zest of one orange
• Flaky sea salt

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.

2. Place the carrots on a large sheet pan/cookie sheet. Drizzle with olive oil to fully coat them, about 2 tablespoons or so. Sprinkle with all of the seeds and then the orange zest and salt. Toss a bit and then send it into the oven until the carrots have charred some and softened significantly (turning once); about 25 to 35 minutes (depends on the size/thickness of your carrots. Just keep an eye on them and literally stick a fork in the thickest one to see if it’s tender and enjoy!