Merry Christmas! We had our usual cuddle up, drink coffee, and open gifts this morning, and I loved it as always! I got so many things that I really wanted and adore, along with some other treats that I’m excited about. Three of the things topping my wish list were Dorie Greenspan’s Around My French Table, a new Belkin arm band for my iPhone, and a pretty pink Nathan water bottle with a pocket. And one of my favorite board games, Balderdash! I also got some great stocking stuffers including orange and fennel hand cream, noise canceling earbuds (pink), subway tokens, and an erasable highlighter (love office supplies). Now it’s time to make a fire and bake some cookies and prepare appetizers for dinner tonight!

We recently gave Slip’s Dad (otherwise known as Poppa Slip) a tagine for his birthday. A tagine is a type of North African clay dish that has a low flat bottom and a tall domed top. It can be heated on the stovetop or in the oven. We bought this beautiful number for Poppa Slip’s birthday from Williams Sonoma:

And post gifting, Poppa Slip gave us a gift by preparing a beautiful dinner for us of chicken tagine with apricots and almonds (see recipe below). I think this dish is a gorgeous gift for anyone on your list, and makes incredibly flavorful meals. The chicken with apricots was sweet and spicy, and very flavorful. I’m looking forward to trying many more dishes from this tagine!

Chicken Tagine with Apricots and Almonds

(Recipe courtesy of Rachel)

2 tbsp olive oil
4 chicken legs (or 6 to 8 thighs and/or drumsticks or 4 breasts)
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp fresh or dry ginger
2 tsp ras al hanout
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground coriander
salt and pepper to taste
15 dried apricots, chopped
2 cups chicken broth (may need more or less, I prefer less)
1 cup whole almonds, toasted

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, skin-side down and cook until golden-brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Turn and cook 3 to 5 minutes more. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

Reduce heat to medium. Add the onion and saute until golden, 5 to 7 minutes (or a bit longer). Add garlic and ginger and stir until fragrant. Add the ral al hanout, turmeric, coriander salt and pepper and stir to combine. Return the chicken to the skillet and add the apricots and chicken broth. Bring to a boil and then simmer, covered, for 40 minutes. Add the almonds for the last two minutes of cooking.

Serve over couscous.

Ras El Hanout

My cousin recently gifted me the most beautiful, perfect pasta dishes:

These 3 dishes (we can invite one other person over to enjoy pasta with us!) are handcrafted in Italy about 15 years ago. I love them!