Moroccan Chicken Casserole

**UPDATE**
Want to know how it tastes?  Check out my web series Table Scraps, where my friend Jeremy ruthlessly rates my homemade Paleo dishes from 1 to 5 noms.
For a step-by-step video on how to cook this recipe: click here.

It continues to surprise me how consistently delicious and satisfying all this "caveman food" is, even after eating a single dish 3 days in a row.  Each time I have a bite, it's like experiencing the flavors for the first time all over again.  This recipe is no different and is a great dish to ease you into the world of Paleo.  Not surprisingly, I found this recipe at Mark's Daily Apple.  My favorite part of this dish is the cauliflower rice which is such a great carrier for all the amazing spice, aromatic and meat flavors of this dish.

So much goodness.

Now I must admit, this recipe is a little more involved than some of the others I've posted.  It's not a 'set-it-and-forget-it' type of recipe (like my Bison Chili).  Prepping all the veggies and the various stages of cooking probably totals about 2 active hours of cooking.  

Ingredients, assemble! (If only it were that easy)

In order to avoid starving myself until the dish is ready, I usually make sure I have dinner available before I even start cooking (whether it's leftovers or an out-of-this-world salad from Tender Greens or Mendocino Farms).  This way I'm not distracted or rushed by how hungry I am during my time in the kitchen.  I also like to pre-measure as many ingredients as possible.  If a group of veggies or spices are all added at the same time in a recipe, I pre-combine these ingredients before I start cooking.  Makes the whole thing slightly less stressful.  And I now realize the above picture shows the exact opposite of my suggestion, and instead suggests dirtying every bowl in your kitchen just to prep ingredients.  Looking back, I would have put the onion, ginger, garlic and carrots in one bowl.  I also would have combined the red pepper and parsley (or cilantro)

EQUIPMENT:

- Food processor with grating blade (recommended - a cheese grater will also work, but will take longer)

- Pan with tall sides (preferably NOT non-stick) that is large enough to accommodate 2-3 pounds of chicken and lots of veggies

- 13x9 casserole dish

- Aluminum foil

INGREDIENTS:

1 head cauliflower
2-3 pounds of chicken, skin on (I usually get an assortment of whole legs and breasts)
2 tablespoons cooking fat (coconut oil, almond oil, clarified butter, etc.)

1 onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons ginger root, finely chopped or grated (go-go, gadget microplane!)
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 tsp cayenne (optional - I can't handle anything TOO spicy, so I usually don't add this)
1 red pepper, cut into thin strips
28-ounce can of diced tomatoes (do not drain)
1/2 cup minced parsley or cilantro
2 tsp salt
1 lemon

1.  Preheat oven to 375.  Chop cauliflower into florets and discard the stem.  Feed the pieces into the chute of a 12-cup food processor (or do the cauliflower in batches) fitted with a grating blade.  Spread the grated cauliflower on the bottom of a 13x9 casserole dish.

2. Sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides of the chicken pieces.  Add 1 tbsp of cooking fat to a pan over high heat.  Add chicken pieces.  You're basically looking to crisp up the outside before you put it in the oven to finish cooking.  Cook 3-5 minutes per side until nice and browned.  Set chicken aside.

3.  Return pan to stove.  Turn heat down to medium and add ginger, garlic, onion and carrots.  Cook until onions are translucent.  Add second tbsp of cooking fat and the spices.  Stir well.

4.  Add red pepper, can(s) of tomatoes, minced parsley (or cilantro) and salt.  Return chicken to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes.

5.  Pour the chicken and tomatoes over the cauliflower rice in the 13x9 dish.  Dig your spoon/spatula underneath the chicken pieces and try your best to make as much surface contact between the sauce and the rice as possible.  Slice a lemon into thin slices (use a small knife to pick out the seeds) and lay on top of the casserole.  Cover dish with foil and bake for 35 minutes.

6.  Remove foil and cook for 25 more minutes.

The only way I can accurately describe how good this dish is is by channeling a vapid teenager:  Omigod, you guys.  Seriously.  Oh.  My god.

  Like, totally.