Lunch: Golden Lemon-Olive Chicken with Pine Nut Couscous

This recipe includes fertility superfoods such as:

Cinnamon, Lemon, Nuts

Health and fertility benefits of Golden Lemon-Olive Chicken with Pine Nut Couscous

Cinnamon is one of the best ingredients that someone with insulin sensitivity can eat. Half a teaspoon of cinnamon per day has been shown to be very effective at normalizing blood sugar levels. Cinnamon contains hydroxychalcone, which is thought to enhance the effects of insulin. It has also been suggested that Cinnamon prevents post-meal blood sugar spikes by slowing the gastric emptying rate - meaning that food digests slowly. (Reference: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11506060). Lemons can help to prevent oxidative damage to the body, which women with PCOS are often susceptible to. Nuts are a natural source of Inositol, a derivative of Vitamin B (which is often prescribed in the form of supplements for women with PCOS). Inositol can effectively control the symptoms of PCOS by reducing insulin resistance and improving insulin sensitivity.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 medium onions peeled, each cut into 6 wedges, root end intact
4 bay leaves
4 large cloves garlic, crushed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup good quality pitted large green olives
5 tablespoons butter
4 Meyer lemons or organic lemons, 2 sliced, 1 zested and juiced, plus 1 juiced
1 generous pinch saffron threads, 12 to 15 threads
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 quart homemade or store-bought chicken stock
1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric, half a palmful
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin, half a palmful
1 pinch ground cinnamon
1 1/2 to 2 pounds poached chicken, diced or shredded
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 1/2 cups couscous
1/4 cup finely chopped mint leaves
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley leaves

Instructions

Heat 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan, in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onions, bay leaves and garlic and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir for 3 to 4 minutes, then cover the pan and sweat the onions for3 to 4 minutes more. Uncover the pot and stir in the olives.
Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon butter in a medium-high sided skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Slice 2 lemons and gently brown the slices, in 2 batches. As they brown, add them to the pan with the onions. Add 3 more tablespoons butter to the pan and let it melt, then add saffron threads and the zest of l lemon to the melted butter and stir for 1 minute. Whisk in the flour, cook for a minute more, then whisk in 2 1/2 cups of the chicken stock. Season the sauce with turmeric, cumin and cinnamon and let thicken for a couple of minutes. Stir in the juice of remaining 2 lemons and reduce the heat to low. Add the chicken and sauce to the onions and gently stir to combine. Cool and store for a make-ahead meal or, cover the pan to warm the chicken through and combine flavors.
When ready to serve, prepare couscous. Put the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter in a medium pot or pan with tight-fitting lid and let it melt over medium heat. Add the pine nuts and gently toast them to light golden brown. Stir in the remaining 1 1/2 cups of chicken stock and bring it to a boil. Stir in the couscous, turn off heat, cover the pan and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff the couscous with a fork and add the mint and parsley. Spoon the couscous into a serving bowl.
Transfer the chicken mixture to a serving bowl or platter and serve with the couscous.

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