Chicken Tagine and Whole Wheat Bread

We never get tired of Tagine in our house and I promise once you start making them you will feel the same way!

2 chicken breasts cubed
2 medium onions sliced
1 zucchini quartered
1 yellow squash quartered
3 carrots peeled and quartered
1/4 parsley with stems
2 tablespoons house seasoning (ras el Hanout)

2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup wheat bran
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 Tablespoon dry active yeast
Warm water (about 1 1/2 cups)


Place the Tagine over medium low heat and coat the bottom well with olive oil. Add the parsley stems and the onions. Let this cook while you prepare the other ingredients. Add the chicken on top of the onions and parsley stems. Add 1 tablespoon of the seasoning and cover the Tagine. Let this cook for about 10 minutes then add the vegetables and the rest of the spices, allow to cook for at least an hour and a half. Put the yeast, sugar and a little bit of the warm water in a small bowl. Mix well and set aside for about 5 minutes or until it gets foamy. Add the dry ingredients to your stand mixer with the hook attachment. Add the yeast mixture to the dry ingredients and slowly add the warm water until a soft dough ball is formed and it pulls away from the sides. The dough should not be sticky, if it is add a little more flour. Let this run for about 5 minutes to kneed the dough. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and kneed it for another 5 minutes. Coat with olive oil and place in a bowl, cover with a clean cloth and put it in a warm place to rise. Let this rise for at least 30 minutes. Once the dough has doubled in size punch it down and dump it out on a lightly floured surface. Kneed it again about 10 times then cut the ball in half. Roll each half into a rough loaf shape and place on a baking sheet. Cover the dough again and put in a warm place to rise for another 30 minutes at least. Place in a 400 degree oven to bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Once the bread is ready the Tagine should be ready to serve. Let the Tagine cool for about 10 minutes before serving. You can serve it directly in the Tagine or you can dish it onto plates. For more on this recipe or any others please email me at alesia.leach@gmail.com