Harissa Chicken & Carrots

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a sheet pan with a layer of paper towels. Drain and rinse the chickpeas; spread onto the prepared sheet pan. Using a second layer of paper towels, gently pat or roll the chickpeas to thoroughly dry; discard the paper towels and any loose chickpea skins. Drizzle the dried chickpeas with olive oil; toss to coat. Arrange in a single, even layer. Roast, stirring halfway through, 24 to 26 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy. Remove from the oven and season with salt and pepper to taste.

While the chickpeas roast, in a small pot, combine the rice, a big pinch of salt and ½ cup of water; heat to boiling on high. Once boiling, cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook 14 to 16 minutes, or until the water has been absorbed and the rice is tender. Remove from heat and fluff the cooked rice with a fork.

While the rice cooks, wash and dry the fresh produce. Using a peeler, remove the yellow rind of the lemon, avoiding the white pith; mince the rind to get 2 teaspoons of zest (or use a zester). Quarter and deseed the lemon. Peel the shallot and mince to get 2 tablespoons (you may have extra); place in a bowl with the juice of 2 lemon wedges. Peel the carrots; halve lengthwise, then cut into 2-inch-long pieces on an angle. Pit and roughly chop the dates. Roughly chop the almonds. Pick the parsley leaves off the stems; discard the stems and roughly chop the leaves. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and chop into bite-sized pieces.

While the chickpeas continue to roast, in a large pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the chicken and carrots; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 6 to 8 minutes, or until lightly browned. Add the dates, ½ cup water and as much of the harissa paste as you’d like, depending on how spicy you’d like the dish to be. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 4 minutes, or until the liquid has thickened and the chicken is cooked through. Turn off the heat. Stir in the almonds, lemon zest and all but a pinch of the parsley; season with salt and pepper to taste.

While the chicken and carrots cook, season the shallot-lemon juice mixture with salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in 1 teaspoon of olive oil until well combined; season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside. In a bowl, combine the labneh and the juice of the remaining lemon wedges; season with salt and pepper to taste.

Add the vinaigrette and roasted chickpeas to the pot of cooked rice. Stir to thoroughly combine; season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide the finished rice and cooked chicken and carrots between 2 dishes. Top with the seasoned labneh. Garnish with the remaining parsley. Enjoy!