North African Chicken Sauté with Sweet Potato Spaghetti

What makes this North African recipe so special? The combination of warm spices - smoked paprika and cinnamon - with the sweetness of dates and orange juice. The toasted almonds add a nutty flavor.

PREPARATION TIME	COOKING TIME
45 minutes	15 minutes
TYPE OF DISH	PORTIONS
Lunch, Dinner	4 poeple

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INGREDIENTS

• 230 grams boneless, skinless chicken breasts

• 1½ teaspoons smoked paprika

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 30 milliliters extra-virgin olive oil

• 3 medium-sized shallots, sliced

• 280 grams sweet potato noodles, or 1 large sweet potato, peeled and spiralized

• 410 grams crushed tomatoes, undrained

• 60 grams unsweetened, pitted dates, chopped

• 60 milliliters fresh orange juice

• Toasted sliced almonds, optional

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INSTRUCTIONS

1. Place each chicken breast between two pieces of plastic wrap and flatten them using the flat side of a meat mallet to achieve a uniform thickness of 2.5 cm (½ inch).

2. Sprinkle both sides of the chicken breasts with paprika, salt, and cinnamon.

3. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

4. Add the chicken breasts and shallots. Cook for 2 to 4 minutes, until the chicken breasts are lightly browned but not fully cooked.

5. Transfer the chicken breasts to a plate and cover them with aluminum foil to keep them warm.

6. Add the sweet potato noodles, crushed tomatoes, dates, and orange juice to the skillet with the shallots; mix well.

7. Return the chicken breasts to the skillet. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then cover and reduce the heat to low. Let it cook until the chicken breasts have lost their pink hue and the sweet potato noodles are tender (6 to 8 minutes).

8. Serve with toasted sliced almonds and parsley, if desired.

TIP: To toast the almonds, heat them in a skillet over medium heat, stirring, until they are fragrant and lightly golden, about 2 minutes.