Moroccan Chicken--spicing up the crockpot

It's nice to begin to feel the change of seasons down here in The Woodlands, TX.  It takes us a while to get the wheels in motion and our temps are all over the map.  What does that have to do with cooking, you say?  Well, it's hard to get excited about anything in the crockpot when it's still hotter than blue blazes.  The crockpot is a staple in my kitchen because I can prep all the food for the recipe, put it the crockpot and cook it on low if it's early in the day, or on high if it's later in the day.  Regardless, it helps me get a good dinner on the table for my family and out of the drive-thru lines. 


I especially like this dish because you can choose the type of chicken that you prefer.  It has flavors that we don't eat a lot of, but the change is good and so were the reviews!




INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 lbs. of chicken (I use boneless, skinless chicken thighs b/c they stay juicy and tender.  I cut every last bit of fat off the thighs before putting them in the crock pot.  You can also use chicken breasts or drumsticks)
1 (8 oz.) can pineapple tidbits or chunks in juice, drained
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 T. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dried marjoram leaves
3/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
1/4 tsp. ground tumeric (or a dash of ground ginger if you just can't be bothered to pick up some tumeric, b/c I bet your are wondering what in the heck that is.  It's good, though and gives this dish its intense yellow-orangish color)
1 T. corn starch
1 T. cold water
1/4 c. sliced green olives with pimentos (if you or your peeps don't care for olives, just omit.  We LOVE olives, so I add more.  Or you can add them to the individual servings if that works better for you)
1 T. chopped fresh parsley

DIRECTIONS

1. Place chicken into crockpot.  Mix pineapple, onion, garlic, lemon juice, salt, marjoram, red pepper, and tumeric; pour over chicken.
2. Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours.  When ready to serve, remove chicken from crockpot and place on serving dish and cover to keep warm.
3. Skim any fat from sauce.  Mix cornstarch and water and stir into sauce.
4. Cover and cook on HIGH for about 15 minutes to thicken the sauce.  Stir in olives.
5. Pour sauce over chicken and sprinkle with parsley.

***I serve mine with tri-colored couscous prepared with chicken stock instead of water.  I also serve steamed broccoli tossed with sauteed garlic, lime juice and a sprinkling of crushed red pepper.