Recipe of the Week; MORROCAN-INSPIRED YOGURT CHICKEN

Several years ago we had dinner at our friends Ismail and Firas's house. Ismail was born and lived in Morocco most of his life, so it was a real treat to enjoy some authentic Moroccan cuisine, his yogurt chicken was one of the most delicious chicken dishes I've ever had. It was especially nice that he had several ingredients and spices that he had brought with him from his native country.

The whole meal was spectacular- his yogurt was homemade and he served some with dinner as well. They also offered a dish prepared with ground lamb, and the dinner ended deliciously with Firas' homemade baklava and mint tea.

I had about 3/4 of a 32-ounce container of plain yogurt left from a pineapple dipping sauce I made a few days ago to go with some of my homemade coconut shrimp, and I wanted to get is used up before it went bad.

The yogurt got me thinking of Ismail's chicken, and I went on an internet recipe safari and found hundreds of recipes, but one in particular from cooks.com caught my fancy. It was simple, and I had just about everything at home to make it. The sauce was very unique, not quite like Ismail's, but it was a nice blend of flavors and I know I'll make this recipe again. Attempting to stay as authentically Moroccan as I could, I served the chicken with couscous. I remember Firas telling me that raw vegetables are rarely served "salad-style" with dressing, but rather just chopped up and mixed in with all the other foods on the plate. To complete the meal I had carrots, romaine lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers chopped into small pieces and available to just throw on the plate and mix in with the couscous. I think Ismail would be proud.

1 c. fine dry bread crumbs

1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese

1-2 tbsp. dried minced onion

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. seasoned salt

1/4 tsp. dried oregano, crushed

1/4 tsp. dried thyme, crushed

Dash pepper

4 whole med. chicken breasts, skinned & halved*

1 (8 oz.) carton plain yogurt

1/4 c. butter, melted

2 tsp. sesame seeds

Creamy Yogurt Sauce (recipe follows)

In a pie plate stir together bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, onion, garlic powder, seasoned salt, oregano, thyme and pepper. Rinse chicken; pat dry. Coat chicken with yogurt; roll in crumb mixture. Place chicken, meaty side up, in a lightly greased 15 x 10 x 1 inch baking pan. Drizzle butter on top. Sprinkle with sesame seed. Bake, uncovered, in a 375 degree oven for 45-55 minutes or until tender. Serve with Creamy Yogurt Sauce. Makes 8 servings.

CREAMY YOGURT SAUCE:

In a medium saucepan, stir together:

1 (10 3/4 oz.) can condensed cream of chicken soup

1 (8 oz.) carton plain yogurt

1/2 c. chicken broth

1 tsp. lemon juice

1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Dash garlic powder & seasoned salt

Cook over low heat until heated through, stirring occasionally. Makes about 2 1/2 cups.

*NOTE The recipe calls for chicken breasts, however we're big fans of dark meat, so I used a pack of thighs instead. Also, I can't do chicken without the skin, so of course I left it on... it was so crispy and yummy so I highly encourage it!