Moroccan Chicken

My sister and I both subscribe to Bon Appétit magazine and visit the Epicurious website religiously. She shares my love of cooking and has turned me on to some great food blogs and websites. Anyway, we share new recipes on a regular basis and the following dish she raved about so I thought I would give it a go. 
I followed the original recipe exactly the first time (that was ingrained early on) I made it and loved it. I was curious, however, to see if using chicken breasts instead of thighs and drumsticks would negatively impact the dish. Boneless, skinless breasts yield more meat and are a healthier option so I thought why not?
I also changed a couple of other things that do not, in my opinion, destroy the integrity of the dish (wow I miss Top Chef AllStars already, can you tell?).

Try it out and share your thoughts!

 Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit via Epicurious

1.75 lbs         boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into thirds
2 T.                all purpose flour for dredging
1 T.                extra virgin olive oil
6                    shallots (medium-large in size)
1/4 t.              ground cinnamon
3/4 t.              ground ginger
1/2 t.              cumin
1/4 t.              turmeric
1/4 t.              cayenne pepper
1 1/2 c.          chicken broth
4 1/2 T.          fresh lemon juice, divided
6                    dates, pitted and quartered
1/4 c.             sliced almonds, lightly toasted
1/4 c.             cilantro (optional garnish)

Sprinkle chicken pieces with salt and pepper and dredge in flour. Heat olive oil in large pot over med-high heat. Add half of the chicken pieces to pot and cook until browned on both sides, turning occasionally, for about 10-12 min. Transfer chicken to plate or platter and repeat process with the rest of the chicken. After removing second batch of chicken, reduce heat to medium and add shallots to the pot. Sauté until golden, about 4-5 minutes. Add spices and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Increase heat to high and pour chicken stock and 3 T. lemon juice into the pot. Bring to boil and reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until shallots begin to soften, about 10-12 minutes. Place chicken pieces atop shallots in the pot. Bring to boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium low, cover, and simmer for 18-20 minutes.

Transfer chicken and shallots to platter and cover loosely with tin foil. Boil remaining juices in the pot until slightly thickened. Stir in dates and remaining 1 1/2 T. fresh lemon juice. Reduce heat and simmer gently until dates are heated through, about 2 minutes. Pour sauce and dates over chicken. Sprinkle with almonds and cilantro.

Serve this dish over cous cous, try whole wheat, tastes just as good and is healthier!