apricot and apple stew over lentils

i honestly was not sure what to call this one... "apricot-date stew, "tagine", "curry," "mix of what i had in the fridge," etc....

anyways, my husband is a big fan of fruit cooked in food. me- not so much. but as marriage serves the purpose of growing, i suppose my taste buds have expanded to include such dishes.

so i made this the other night as a little gift for him but ended up liking it a lot myself as well, and of course- it was simple to make which always makes me happy.

one more thing- i used chicken, but this would be great without it as well. can also add in chickpeas.

so here we are:

Lentils:
1 cup lentils
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp pepper


Stew:

1 onion, sliced
1 lb chicken breast, cubed
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper or chili flakes
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
1/8 tsp saffron in 1/8 cup hot water
3 chopped organic carrots
1 apple, sliced and chopped
8 dried apricots, quartered
2-3 dates
1 stalk celery
3 Tbsp olive oil
1/8-1/4 cup water or broth

Lentils:

-Wash and pick over the lentils thoroughly- you don't want any crunchy rocks in your food.
-Cook according to your package (i believe i used 2 cups water for the one cup of lentils, and cooked for approximately 20 minutes). Check to taste that they are done when all of the water has evaporated.
-Mix in salt and pepper when they are cooked.

**To make saffron:
grind your saffron with a mortar and pestle. add boiled water to it and let sit for approx. five minutes.

Stew:

-Saute you onions in the olive oil until golden but not overcooked.
-Add all your spices except for the saffron and stir for a few seconds. Add chicken and cook until halfway done.
-Add chopped carrots, apple, and celery.
-Cook for a few minutes then add your apricots, dates, and prepared saffron.**
-Add water or broth and let simmer on low for approximately 10-15 more minutes depending on if your chicken is cooked and how much water is left in the pan. if too dry, add more liquid. Taste, add more seasoning if needed.
-Serve over the lentils and enjoy!