Couscous Chicken and Vegetable Medley
Why I Love This Recipe
I threw this together yesterday and it was delicious, so I thought I would share.
Pardon my recipe which is in "narrative" form
Ingredients You'll Need
One ~15 oz. Can of Diced Tomatoes, drained (save the juice for next step)
Add Chicken Broth to the drained Tomato Juice to equal 1 1/4 Cups and bring the liquid to a boil along with several shakes of Red Pepper Sauce, and 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil. (Add Spice Packet If Using a purchased Mix like Near East Couscous).
When the liquid boils, add 1 Cup Couscous (One Box), turn off the heat and let sit, covered, 5 to 10 minutes
Directions
Saute about 1 To 2 Cups chopped Sweet Onion, and same amount of chopped (not sliced) Mushrooms
Add 2 To 3 Cloves Garlic, minced, and saute for another 30 seconds. Don't overcook the garlic and the onions should still have a little crispness when done. Scrape the vegetable mixture into a large bowl.
You need 2 To 3 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts for the recipe.
I already had 1 1/2 leftover cold broiled Chicken Breasts on hand, and shredded 2 inch lengths in a food processor with a "dough blade" (so the chicken wouldn't wind up minced) and put them in the bowl with the vegetables. I took another Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast that I sliced in half horizontally to make 2 very thin chicken cutlets, which I then sliced thinly on the diagonal. I reheated the skillet to very hot with minimal olive oil, and then quickly sauted these pieces until just done. (Obviously ALL of the chicken could be EITHER shredded OR sliced thin and sauted.)
Meanwhile, I heated 1 Cup Frozen Peas And 1 Cup Frozen Corn in a microwave safe bowl in the microwave for 2 Minutes, until thawed but not overcooked. I diced and cooked 1 Cup of Carrots in a microwave, covered for 2 minutes with a teaspoon of water, drained them and added the Carrots along with the Peas and Corn to the bowl with the sauted Mushrooms and Onions and Chicken. (If using shredded Chicken, you may want to use an extra 1/4 cup chicken broth to keep things moist.) Fold in the cooked Couscous, add ~ 1 Tablespoon of Sesame Seeds (black, white or mixed) and serve. Salt, Pepper and add extra Hot Sauce ad lib.
The leftovers work well the next day as a Cold Salad by adding chopped raw Mushrooms, a small amount of diced raw Sweet Onion, and chopped cold Roasted Red Pepper. A drizzle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and / or a chiffonade of fresh Cilantro or Basil makes a nice finishing touch, as well.