Spiced Couscous and Chicken

This was lovely. Yum.

Spiced Couscous and Chicken
Courtesy of Food Network Magazine

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
4 medium carrots, thinly sliced
1 cup couscous, preferably whole wheat
2 cups coarsely shredded rotisserie chicken
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup golden raisins
4 scallions, white and light green parts only, roughly chopped
1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for topping
Greek yogurt and/or harissa or other hot sauce, for topping

Bring 2 1/2 cups water to a boil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, the ginger, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Add the carrots and cook until crisp-tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain the carrots, reserving the cooking liquid.

Put the couscous and chicken in a medium bowl; pour 1 cup of the hot cooking liquid on top. Stir, then cover tightly with plastic wrap and let sit 5 minutes. Fluff the couscous with a fork.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the almonds, raisins, scallions and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon. Cook, stirring, until the nuts are toasted, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the cilantro.

Divide the couscous and chicken among bowls. Top with the carrots and more of the cooking liquid. Sprinkle with the almond mixture and more cilantro. Top with yogurt and/or harissa.

Cheesy Quinoa Mac and Cheese

Meh. It's not great. But it was worth a shot.

Cheesy Quinoa Mac and Cheese

Courtesy of Around the Table: Loving Food in RI & Beyond

1 1/2 cups quinoa, rinsed and drained 

Veggies of your choice (optional) 

Good pinch of salt 

A few grinds of seasoning salt 

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 large eggs

1 cup soy milk or non-fat milk

1 1/2 cups grated Cheddar cheese, more for sprinkling 

Optional - crushed red pepper, Panko bread crumbs for topping 

Toppings (optional) - salsa, hot sauce, sour cream, scallions

  

Lightly saute any veggies you would like in this dish.  

Cook quinoa to packaged instructions until fully cooked. (About 15 minutes) 

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat 13x9 inch dish (or 8 individual ramekins) with cooking spray.Whisk together eggs and milk in large bowl. Fold in quinoa mixture and cheese. Stir very well and let some of the cheese melt.  Transfer to prepared baking dish and if using Panko crumbs or bread crumbs add now and bake 30-35 minutes, until bread crumbs are browned. 

Chicken Barley Soup

Not a bad soup, but I still have yet to find the really satisfying chicken soup I've been hunting for. Hrmph.

Chicken Barley Soup
Courtesy of Kalyn's Kitchen



2 cups diced cooked chicken (or 2 boneless-skinless chicken breasts)
8 cups chicken stock, homemade or canned
1 quart water
1 generous tablespoon Better Than Bouillon organic vegetable soup base (optional, but recommended for best flavor, other types of veggie stock cubes can be used)
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 onion, chopped small
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup sliced or diced carrots
1/2 cup pearl barley
Fresh ground black pepper to taste, salt if desired

If you don't have leftover chicken, put two chicken breasts in a small saucepan with some water and a little bit of Better Than Bouillon Organic Low Sodium Chicken Base and simmer over very low heat about 20 minutes, or until the chicken is barely done. Let chicken cool, then dice into small pieces.

In a large stock pot, combine chicken stock, water, vegetable soup base, dried thyme, poultry seasoning, and dried parsley. Simmer 15 minutes while you chop veggies and chicken.

After 15 minutes, add chopped onion, chopped celery, sliced carrots, and barley. Start to simmer, and when the barley is nearly done (about 45 minutes) add the diced chicken. You may want to add a cup or so of water if the soup reduces too much.

When the barley is done to your liking, season the soup with fresh ground black pepper and salt to taste, and serve hot. (Be sure to taste before adding salt if using canned chicken stock, which can be rather salty.)

Spicy Moroccan Chickpeas

There is absolutely nothing spicy about this. And the other flavors really weren't interesting enough for me to make this again. It's not bad, it's just not terribly exciting. Eh. It was worth a shot.

Spicy Moroccan Chickpeas
Courtesy of Cooking Light



1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 large garlic cloves, peeled
2 cups thinly sliced red onion
1/2 cup dried apricots, sliced
1 tablespoon ras el hanout (Moroccan spice blend) or garam masala
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
1 (28-ounce) can no-salt-added whole tomatoes, undrained and chopped
6 cups escarole, torn into 1-inch pieces
1 cup cilantro leaves
1/4 cup mint leaves
1/2 cup roasted whole almonds, coarsely chopped
4 cups hot cooked couscous

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add garlic; cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove garlic from pan using a slotted spoon; discard or reserve for another use. Add onion and next 6 ingredients (through cinnamon stick) to pan; sauté for 7 minutes or until the onion is lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Add 1/2 cup water, rind, juice, chickpeas, and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in escarole; simmer for 1 minute or until escarole wilts. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with cilantro and mint; top with almonds. Serve over couscous.

Roast Pork and Peaches

I absolutely cannot figure out how one makes a pork chop that isn't dry and about as easy to cut with a regular dinner knife as leather. The dish, overall, tasted quite good, and it smelled absolutely divine, but the pork frustration was probably not worth making it again. Unless I can find some sort of pork chop secret...

Roast Pork and Peaches
Courtesy of Real Simple



1 10-ounce package couscous
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 bone-in pork chops (3/4 inch thick; about 2 pounds total)
Kosher salt and black pepper
2 peaches, cut into wedges
1 small red onion, cut into thin wedges
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves

Heat oven to 400°F. Cook the couscous according to the package directions.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat.

Season the pork with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper and cook until browned, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.

Add the peaches, onion, vinegar, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper to the skillet and cook, tossing, for 1 minute.

Return the pork (and any accumulated juices) to the skillet. Transfer to oven and roast until the pork is cooked through and the peaches are tender, 8 to 10 minutes.

Sprinkle the pork and peaches with the basil and serve with the couscous.

Lentil-Barley Soup

Good hearty soup. And it makes the house smell fantastic. Though the amount of dill the recipe calls for gives it a bit of a "grassy" flavor, especially when it's fresh. The recipe also only makes a pretty small amount of soup, so I'm thinking next time I'll double all of the rest of the ingredients and keep the original recipe's amount of dill in order to tone down the "grassiness".

Lentil-Barley Soup
Courtesy of Cooking Light

2 teaspoons canola oil
1 cup sliced leek
3 cups organic vegetable broth
1 cup water
3/4 cup beer
1 cup chopped carrot
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped parsnip
1/4 cup chopped celery leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
1/4 cup uncooked pearl barley
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup dried lentils
1/4 teaspoon salt

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add leek to pan; sauté 2 minutes. Add broth, 1 cup water, and beer; bring to a boil. Add chopped carrot and next 8 ingredients (through bay leaves); return to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in lentils; cover and cook 30 minutes. Discard bay leaves.

Place 1 1/2 cups broth mixture in a blender. Remove the center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid (to avoid splatters). Blend until smooth. Return pureed mixture to pan, and stir in salt. Return mixture to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring occasionally.

Couscous with Artichokes, Feta, and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

This is a lovely dish for the summer. Very little cooking involved, especially if you use a rotisserie chicken to get the meat for the recipe. Or you could just leave it out altogether. I think it could very easily be a tasty vegetarian meal.

Couscous with Artichokes, Feta, and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Courtesy of Cooking Light

2 1/3 cups water, divided
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can vegetable broth
1 3/4 cups uncooked Israeli couscous
3 cups chopped cooked chicken breast
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
1 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 (6-ounce) jars marinated artichoke hearts, undrained
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Combine 2 cups water and tomatoes in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at high 3 minutes or until water boils; cover and let stand 10 minutes or until soft. Drain and chop; set aside.

Place 1/3 cup water and vegetable broth in a large saucepan; bring to a boil. Stir in couscous. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 8 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat; stir in tomatoes and remaining ingredients.

Bacon and Wild Mushroom Risotto with Baby Spinach

I've learned that risotto is only fun to make when you're not trying to break up arguments between your two small children at the same time. But it didn't make it taste any less yummy. And it didn't make us any less sad when we noticed that we had eaten the whole pot and had no leftovers. Oh well. We'll know to double the recipe next time.

I decided that the risotto would go quite well with a little bread and some olive oil in which to dip it. So I tried my hand at French bread. And it came out really well. I made a loaf, but I think I'll try a baguette the next time. There were no leftovers of the bread either... What can I say? We really like bread in this family.

Bacon and Wild Mushroom Risotto with Baby Spinach
A variation on this recipe from Cooking Light



4 cups chicken stock
6 bacon slices, chopped
1 cup chopped shallots
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
4 garlic cloves, minced
12 ounces wild mushrooms (creminis, shiitakes, oysters, etc.), sliced
1 cup uncooked Carnaroli or Arborio rice or other medium-grain rice
1/3 cup Madeira wine or dry sherry
4 cups baby spinach
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Asiago cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Bring chicken stock to a simmer in a small saucepan (do not boil); keep warm over low heat.

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add bacon to pan; cook 8 minutes or until crisp, stirring occasionally. Remove bacon from pan with a slotted spoon. Add shallots, oil, thyme, and garlic to drippings in pan; cook 6 minutes or until shallots are tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in mushrooms; cook 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add rice, and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in Madeira; cook 1 minute or until the liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Stir in 1 cup stock; cook 4 minutes or until the liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Add remaining stock, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until each portion of stock is absorbed before adding the next (about 25 minutes total). Stir in spinach; cook 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in cheese, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle with bacon.

Vicki's Favorite Chicken with Grapes, Couscous, and Roasted Asparagus

Vicki is apparently someone Rachael Ray knows, and I'm happy to use this chicken recipe of hers. I made it years ago for my in-laws when they came to visit us in California for Easter, and I enjoy making it again every Spring. And you just can't go wrong when you roast vegetables.

Vicki's Favorite Chicken with Grapes, Couscous, and Roasted Asparagus
Courtesy of Rachael Ray



1 1/2 pound asparagus
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves, stripped from 6 to 7 sprigs
Coarse salt and pepper
2 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
1/4 cup all-purpose flour, eyeball it
2 pounds chicken tenders
1/2 cup white wine, eyeball it
2 1/2 cups chicken stock (available on soup aisle in paper boxes), divided
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup grainy, stone-ground mustard
1 1/2 cups, about 1/2 pound, seedless red grapes, halved
2 cups couscous

Heat oven to 400°F.

Trim tough ends of asparagus and save for soup. Place asparagus in a large bowl and toss with about 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons of chopped thyme leaves and salt and pepper. Spread the asparagus out on a cookie sheet and roast 10 to 12 minutes until the asparagus is tender and crispy at the tips.

Heat a large skillet over medium to medium high heat; add 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan, and 2 tablespoons butter to the pan. Place flour in a shallow dish. Season chicken with salt and pepper then dredge the tenders in flour and add it to the pan. Cook chicken 7 to 8 minutes until browned. Add wine and scrape up browned bits as wine cooks down and bubbles, 30 seconds. Add 1/2 cup stock to skillet. Combine cream and mustard and add to stock. Add grapes to the pan and turn chicken and grapes to coat and combine with the sauce. Simmer 5 minutes over low heat.

Bring remaining 2 cups chicken stock and remaining tablespoon of fresh thyme to a boil in a small pot. Add couscous. Put a tight fitting lid on pot and remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.

Serve tenders and grapes on couscous alongside asparagus.

Vegetable Bulgar (or Couscous) with Moroccan Pesto

I've never done Moroccan fare before. But man, was I glad I tried it today when the browned butter, onion, and cinnamon started cooking together. I'm usually hesitant to use "traditionally" sweet flavors in a savory dish. I'm not usually a big fan of the mixture. But I'm learning more and more that it's not a hard and fast rule for me. There are definitely some combinations of sweet and savory that I really like and am glad that I'm starting to try more.

I've also never used bulgar, but since the original recipe called for couscous, and I just read in the most recent Cooking Light Magazine that bulgar packs more of a fiber punch and is a good substitution for couscous, I thought I'd try it in this recipe. It's hearty and really tasty! And now that I have a big package of it in my refrigerator, I'm sure I'll be using it for often.

The original recipe calls for zucchini and/or Swiss chard. I was planning on putting in both, but the Swiss chard looked kind of sad this week, so I just went with zucchini. I think this dish would have done well with spinach as a substitute for the chard though, so that could easily be wilted in at the end.

This is definitely more of a heated cooking experience than some of the other more summery meals that I've been making lately, but it's worth the little bit of extra heat in the kitchen. If you're looking for something out of the ordinary, this is it!

Edited to add: I'm currently eating a full bowl (instead of just a taste, like I had earlier)... Watch the amount of salt you add. Each layer of flavor has some salt, and I know I didn't measure every bit I added. I'm right on the edge of having a little too much salt, so try to avoid eyeballing.

Edited to add again: I used couscous this last time I made it (which is what is pictured below), and I measured the salt this time around rather than eye-balling it... It made a lot of difference! It was much less salty. And it may have been even tastier with the couscous. I also used Swiss chard instead of zucchini, and I think I liked it better that way too.

Vegetable Bulgar (or Couscous) with Moroccan Pesto
A variation on this recipe from Food Network Magazine



Pesto:
1 cup fresh cilantro
1/2 cup fresh parsley
2 tablespoons whole almonds
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt

Bulgar/Couscous:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Kosher salt
1 onion, cut into 8 wedges
1 cinnamon stick
1 14-ounce can peeled tomatoes, halved
2 small carrots, cut into chunks
1 zucchini and/or 1 bunch Swiss chard, chopped
1/3 cup raisins
Freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 cups bulgar (or couscous)

Make the pesto: Combine the cilantro, parsley leaves, almonds and garlic in a food processor; pulse until coarsely chopped. Add the olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt; process until smooth.

Prepare the vegetables for the couscous: Heat a wide heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add 3 tablespoons butter and 1 teaspoon salt; cook until the butter begins to brown. Add the onion and cinnamon stick to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, 1 cup water, carrots, zucchini and/or Swiss chard, raisins, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are crisp-tender, about 15 minutes. Remove the cinnamon.

Meanwhile, cook the bulgar as the label directs. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, season with salt and pepper and fluff with a fork. Top the bulgar with the vegetables and pesto.