Couscous

I had never heard of couscous until a friend of mine from college told me about it.  Her parents were living in Saudi Arabia at the time and she swore up and down that couscous was her favorite thing about Saudi Arabia.  So I tried her recipe and loved it!  I have forgotten about it over the years, but after making chicken a few nights ago, we had just one chicken breast left and I wanted a recipe would utilize that one piece and not make me have to buy a whole new bag (Yes, it's cheaper to buy a whole chicken and debone it yourself, but I don't quite have the stomach for it.  My husband used to do it for us when we were super broke, but once he got a raise, we treated ourselves to the luxury of boneless skinless chicken breasts/tenderloins).  Anyway, when I went to Morocco a few years ago (don't worry, I went for free...I'm still a poor person) we went to a fancy restaurant and they served us couscous!  I was happy that I recognized the meal and assured my students (I was teaching at the time and took a group of students to Spain and morocco) that it was good food.  So without further ado, let me introduce you to the fabulous world of couscous!

1 1/4 C. chicken broth (remember to stock up on this when it's on sale at Thanksgiving.  I usually buy a case and use it throughout the year)

1 C. uncooked couscous (you can find it near the rice.  It comes in a small box.  Be sure to get the plain couscous and not the flavored kind).

1 T. butter

1/2 c. olive oil

3 T. fresh lemon juice (or you could use it from concentrate, too)

1 t. salt

1/2 t. ground coriander (optional...I don't use it)

1/2 t. dijon mustard (optional)

1 large clove garlic (optional)

Black pepper to taste

1 c. cooked, diced chicken

1 large green onion, diced (I don't put this in)

1 1/2 C. diced celery

1 large granny smith apple (cored and diced)

In saucepan, bring chicken broth to a boil, add couscous and butter.  Bring to a boil again and cover.  Remove from heat, let stand 5 min, fluff with fork and let cool.  In small bowl, combine olive oil, lemon juice, salt, coriander, mustard, garlic and pepper - mix well.  In large bowl, combine cooked couscous, chicken, onions, apple and celery.  Add olive oil mixture, toss to coat.  For aesthetics, serve on lettuce.  Great as a main dish or served with lemon chicken meal (omit chicken from salad).

This was the first time we've had it since my kids have been older.  We made a HUGE mistake, though, and put in flavored couscous.  So when we added all of the other flavorings to it, it was quite over powering even for us.  Our kids were troopers, though, and took a few bites.  Then they asked politely for us to never make it again.  :)   We told them that there were too many spices in it and the next time we make it, we'll leave some of them out.  They seemed okay with that.  My mistake.  Believe it or not, there are times when I let my kids get away without eating their dinner, and this would be one of those times.