Spring Vegetable Couscous With Chicken Recipes

CHICKEN AND VEGETABLE COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Soak the saffron in 50ml boiling water. Meanwhile, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a large lidded casserole over a medium-high heat. Brown the chicken legs on all sides until deep golden, then take out.
• Turn the heat down, add the rest of the oil, and fry the onion until soft and starting to brown. Stir in the dried spices and 1 tsp salt, cook for 1 minute, then add the chicken back in, along with 700ml of cold water and the saffron and its soaking water. Cut the stalks from the coriander, tie loosely with string and add to the dish, saving the leaves as a garnish.
• Bring to a simmer, cover, turn down the heat and cook for 40 minutes. Add the squash and courgettes to the pan, cover again and cook for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Remove the coriander stalks, tip in the chickpeas and season the broth if it needs it.
• Cook the couscous following pack instructions and toss with 1 tbsp of butter and some salt. Fry the almonds in the remaining butter until just golden and then scatter on top of the chicken with the coriander leaves before serving with the couscous on the side.

CHICKEN WITH COUSCOUS

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, bring 2 cups of the chicken broth to a boil. Stir in couscous and 1 1/2 teaspoons of the olive oil. Turn off heat, cover, and let stand 10 minutes.
• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Stir in the chicken, season with pepper, and cook until no longer pink and juices run clear. Remove chicken from the skillet, and set aside.
• Heat the remaining olive oil in the skillet over medium heat. Stir in the jalapeno peppers and carrot, and saute about 2 minutes. Mix in the zucchini, green onions, ginger, and 1/4 cup chicken broth. Continue to cook and stir until tender, about 5 minutes.
• In a small bowl, blend the remaining 1 cup chicken broth with curry powder, coriander, and cornstarch. Pour over the vegetables. Return chicken to the skillet. Continue cooking about 2 minutes until chicken is coated and the broth mixture begins to thicken. Serve over the couscous.

VEGETABLE COUSCOUS

Steps:

• In a large skillet, saute the carrots, celery, onion and peppers in oil for 5-6 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Add the next five ingredients. , Stir in couscous. Add broth; bring to a boil. Cover and remove from the heat; let stand for 5-8 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve immediately.

CHICKEN VEGETABLE COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Cook couscous as directed on package.
• Heat oil in 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Cook chicken in oil 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Stir in remaining ingredients except cheese. Cook uncovered 4 to 5 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in center and vegetables are crisp-tender.
• Serve chicken mixture over couscous. Sprinkle with cheese.

CHICKEN WITH SPRING VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450˚ F. Toss the carrots and fennel with 2 tablespoons olive oil on a rimmed baking sheet. Spread in a single layer and season with salt and pepper. Roast, stirring halfway through, until tender and lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Add the asparagus, season with salt and roast until bright green and crisp-tender, 5 to 8 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper, add to the skillet and cook until well browned on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Flip and cook until browned on the other side, 3 to 5 more minutes. Carefully add the vermouth to the skillet and transfer the skillet to the oven. Roast until the chicken is just cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Remove the chicken to a cutting board to rest, about 5 minutes. Return the skillet to medium-high heat. Add the heavy cream and mustard to the pan juices, scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pan. Simmer until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the parsley and vinegar.
• Divide the vegetables among plates. Slice the chicken and add to the plates; spoon the pan sauce on top.

COUSCOUS WITH SPRING VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Following the basic recipe (page 112), put the couscous in a wide, ovenproof dish, add the same volume of salted water gradually, stirring so that it gets absorbed evenly. After about 10 minutes, when the couscous has become plump and almost tender, add 3 tablespoons olive oil and rub the couscous between your hands to air it and break up any lumps. This can be done in advance and then heated through 20 to 30 minutes before serving in an oven preheated to 400°F until it is steaming hot. For the broth, bring the stock to boiling point, then add the fava beans; the scallions, trimmed of their green ends and sliced; and the artichokes, cut in half or quartered, and cook for 10 minutes, or until tender. Season with salt and pepper, taking into consideration the saltiness of the bouillon cubes. Add the peas, and cook for 5 minutes, or until they are just tender. Stir in the herbs just before you are ready to serve.
• Before serving, fluff up the couscous with a fork, breaking up any lumps, and stir in the remaining olive oil. Arrange the vegetables on top and pass the broth around in a bowl for everyone to help themselves.
• variation
• You may like to melt into the couscous at the end 1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) of butter and omit the olive oil.