What's in that...Friday

I did this meal a little on and off, so I don't have the food blog sort of pics going on here. But here's what I put in Couscous Chicken, a la MJ:

4 skinless boneless chicken thighs (because the truth is, I like dark meat, be it chicken or turkey, even little cornish hens; maybe that's why I like duck so much - sure, I'll eat/buy breasts but that's because I think I should and it's a challenge to make it taste as good as dark!)




Roland pre-cooked couscous - one cup + 1 tablespoon butter or olive oil. I love couscous. I love cooking couscous. But tonight, I didn't feel like stirring forever and hoped this product, which I've never tried, would measure up to the Roland label. And it did! I may never stir couscous again, this is good!





I went by the veggie guy's late in the afternoon because I wanted to buy a stalk of sugar cane I'd passed over in the morning. No sugar cane, but snow peas, oh yeah. And shallots...uh huh. That all worked.

To continue: two large shallots, sliced thin thin thin

We get the biggest shallots I've ever seen - they are mild and delicious - the veggie guys rock

4 cloves of garlic, minced

Basil, 12 good sized leaves minced if fresh - if dry....um...a few good dashes

Basil is really easy to grow in a pot...well, unless you happen to be a certain artistic type person who happens to be death to plants - but I'll share with her anytime

Chives - 5 or 6 chives, cut into 2 inch pieces. Save a few for garnish

I've never been able to grow chives...killed some beauties I've been given, but for some reason, this year, I have chives! This is definitely the best year I've ever had for gardening...
knock on wood

!/2 cup orange juice

A handful of snow peas (I just bought enough for this dish, serving one - buy and add according to your needs)

and oh so glorious find, Pickapeppa sauce!! Milka has this in right now and I have to say, this is one of my favorite sauces from a bottle beside my own. It's not really a hot sauce, if you like lots of heat; it barely has heat. But it does have wonderful ingredients, is all natural and is just one of those standbys. I forgot how much I missed it until I re-found it. There is an old Florida sauce it reminds me of...and I cannot remember the name, though three seconds ago it was right there on the tip of my brain. Ah, as the sharp edges soften...

Here we go:

Saute shallots and garlic in a couple tablespoons of olive oil until almost translucent. Add chicken, cut into bite sized pieces, saute another few minutes...enough to get the outside of the chicken brown, not pink. Add orange juice, put on simmer, uncovered.

In another pot, boil the same amount of water as couscous used, with either the olive oil or butter. I used the whole box (OOPS! I realized after posting this that I didn't use the whole box, I used a cup!) Now, the instructions say to add the water to the couscous but I added the couscous to the water, with no apparent harm done. So when the water is at the boil, turn it off, add the couscous and let it sit the recommended time, 7 or 8 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

At that point, add the snow peas to the chicken mixture, cover to create a bit of a steam bath for 3 to 5 minutes. Uncover and add the couscous, mix. Let the flavors blend awhile (amazingly the couscous can stand even overnight sitting without getting clumpy or nasty). Can be served immediately or put in the fridge and re-heated briefly for serving.



Buen provecho!