Bits of Carey

I am not a regular couscous muncher, but every now and then I come across a recipe that entices me to cook with it again.  I recently spotted this Moroccan chicken salad in a lovely cook book called Feast Bazaar by Barry Vera. It is a delightful read,  Barry writes about his travels and culinary experiences in India, Morocco and Syria and his recipes are user friendly and actually work! I tweaked his recipe a bit by adding extra roasted veggies and feta but it is just as yummy without. This is a delicious and perfectly substantial summer salad. Deeply satisfying.

What you will need:

SERVES 4 – 6

4 chicken breasts

MARINADE:

125 ml greek style yoghurt

10 ml harissa paste( I used John west)

10 ml cumin

10 ml coriander

2 cloves garlic, crushed

15 ml oilive oil

salt and pepper to taste

2 red peppers

6 courgettes, sliced length ways (1 cm thick)

1 small aubergine, sliced(1 cm thick)

250 ml hot chicken or veg stock stock( use a good one or home made)

5 ml cinnamon

250 ml couscous

1 tin chickpeas, rinsed and drained

100 g sundried tomatoes(Ina paarman’s are good), diced

Juice of 1 lemon or 2 limes

handful of mint, chopped

handful of coriander, chopped

1 wheel of feta, cubed

Preheat the oven to 220 degrees

Mix the marinade ingredients together and coat the chicken breasts well, set aside in the fridge to marinate while preparing the veggies.

Place the peppers whole in the hot oven and roast until a few black blisters form( +- 45 minutes), then place into a bowl and cover with cling film and allow to sweat for 15 minutes.

Arrange the sliced vegetables onto a greased baking tray and roast for +- 30 minutes or until slightly charred.  Set aside.

Cut the sweated peppers in half, remove the pips and peel the skins off(will literally fall off) and dice. Set aside.

Turn the oven heat down to 200 degrees and roast the chicken for 12 minutes, remove from the oven and cover with foil.

Prepare the couscous in a large bowl by pouring the hot stock and cinnamon over the couscous, cover with a cloth and allow to stand for + – 5 minutes(to allow the stock to be absorbed) and  break the couscous up with a fork.

Slice the chicken thinly. Set aside.

Add the prepared veggies, chicken, chickpeas, sundried tomatoes, juice, herbs and feta and gently combine using two forks.

Eat warm, room temperature or cold.

Delicious the next day for lunch.

TIPS:

If you are not in the mood to roast veggies, just buy about 500 ml(2 cups) of ready roasted veggies from your local deli.

The longer you marinade the chicken, the more pronounced the flavours will be. Try marinating over night or before you leave for work.

Try 100 g of goats cheese instead of feta…yum.

Just half the recipe if just making for two, works out perfectly.