Chicken Israeli Couscous With Zucchini Recipes

ONE POT GARLIC CHICKEN WITH ISRAELI COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Wrap garlic in foil and bake in 375 degrees for 45 minutes until the garlic is tender and soft. Remove when done and allow to cool.
• In a food processor, add the garlic, lemon zest and juice, thyme, cumin, red pepper, salt and olive oil. Pulse until well blended and then rub mixture all over chicken. Allow chicken to rest for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours.
• In a medium pot, par-cook the couscous. Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook for 5-6 minutes. Drain and set aside.
• Next, get a large pot or dutch oven and drizzle with olive oil. On medium heat sear chicken on all sides to brown it. It doesn't have to be cooked all the way through, just seared. When done, reserve to a plate.
• Add celery and onions and saute in chicken oil. Season with salt and red pepper. Allow to cook until veggies begin to break down, about 5-6 minutes.
• Add wine and deglaze pan using a wooden spoon to scrape the chicken bits from the bottom. Add tomato paste and saffron and mix well. Add zucchini, couscous and chicken stock and stir to combine. Taste for seasoning (more salt?)
• Place chicken back in with all its juices. Chicken should not be fully covered under liquid, but slightly sticking out. Cover dutch oven with lid and place in oven at 375 degrees F for 20 minutes. Then remove lid and continue to bake for another 10 minutes.

GARLIC CHICKEN IN CASSEROLE WITH ISRAELI COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Put the garlic bulbs in a small tin and roast them until they are soft when squeezed, about 30 minutes. Remove them from the oven and let cool.
• When the garlic bulbs are cool, slice the tops off and squeeze out the roasted garlic. Add the garlic to a food processor or a bowl, along with the lemon zest, lemon juice, thyme, cumin, crushed red pepper and salt, to taste. Add a little olive oil and puree or mash into a loose paste. Massage the mixture all over the chicken pieces and let sit for at least 1 hour.
• Bring a pot of well salted water to a boil, over medium heat. Add the couscous and cook it until it's about 2/3 of the way cooked, about 5 to 6 minutes. Drain and reserve.
• Coat a large saute pan with olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken to the pan and brown it on all sides. Remove it to a plate, drain the fat and add the onions and celery. Season with salt, to taste, and the crushed red pepper. Deglaze with white wine, scraping up all the crud on the bottom of the pan and cook the onions and celery for 7 to 8 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for another 2 minutes. Add in the saffron, zucchini, cooked couscous, and chicken stock. Stir to combine, then taste and adjust seasoning, if needed. Transfer the mix to an ovenproof dish. Nestle the chicken, skin side up, in the couscous and cover with foil. Add some more chicken stock to keep everything nice and moist. Sprinkle with pine nuts and cover with foil. Place the baking dish on a sheet pan.
• Roast the chicken for 20 minutes, covered, then remove the foil and roast for another 10 to 15 minutes.
• Remove the chicken from the oven and top with scallions before serving.

GARLIC CHICKEN WITH ISRAELI COUSCOUS

Steps:

• For the garlic chicken: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Put the garlic bulbs straight on the oven rack and roast them until they are soft when squeezed, about 30 minutes. Remove them from the oven and let cool. Turn the oven up to 375 degrees F.
• While garlic is roasting, prep the chicken. Into a food processor or a bowl, add the lemon zest and juice and set aside. When the garlic bulbs are cool, slice the tops off and squeeze out the roasted garlic into the bowl or food processor along with the thyme, cumin, crushed red pepper and salt to taste. Add a little olive oil and puree or mash into a loose paste. Massage the mixture all over the chicken pieces and let sit for at least 1 hour.
• For the couscous: Bring a pot of well salted water to a boil over medium heat. Add the couscous and cook it until it's about two-thirds of the way cooked, 5 to 6 minutes. Drain and reserve.
• Coat a large saute pan with olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken to the pan and brown it on all sides.
• Remove it to a plate, drain the fat and add the celery and onions. Season with salt and crushed red pepper. Deglaze with the white wine, scraping up all the crud on the bottom of the pan, and cook for 7 to 8 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for another 2 minutes. Add in the saffron, zucchini, cooked couscous and chicken stock. Stir to combine, and then taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
• Transfer the mix to an ovenproof dish. Nestle the chicken, skin-side up, in the couscous and cover with foil. Add some more chicken stock to keep everything nice and moist. Sprinkle with pine nuts and cover with foil. Place the baking dish on a sheet pan.
• Roast the chicken for 20 minutes, and then remove the foil and roast for another 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the chicken from the oven and top with scallions before serving.

GARLIC CHICKEN WITH ISRAELI COUSCOUS

Steps:

• For the chicken: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Place the garlic bulbs in the oven and roast until soft, about 30 minutes. Remove and let cool. When the bulbs are cool enough to handle, slice off the tops and squeeze the cloves into the bowl of a food processor.
• Add the lemon zest and juice, cumin, and crushed red pepper to the garlic. Season the mixture with salt and puree until smooth. While the machine is running, drizzle in 1/4 cup olive oil. Taste and reseason if needed.
• Place the chicken in a large dish or on a baking sheet and massage the garlic mixture onto the skin of each piece-really lube it up! Let the chicken sit at room temp for up to 2 hours or, if longer than 2 hours, in the fridge. HINT, HINT: This can be done WAY ahead of time!
• For the couscous:
• Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil-taste the water to make sure it is salty like the ocean! Add the couscous and cook until it's two-thirds of the way done, 5 to 6 minutes. Strain and reserve.
• Coat a large saute pan with olive oil, toss in the onion and celery, and bring to medium-high heat. Season with salt and crushed red pepper and cook until soft, 7 to 8 minutes.
• Stir in the tomato paste, white wine, and saffron and cook for 3 to 4 more minutes.
• Toss in the zucchini, reserved couscous, pine nuts, thyme bundle, and bay leaf and stir to combine. Add 1 1/2 cups chicken stock and stir. The couscous should be a little soupy. If it isn't, add the remaining 1/2 cup chicken stock. Taste and reseason if needed. Remove and discard the bay leaf and the thyme bundle. Transfer the mixture to a large baking dish-one big enough to hold the chicken as well-and reserve.
• To assemble:
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Coat a large saute pan with olive oil and bring it to medium-high heat. Working in batches, brown the chicken on all sides. Be patient, this may take up to 6 to 8 minutes. BE SURE not to crowd the pan. If you do, the chicken will steam and get soggy rather than brown and crispy . . . not yummy.
• Nestle the browned chicken skin side up in the prepared couscous. Cover with foil and place in the oven. Roast the chicken for 20 minutes, remove the foil, and roast for another 15 minutes.
• When the chicken is cooked through, remove from the oven and top with the chopped scallions and cilantro to serve.

CURRIED COUSCOUS WITH CHICKEN AND ZUCCHINI

Steps:

• Cook onion in 2 tablespoons butter in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 8 minutes, then reserve in skillet.
• Meanwhile, pat chicken slices dry and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté chicken in 2 batches, turning occasionally, until just cooked through and golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes per batch, transferring chicken to a plate with tongs.
• Reduce heat to moderate and add 1 tablespoon butter, then cook zucchini with 1/8 teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper, stirring frequently, until just tender, about 2 minutes. Transfer to plate with chicken and loosely cover with foil.
• Add garlic along with half of reserved onion to larger skillet and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until garlic is fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon curry powder and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in 1 cup broth and bring to a boil, then boil until reduced by half, 2 to 3 minutes. Add cream and boil sauce, stirring occasionally, until just thick enough to coat back of a spoon, about 2 minutes. Set sauce aside in skillet.
• Reheat remaining onion in 10-inch skillet over moderate heat, then add remaining teaspoon curry powder and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add 1 tablespoon butter and remaining 1 1/4 cups broth, then bring to a boil. Stir in couscous and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper, then cover tightly and let stand off heat 5 minutes. Cut remaining 2 tablespoons butter into small pieces and stir into couscous. Let stand, covered, 1 minute.
• While couscous is standing, add chicken and zucchini to sauce along with any juices accumulated on plate and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with 1/2 tablespoon cilantro.
• Fluff couscous with a fork to break up any lumps, then stir in remaining 2 tablespoons cilantro and salt and pepper to taste. Serve with lime wedges.