Chicken Breasts w/Whole Wheat Couscous & Salsa Verde
Chicken Breasts with Whole Wheat Couscous and Salsa Verde Serves 4
Nutrition per serving– calories: 395, fat: 17 g (saturated fat: 3 g), carbohydrates: 17 g, protein: 45 g, fiber: 4 g, sugar: 2 g, sodium: 697 mg
Salsa verde is a bold and zesty condiment and is great served with fish or grilled vegetables. You can adapt the recipe using different herbs. You can substitute basil for parsley or mint and marjoram and chives for the tarragon. Medium grain bulgur wheat or quinoa can be used in place of whole wheat couscous. Be mindful of the size of your chicken breasts, they often run large. If using larger breasts, you probably will need to increase the cooking time. If you want you can use a food processor to make the salsa verde.
Consider making a double batch and having it on hand to perk up another meal. Here are a few other ways to make use of the Salsa Verde
Serve it with grilled fish or Roast chicken.
Mix in with hot rice or quinoa in your next grain bowl
Toss is with crispy smashed potatoes (or boiled)
Thin it out with lemon juice or red wine vinegar, shake it up and use it as a salad dressing
Swirl it into yogurt for a vegetable dip
For the Chicken and Couscous:
2 cups water
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Bay leaf
4 (6-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed
1 cup whole wheat couscous
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
For the Salsa Verde
1 cup parsley leaves, chopped
1/2 cup mint leaves, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh tarragon, thyme, dill or chives
2 tablespoons capers, drained and finely minced
2 medium cloves garlic, chopped
2 anchovy filets
1 small shallot, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Bring 2 cups water and 3/4 teaspoon salt and bay leaf to boil in 12-inch skillet. Add chicken, bring water back to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, covered, until chicken registers 160 degrees, 12 to 16 minutes, flipping once halfway through cooking. Transfer to platter and tent loosely with aluminum foil.
Increase heat to high and reduce liquid until it’s reduced to 1¼ cups, about 4 minutes. Add couscous to the skillet with the simmering liquid. Immediately remove from heat, cover, and let sit, until liquid is absorbed and couscous is tender about 5 minutes. Remove bay leaf and fluff with a fork, stir in lemon zest, and season with salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, place the parsley, mint, tarragon, capers, garlic, anchovies, and shallot on a cutting board and chop everything together to make a rough paste. Transfer to a bowl and stir in lemon juice and oil, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Slice chicken breast crosswise into ½-inch slices and serve over couscous, and top with sauce.
