Chicken Cous-cous Salad

A few weeks ago, Tania introduced me to 3 fun new things:

1. Sahadi's

It's more wonderful than I can describe, I'm wishing it weren't so far away (Brooklyn). Lots of spices, grains, candy, dried fruit, etc . . . in bulk. Cheap and really good quality. I was excited that my package of cinnamon cost a mere $1.86, but when I got home and tried it, I could tell it was better than anything I could buy in the supermarket. All the spices I purchased are just more intense. The dried fruit was amazing too. I've never tasted dried apricots that were so sweet on their own. I bought bulgar, cocoa powder, dried apricots, Mediterranean Couscous, preserved lemons, cinnamon, poppy seeds, cumin, dried pineapple, malt balls, jelly beans, cheese and water and spent $25.00.

2. Brooklyn Botanical Gardens

Beautiful. The kids had a ball. They loved running through sprinklers, seeing the koi fish, reading the names of roses in the rose garden and exploring all the open, green space. It's free on Tuesdays.



3. Chicken Cous-cous Salad

This recipe comes from an Australian chef, Donna Hay. It is so yummy, really flavorful and interesting. Perfect for summer, you can eat it warmed up or cold out of the fridge. And it is so fun to make because of the unique ingredients (found at Sahadi's):


Mediterranean Cous-cous (normal couscous on the left, Mediterranean on the right)

Capers packed in salt
Tania brought me some of these, I don't have a good source, but apparently they aren't available at the supermarket.



Preserved Lemons
If you can find these, buy some and try diced in salads or grains. Click on the link above for info on how to make your own.

Here's Tania's recipe:

Chicken cous cous salad

Poach 2 chicken breasts in 2 cups water with
1 cinnamon stick
Roughly chopped 1-inch piece of ginger
1t turmeric (I have some if you need it)
1 bay leaf
1T salt (I use kosher)

When done, remove chicken and set aside to cool, then shred.



Bring stock to a boil. Pour stock through a strainer over

1 1/2 c Israeli cous cous (it used to be called Israeli, I noticed after 9/11 they started calling it mediteranean)

Cover for 5 minutes or longer until fully absorbed.



Heat in sauté pan

1/4 c olive oil

Add

2 cloves minced garlic
1/4 c slivered almonds

Cook until almonds are toasted.

Stir in cooked cous cous and add

4 chopped preserved lemon peels (scrape out the insides& throw away)
1/2 chopped red onion
1/4 c (or more) rinsed and soaked salted capers

Juice of one lemon, strained

Shredded chicken



Cook together for about a minute.

Add -

1/2 bunch cilantro

1/2 bunch parsley



Toss and serve.