Lemon | I Can Cook That

Rigatoni with Halibut Tomato and Basil

This recipe for Rigatoni with Halibut Tomato and Basil is loosely adapted from Marc Vetri’s cookbook, Rustic Italian Food. Last Friday, I went to Vetri for the first time. And it was hands down the best meal I’ve ever had, both food and service. I was also so terribly awkward that I’m not quite over it. Marc Vetri is one stellar chef. He opened Vetri in 1998 and 14 years later continues to wow people with the food he turns out. I was swooning over each and every plate that came out. I brought my parents for their 30th anniversary and honestly, I feel like it ended up being as much a present to myself as it was for them (sorry mom and dad!).

Vetri even came over to our table, wished my parents a happy anniversary, and signed his cookbook for me! (This is the stage where I got truly embarrassing. I absolutely turned red during this encounter. Eep). So naturally, I can’t think of anything but those delicious meals. I decided to use a recipe from his cookbook, Rustic Italian Food. I ended up using Halibut because the store I was at was out of swordfish (boo).

Ingredients:

1 (16 oz) box dried rigatoni
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
4 cloves garlic, smashed
2 (12 oz) containers heirloom tomatoes, halved lengthwise
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 pound halibut, cut into large chunks
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup basil leaves, hand torn, plus additional basil leaves for garnish

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Berries and Cream in Vanilla Dessert Cups

Berries and Cream in Vanilla Dessert Cups is the perfect quick dessert for guests, or just to fulfill a sweet tooth in a pinch. I found the vanilla dessert cups in Whole Foods and immediately knew I was going to fill them with fresh berries and homemade whipped cream. This recipe for Berries and Cream in Vanilla Dessert Cups is easily adaptable to account for what is on sale or what looks freshest, any berry or fruit will do.

Ingredients:

4 vanilla dessert cups
1/2 pint blackberries
1/2 pint raspberries
2 strawberries, halved
1/2 cup whipping cream/heavy cream
The juice and zest of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon sugar

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Grilled Salmon and Brown Butter Couscous

Salmon and couscous were just made for each other, don’t you think? They are also the perfect choices for a weeknight meal, you’re sure to get food on the table in no time. Cooking Light’s latest issue has a recipe for Grilled Salmon and Brown Butter Couscous that sounded just wonderful. The magazine suggested making this with grilled summer squash. But I stink. And forgot to pick up the squash. Sigh. If you try the squash out with this recipe, let me know how it goes!

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons pine nuts
1 cup uncooked couscous
2 tablespoons dry white wine
1 (14.5-ounce) can fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt $
4 (6-ounce) skinless salmon fillets
Cooking spray

To make, first preheat your grill to medium-high heat. I live in the city, so I use a grill pan and it works just fine. Add the butter to a small pot over medium heat. Cook for 3 minutes or until browned. Add the pine nuts. Cook for 1 minute stirring occasionally.

So at this stage, I was pretty sure I burnt the pine nuts. Maybe it’ll add a smokiness to the couscous?

Add the couscous and cook for 1 minute, stirring occasionally.

While waiting for the couscous to cook, combine the pepper, ground fennel seeds, ground coriander, sugar, and salt in a bowl. As a note, the original recipe called for white pepper, which I do not have. Also, I have fennel seeds that I stuck in my Magic Bullet and blend until powdery.

Sprinkle fillets with the spice mixture and place on grill, skin side up. Grilled for 4 minutes on each side.

Add the wine and broth and bring to a boil. Cover the pot, remove from heat, and let stand for 5 minutes. After the 5 minutes have passed, fluff with a fork and stir in the lemon rind, lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Yep. Totally burned the pine nuts.

The salmon should be finished slightly after the couscous.

The summer squash would have been a wonderful complement. What was I thinking, making a meal without a vegetable? Oh well.

The flavors were absolutely delicious. The spices on the salmon gave so much flavor, but what I really loved was how great of a sear I got on my salmon. It looks so snazzy!

The couscous was really flavorful, the brown butter and even the pine nuts (which weren’t too burnt to eat, yay!) I love love the hit of citrus with the couscous as well.

To not burn the pine nuts, maybe cook them for about 30 seconds. I also think there’s a chance I never stirred them.. I honestly don’t remember!

Grilled Tomato Orzo Salad in a Tomato Bowl

We have been having such a warm spring in Philadelphia. So if the weather is going to pretend it is summer, I will as well! To me, summer means tomatoes, corn, pesto, pasta salad, and of course, grilling.

Before I go into this recipe for Grilled Tomato Orzo Salad in a Tomato Bowl, first I want to tell you about Lipman Tomatoes. Lipman Tomatoes, a business-to-business company that has been supplying tomatoes and other vegetables to grocery stores and restaurants for 70 years, is about to launch a consumer-focused brand and website. Lipman contacted me about developing a recipe to celebrate their launch, which is the perfect opportunity for me to give into my “summer fever”. I decided to make a Grilled Tomato Orzo Salad served in a Tomato Bowl. (Update: the site is now live! Check out my recipe here!)

Lipman sent me an awesome assortment of their tomatoes. I decided to use the grape tomatoes for grilling, and the Vintage Ripe (a beautiful heirloom tomato) as my tomato bowls. The assortment also came with some cherry tomatoes and plum tomatoes so expect me to be on quite the tomato kick in the coming days!

Ingredients:

4 large Vintage Ripe tomatoes

1 cup orzo

4 cups vegetable broth

1 pint grape tomatoes

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 corn on the cob (or 1/3 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed)

8 oz mozzarella balls (if you cant get marinated mozzarella balls, even better!)

1 cucumber, seeded and chopped

Mint, for garnish

For the pesto:

2 bunches fresh basil leaves (about 2 cups packed)

1/3 cup walnuts

3 garlic cloves, minced

the juice and zest of 1 lemon

Salt and pepper, to taste

1/4 cup grated Parmiginao-Reggiano cheese

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Smoked Salmon Crisps

Can you tell I really like the Kitchen Table Bakers Parmesan Crisps? When I first heard of the crisps, I wanted to make an appetizer with smoked salmon, creme fraiche, and dill. The rosemary crisps are perfect for me to make Smoked Salmon Crisps!

Ingredients:

1 package Kitchen Table Bakers Rosemary Parmesan Crisps

3 tablespoons creme fraiche

1 tablespoon chopped dill, plus more for garnish

1 teaspoon capers

Smoked salmon

Lemon zest

Mix the creme fraiche, chopped dill,and capers.

Add a teaspoon of the mixture to each crisp.

Top with a rolled piece of the smoked salmon.

Add a sprig of dill for garnish.

Zest a lemon over each piece.

That’s it!

Dill, salmon and lemon are just made for each other.

The capers add a slight tanginess to this which is a happy surprise.

If you can’t find creme fraiche, use sour cream. However, the lightness of the creme fraiche is really worth seeking out for this appetizer.

Strawberry Banana Stuffed French Toast

It’s spring! And spring means (among other things) that strawberries are back in season. So what better way to use them than for a delicious weekend brunch? This Strawberry Banana Stuffed French Toast uses strawberries three ways: fresh, in a strawberry sauce, and for an extra touch of strawberry goodness, in a strawberry jam. And because I love bananas, I threw in a couple slices of that as well. I found the strawberry sauce recipe here and my French toast recipe is based off of this post.

Ingredients:

4 challah rolls

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup vanilla almond milk (unsweeted)

2 tablespoons sugar

1 1/4 cup sliced strawberries, divided

3 tablespoons honey

the juice and zest of one lemon

4 ounces low fat cream cheese

1 tablespoon strawberry jam

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 banana, sliced

1 tablespoon butter

Begin by slicing the challah rolls in half. In a large bowl, add the eggs, almond milk and 2 tablespoons sugar.

Add the roll halves and mix to coat.

Cover and refrigerate for one hour.

one hour later

Add 1 cup sliced strawberries, 3 tablespoons honey, and the lemon juice and zest to a bowl and mix to combine.

Allow to stand for 1 hour. (I actually ended up leaving both for over an hour. Whoops.)

one hour later

Combine the cream cheese, vanilla extract and strawberry jam.

Slice the rest of your strawberries and your banana.

Heat a saute pan over medium high heat and add 1 teaspoon butter. Add 1 set of challah rolls to the saute pan and cook for three minutes.

Flip and cook for three more minutes.

While waiting for the side to cook, add 1 tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture to one piece of roll.

Add slices of strawberry and banana.

When the bread is done cooking, assemble the pieces of bread. Add one to two tablespoons of the strawberry sauce and a few more slices of banana.

Repeat with remaining rolls. How good does that look?

The challah rolls were crispy while the cream cheese mixture was nice and creamy.

The strawberry sauce was tangy, just enough to complement the sweetness of the rest of the French toast.

And as usual, I am a big fan of the already portioned serving. It gives me a better chance of not being a piggy. 🙂

I loved this! I wish I could eat this every spring day. Except I think people would begin to judge me…

White Bean Hummus

Have you ever had a craving for something that you just can’t shake? Even after eating? I desperately wanted hummus. And even after filling up on delicious pizza I still wanted that hummus. But I don’t have any chickpeas in my place right now. (Note to self: stock up on cans of chickpeas so that I am never in this terrible situation again) So I went in search of a recipe for hummus that I could use something, anything else I happened to have on hand. White bean hummus to the rescue! (I found this recipe in Southern Living)

Ingredients:

2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 (15.5-ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
the juice and zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons tahini
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoonpaprika, plus more for garnish
1/4 cup olive oil

Rinse and drain your cannellini beans.

Add all the ingredients except for the olive oil to a food processor and blend. You may need to stop the food processor one or two times to scrape the sides to make sure everything is evenly blended.

While the food processor is running, add an even stream of the olive oil until well blended. Add to a bowl and sprinkle with some paprika. Serve with pita chips, cucumber, or green peppers.

Due to my craving, I had none of these on hand. Junk. But I did have some of the Kitchen Table Bakers Rosemary Parmesan Crisps that went perfectly with the hummus!

Oh so satisfying.

Cannellini beans make one fantastic hummus, who knew?

The hummus was nice and creamy. And I loved the fresh rosemary!

I’d suggest adding some extra fresh chopped rosemary on top for added flavor. You can store this overnight or for a few days beforehand. I like to bring it with me as a snack at work.

Pecan Crusted Halibut with Roasted Asparagus and Potatoes

I have a confession. Despite cooking most nights a week (and making leaps and bounds over the past year and a half as to what I am able to cook) I still struggle to pull an entire meal together at one time, i.e. a protein and two sides. Unless it is a one-pot kind of meal, I tend to just make the protein and be done with it, or I make a huge batch of the side and have that as my dinner. So with Cooking Lightt’s April issue including 40 Meals Under 40 Minutes, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to tackle making an entire meal. I used their Hazelnut-Crusted Halibut with Roasted Asparagus and Roasted Red Potatoes as a base for this meal – Pecan Crusted Halibut with Roasted Asparagus and Potatoes.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon butter
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 (6-ounce) halibut fillets, skin still on
1 egg white, lightly beaten
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 pound asparagus, trimmed
Cooking spray
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
2 lemon wedges
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 shallots, thinly sliced
2 handfuls of small potatoes (I used red, fingerling, and purple) – Very scientific, I know

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Bacon Bloody Mary

What could possibly make a traditional Bloody Mary even better? Bacon of course! The smoky taste of bacon is a perfect upgrade to everyone’s favorite brunch accompaniment. I used Bakon Vodka to make this Bacon Bloody Mary, but you can also make your own homemade version if you so choose.

Ingredients (makes one drink):

1 1/2 oz Bakon Vodka

Juice of 1/2 a lemon

Juice of 1/2 a lime

1 teaspoon Worcestershire

4 drops tabasco, or more if you want it spicy

1/2 teaspoon Old Bay, plus more to rim the glass

Tomato Juice

1 piece of bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 celery stalk

Ice

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Crispy Herbed Shrimp with Roasted Asparagus and Tomatoes

Have you ever opened up a food magazine, and have decided by a photo only that you want, no need, to make that recipe? I didn’t even look at the title, or read the ingredients, before I had earmarked this recipe to make. Shrimp, asparagus, and tomatoes? This is right up my alley. The best part of cooking with seafood is that it’s almost always a quick meal. This Cooking Light recipe for Crispy Herbed Shrimp with Roasted Asparagus and Tomatoes can be made in only 40 minutes, perfect for a weeknight dinner.

Ingredients

Shrimp:

3/4 cup panko, divided
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

Chive Aioli:

1/2 cup 2% Greek yogurt
1/4 cup canola mayonnaise
3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon paprika

Roasted Asparagus and Tomatoes:

1 pound asparagus, trimmed
1/2 cup grape tomatoes
1/3 cup sliced shallots
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Cooking spray

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Lemon Pepper Chicken with Creamy Artichoke & Sun Dried Tomato Pasta

Well, that’s quite a long title for a dish. I don’t really know what else to call it though, this recipe was a result of me trying to make a meal with what I had on hand. I was send some chicken from Gold’n Plump, and one of the options was Lemon Pepper Seasoned Boneless Skinless Breast Fillets. I had some tarragon left over from my Salmon Croquettes and I thought the lemon pepper seasoning would go perfectly with that, along with some sun dried tomatoes and artichoke hearts.

Ingredients (this makes two servings):

2 lemon pepper seasoned boneless skinless breast fillets

1/2 box pasta of your choice (I used fusilli)

1 teaspoon olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 green onions, thinly sliced

1/2 cup cream

4 artichoke hearts, quartered

1/3 cup sun dried tomatoes, roughly chopped

1 tablespoon chopped tarragon

salt and pepper, to taste

1/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

the juice of one lemon

Gold’n Plump’s chicken is individually packaged, which is awesome for people who live alone or do not have a family of four. I tend to not buy chicken because I never manage to finish the four fillets usually included in one package. The individual servings allow me to take what I need and freeze the rest for later use.

Bring a pot of water to boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions. Drain and set aside. While the pasta is cooking, add the olive oil to a saute pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and the green onions, and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Add the cream, sun dried tomatoes, tarragon, and artichoke hearts.

Cover and simmer on medium low for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. While the cream mixture is simmering, heat a grill pan (or a saute pan if you don’t have a grill pan) over medium high heat. Add the chicken and sear on both sides, about 3 minutes per side.

The chicken will not be fully cooked through. Slice into thin strips and add to the cream mixture. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked.

Add the pasta to the cream mixture and toss to coat.

Add the mozzarella cheese. Cook for another 1-3 minutes to allow the pasta to absorb some of the sauce, and to let the cheese melt.

Remove from heat and squeeze the lemon juice in to the dish. Mix and serve.

Despite the cream, the flavor of the chicken still shone through, it was really nice! I loved having such a nice amount of flavor from the chicken without having to remember to marinate it beforehand.

Artichoke hearts, sundried tomatoes, and tarragon work so well together.

You could have this dish without the pasta, but I like it to soak up all of that yummy sauce.

Note: Although the Lemon Pepper Chicken is available in some markets, it is not available in the Philadelphia area. However, Targets in the area do carry the following Gold’n Plump products:

All Natural Boneless Skinless Breasts
Extra Tender Boneless Skinless Breasts
90/10 Ground Chicken
All Natural Drumsticks
All Natural Whole Chicken
Extra Tender Tenders
All Natural Wings
All Natural Boneless Skinless Thighs

Salmon Croquettes with Lemon Tarragon Aioli

I am so excited to share this recipe with you. I loved it so much! I found this recipe from Saveur and knew I had to try it. This recipe is perfect for a Friday night meal, but I suggest making them ahead of time if you can. They need to be chilled for at least one hour so that they retain their shape when cooking.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup white wine
3 tbsp. Old Bay seasoning, divided
1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. kosher salt, divided
1 1-lb. boneless salmon filet
1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs
3 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
4 scallions, finely chopped
2 eggs, beaten
Juice of 1 lemon
Canola oil for frying, or olive oil to pan fry

To make, add 4 cups water, wine, 2 tablespoons Old Bay, and 1 tablespoon salt in a large saute pan (make sure you have a top for the saute pan). Bring to a boil.

Add the salmon, skin side down.

Turn off the heat and cover the salmon. Let the salmon cook in the liquid for 10 minutes. Transfer the salmon to a plate skin side up and let cool. The salmon will not be fully cooked through.

Peel off the skin and discard. Break the salmon into small pieces and place in a bowl with the remaining Old Bay and salt as well as the bread crumbs, butter, scallions, eggs and lemon juice. Stir and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Using a 1/3-cup measuring cup to evenly size the croquettes, form the 1/3 cup mixtures into patties with your hands. Transfer to a parchment paper lined baking sheet. (I ended up with 8 patties plus one little baby patty). Refrigerate for at least an hour (I refrigerated mine overnight).

You can fry the patties in canola oil in 1/2″ of oil at 325 degrees, but I decided to just pan fry mine in a little olive oil. Cook for 3 minutes on each side. Transfer to a paper towel to remove excess oil then serve.

Serve with a wedge of lemon and a lemon tarragon aioli. To make the aioli, add 1/2 cup mayo, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon, the juice of 1/2 a lemon, 1 minced garlic clove, and 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard, and 1/4 teaspoon Old Bay in a food processor. Refrigerate for 30 minutes and serve.

I served three croquettes per person with 1 teaspoon aioli.

I loved the flavor of this so so much! The Old Bay comes through in the salmon croquette, and an extra squeeze of lemon on top brings this from good to great.

The aioli was really nice with it too! I had some tarragon in my fridge so I decided to make it and I was afraid tarragon wouldn’t go with the salmon. That wasn’t an issue at all; they worked great together!

This is a great quick night meal if you have the ability to plan ahead and prep the night before. If not, just make sure to give yourself a good 2-3 hours to make the whole thing which doesn’t make it very feasible for a weeknight.

Guest Post: Foil Cooked Salmon and Asparagus or Choice of Vegetables

Today I have another delicious guest post for you all from Gareth. He e-mailed me asking if he could post this salmon recipe, and I couldn’t say no! If you haven’t realized quite yet, I’m a big fan of salmon. Not only is this recipe easy and really quick to make, it’s also healthy and perfect for Friday meals in Lent. Let me turn it over to Gareth…

When it comes to quick and simple recipes that pack a powerful flavour this is one of my favourites. Salmon is very easy to cook well and has so much natural flavour you need to add very little to it to get an amazing tasting meal. This recipe can also be adapted for nearly any vegetables or fish too.

Ingredients

Chunky Salmon Fillet (partly smoked if you prefer)

Virgin Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

Lemon (real lemon if you can)

Tomatoes, Asparagus, courgette, green beans or vegetables of your choice

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees (this is Celsius, so for Americans, preheat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit) while you prepare the food.

Cut off some tin foil that is big enough to wrap all your vegetables and fish in a parcel when done.

Put the salmon skin side down in the middle of your foil. Use a sharp knife to score the top of the skin. Add seasoning. A little salt and pepper works great but you can also add garlic or premixed herbs and spices if you wish. Now squeeze some lemon on top. The key flavour here is the salmon itself, you can get away with adding very little extra.

Cut up your choice of vegetables, personally I go for asparagus, small tomatoes chopped in half, and some green beans but you can cook nearly anything you like. The thing to remember is that the fish will take 15 minutes to cook so you want to make sure the vegetables are small enough to cook in that time.

Curl up the edges of the tinfoil to stop oil going everywhere. Drizzle some good quality oil over the top, you just need enough for it all to cook in.

Wrap it all up in a parcel so nothing leaks out and stick it in the middle shelf of the oven for around 15minutes depending on the size of the fish.

You will know when the fish is done because it will be lighter in colour and starting to flake off. Open a corner of the parcel and drain off the excess oil. Plate up and enjoy.

How beautiful is that dish? With minimal effort too! I agree, I love salmon with asparagus or green beans. Another favorite is wilted spinach or a couscous salad. Many thanks to Gareth for sharing this recipe!

Gareth is a writer and marketer who has a keen interest in food. Cotswold Fayre let you buy wholesale food as a retailer in the UK.

Creamy Lemon Pasta with Vegetables

Pasta is definitely one of my weaknesses. I would eat it every day if it was socially acceptable to do so. But alas, all those carbs probably wouldn’t be best. Adding vegetables to a pasta dish always makes me feel a little bit better about my choice though. MyRecipes.com had an awesome sounding recipe for Creamy Lemon Pasta with Vegetables.

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup 1% milk

1 cup whole cream
Zest and juice from 3 lemons
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons pepper
16 ounces spinach fusilli pasta
2 pounds trimmed asparagus
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
2 pints cherry tomatoes, halved

Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Season with salt. Cut asparagus into 1 inch pieces.

Add the asparagus to a steamer and add it to the pot. Cover and steam for 3 minutes. Set aside. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half.

Add the olive oil to a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and saute for 1 minute.

Slowly whisk in the milk, cream, zest, and juice from 3 lemons. Season with salt and pepper.

Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 15 minutes. Cook the pasta according to package label directions while the cream mixture is simmering. Drain pasta and return to the pot. Add the cream mixture to the pasta and stir to coat.

Add the Parmesan cheese, asparagus and tomatoes and mix to combine.

Serve with more cheese and lemon zest, if desired.

This dish includes some of my favorite flavors! You can use normal pasta but I thought that the spinach pasta would add nice flavor and color.

The asparagus stays crispy which is nice with the creamy pasta.

The tomatoes add a burst of bright flavor which makes it feel really fresh.

The lemon flavor is throughout the whole dish but isn’t overwhelming at all.

Plus, look how pretty it is!

Couscous-Stuffed Chicken

I haven’t posted a chicken recipe on here since September! I figured it was definitely time to change that. I really don’t eat much chicken so I guess I’ve gone a long time without even making it without realizing. I have been on a couscous kick so when I came across Cooking Light‘s recipe for Couscous Stuffed Chicken I was pretty pumped. However, I apparently do not possess the skill to create pinwheels with chicken. What they lack in beauty though they most certainly make up for in flavor!

Ingredients:

1/3 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup uncooked couscous
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided
3 tablespoons chopped plum tomato
2 tablespoons kalamata olives, chopped
2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 minced garlic clove
2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
Cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. First make the couscous. Add the broth to a small pot and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in the couscous. Cover and let stand for 4 minutes.

Add the couscous to a small bowl and fluff with a fork. Allow to cool. Add the chopped tomato, olives, feta, olive oil, parsley, lemon zest, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper.

Place chicken between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound to 1/4 inch thickness. (I failed at this step. My pounding brought it by no means close to 1/4 inch thickness. Next time I make this, I think I’ll try it with chicken tenderloins instead).

Add the couscous mixture on top of each piece of chicken.

Roll up and secure with wooden picks. Pretty sure this should have looked prettier than mine ended up.

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat a large oven proof saute pan over medium-high heat. Coat with cooking spray and add the chicken rolls. Cook for six minutes until the chicken is browned. Turn over and bake at 400 degrees.

The original recipe said 5 minutes. Because my pieces were so thick it took closer to 20 minutes.

So yeah. My presentation isn’t going to win me any awards. BUT this dish tastes so good! The chicken remained really moist and flavorful.

The couscous mixture was fantastic. I am not the biggest fan of olives so I included fewer in my rolled up chicken (which meant my olive-loving boyfriend got more in his mixture. No complaints from him).

I think thin chicken tenderloins would work much better with these if you are big on presentation.