curried chicken and zucchini with couscous.

Ever cook with couscous?  It’s a staple at our house and is a quick go-to starch, taking only minutes to cook.  So when I don’t have the time or the patience to cook rice we go with couscous. And they sell a box of whole wheat couscous at TJ’s for $1.99!

This recipe is a bit tedious, I’m not going to lie…you cook a little here, stir a little there, cook a little more, stir a little more.  But it’s got all the major food groups represented – protein, carbs, veggies, even some yogurt so dairy is representin’ too.

In the end you’ll have a full belly and a few pots to scrub…but they can wait for tomorrow.

Curried Chicken and Zucchini with Couscous

(serves 4)

What You’ll Need:

1 large onion, chopped

3 tablespoons butter

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced into 1/2 thick pieces (about 6 ounces each)

salt and pepper

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 small zucchinis, cut into matchsticks

2 cloves minced garlic

2 teaspoons curry powder, divided

2 1/2 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup plain greek yogurt

1 1/4 cups whole wheat couscous

2 1/2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Instructions

Cook onion in 1 tablespoon butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally until soft, about 8 minutes.

Separately, season chicken with salt and pepper.  Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and saute chicken for 4-5 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden brown.  Transfer to a plate and cover with foil.

Reduce heat to medium and add 1 tablespoon butter, garlic,  1 teaspoon curry powder and zucchini.  Season with salt and pepper and cook about 3 minutes until zucchini is soft.

Stir broth into the onions and boil 2-3 minutes over medium-high heat until reduced by half.  Add yogurt and cook another 3 minutes.  Add 1 tablespoon butter, couscous, 1 teaspoon curry, salt and pepper, then cover tightly and turn off heat for 5 minutes.  Add chicken and zucchini to couscous and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally until heated through.  Top with cilantro and toasted almonds.

TOTAL:  $7.13 or $1.78 per serving.

Wondering how on earth I arrived at these costs?  Take a look at my shopping guide to show see what I pay for items, per serving, etc.

Nutrition:

595 calories per serving

25 grams of fat

47 carbs

45 grams protein

4 grams fiber