Last weekend we visited the local food and wine festival where we decided to be adventurous and try a sample plate of Spanish food.  We immediately fell in love with Couscous, so much so that I came home and Googled possible recipes to try.  Last night I made this  Moroccan Chicken with Couscous Salad.  It was quick and easy to make.  For some reason I had it in my head that couscous was a hard dish to get right, but if you follow the instructions and are careful not to add too much water to the couscous you will be fine.   The kids loved it, and half way through her second helping, my 8yr. old asked if I could put it in her lunch box when school started back.  What a great idea, and how effortless would it be to pack this type of leftovers in a lunch box?  It is a dish that can be served hot or cold, so why not?  Have it for dinner the night before and pack it for lunch the next day.  Quick, easy and nutritious.

Moroccan Chicken with Couscous Salad

Ingredients:

4 Chicken Breast halves

Moroccan Seasoning

1 1/2 Cups Couscous

1 1/2 Cups Reduced Salt Chicken Stock

45g Sultanas

40g Slivered Almonds

1 small Capsicum, finely diced

60g Baby Spinach leaves

Method:

Season both sides of chicken breasts with Moroccan Seasoning.

Add 1Tbl. olive oil to a hot pan and seal chicken breasts on both sides for about 2 minutes.  Place chicken on a baking tray and place in the oven at 160C  to finish cooking while you make the salad.

Place 1Tbl. olive oil in a large saucepan on medium heat.  Once hot, add capsicum and slivered almonds and cook for 2-3 minutes.  Add sultanas and chicken stock and bring to the boil.  Take off the heat and add the couscous.  Stir once and cover for 3 minutes or until all of the liquid has been absorbed.

Use a fork to lightly fluff and separate the couscous.  Stir through baby spinach leaves to wilt them and serve topped with Moroccan chicken breasts that have been sliced on the diagonal.

Enjoy!

And don’t forget to pack some in your school lunch box for the next day.

LunchBox Tips….

It’s important to keep this dish cool, so don’t forget to add an ice-pack to your lunch box or keep in a cooler.

This week I am contributing this recipe to The Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap at  http://grocerycartchallenge.blogspot.com/