Mediterranean Vegetable Couscous with Grilled Chicken Breasts and Yogurt Sauce

I love couscous but only when it is kicked up a bit with good mixings.  I think of the couscous more as a base than anything else.  It's just screaming to be mixed with something else.  Tonight I made a Mediterranean inspired meal that was kicked off by finding this great recipe on Epicurious.  To go along with our veggies and grains I grilled up a chicken breast.  To keep with our Mediterranean theme, I topped the chicken with a really easy yogurt sauce.

For the couscous you will need:

1/3 cup sliced almonds 

1 tablespoon olive oil 

3 cups mixed cup-up vegetables (I used zucchini, carrot, celery, red onion, green and red bell pepper ) 

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin 

1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander 

1 cup dry white wine 

1/3 cup golden raisins 

3/4 cup broth (I used chicken, but the original recipe called for vegetable)

2 tablespoons feta cheese

1 cup dry couscous

For the yogurt sauce:

1/2 a cucumber

1/4 onion

2 garlic cloves

1 lemon

3 tablespoons (or more) plain Greek yogurt

A few mint leaves (optional)

I decided to practice my knife skills a bit tonight and brunoise the vegetables.  Basically, this just means small dices.  First, julienne the vegetables (cut into thin strips) and then turn and cut the other way to form small cubes.  You of course don't need to do this, but I think it adds a nice texture and appearance to the dish.

After cutting the vegetables, toss the almonds into a dry pan on medium-low heat and toast.  If you walk away from the stove, you will burn them.  This is true with all nuts.  They go from cooked to burned in no time at all.  Transfer the almonds to a bowl and save for later.

You could buy a package of couscous, but Whole Foods and a lot of other stores sell it in bulk now.  I used whole wheat tonight, and it's super easy and fast to make.  

A good ratio is 1 1/4 cups of liquid to 1 cup of couscous.  You can use water (and a drop of olive oil or butter) or you can use stock.  I decided to use chicken stock tonight to give some extra flavor.  Just bring the liquid to a boil, then add in the couscous, cover, and remove from heat.  Let stand for 5 minutes and then fluff with a fork.  It will stay warm if you leave it covered, so just set to the side until ready to use.

Since we have a small apartment in San Francisco, barbecuing is not always an easy option.  Thankfully we recently received an awesome Le Crueset grill pan thanks to my sister and brother-in-law.  It takes indoor grilling to a whole new level.  Any way you decide to cook the chicken, just season both sides with salt and pepper and place on the heat.

Finally, to get working on the vegetables, add about a tablespoon of olive oil to a pan on medium-high heat.  Add vegetables, cumin, and coriander.  Cook for about 3-5 minutes or until vegetables are starting to get soft.   

Add the wine and raisins, boil until reduced by half, about 3 minutes.

Add the broth, partially cover, and simmer until vegetables are tender.  Don't cook the sauce off completely, you are going to want it later.  Just taste everything after about 5 minutes to see if the vegetables are done.  If needed, add some salt and pepper (I added a pinch of pepper).  When the veggies are done, just cover the pan to keep them warm and turn off the heat.

While the chicken cooks away, and the sauce simmers, prep the yogurt sauce.  This can also be made well in advance if desired.  First, peel half the cucumber and remove the seeds.  To do this, just cut the cucumber in half across and again lengthwise.  Then just take a spoon and scrape out the seeds.   

Next, dice the cucumber and onion and place in a mixing bowl.  Then mince the garlic and add to the bowl.  If you are using mint (I had some on hand and it sounded good) chop and add to bowl as well.  When juicing a lemon, make sure to roll it on the counter first to loosen the juices.  Juice the lemon onto the rest of the ingredients.  Finally, add however much yogurt you need for the consistency that you want.  I used about 3 tablespoons.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  

Hopefully your timing is right and the chicken and veggies finish cooking around the same time. 

Make sure to let the chicken rest for at least 5 minutes before serving.  This is true for all meats, I know it's tough but it's worth the wait; especially if you are like us and buy the crazy expensive pasture raised organic meat.  There's no point in ruining an expensive piece of meat by being impatient.  

Typically I just cover the meat with aluminum foil, but we just ran out so I improvised with a lid.

To finish the dish, spread the sauce over the chicken.  Then add some couscous to the plate and top with the vegetables and remaining juice.  Add a sprinkle of feta cheese and almond slivers.  Viola!

Tonights blog post was compiled while listening to The Black Keys.  Check 'em out...