Recipes

[godi]

I found this recipe in Real Simple Mag. I will put in the changes I made, not many because this stew is good. I made this twice already. I hope you like it.

Chicken Stew with couscous, spinach and Parmesan

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion sliced

(I added 2 carrots diced and 1stalk celery diced)

1/2 cup pearl couscous ( I used whole wheat couscous)

4 gloves garlic chopped (I used the jarred)

1 sprig fresh rosemary ( I used 1 tsp ground rosemary)

4 cups low sodium chicken broth

6 boneless skinless chicken thighs about 1 1/2 pounds

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 bunch spinach stems discarded and roughly chopped (I used a bag of baby spinach i tore it in half as i took the stems off)

(I used1 Parmesan Rind)

Parmesan to serve

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat, add the onions carrot and celery. Heat till almost softened then add the couscous and heat for about 8 to 10 minutes till veggies are soft. Add the garlic and rosemary. Cook stirring occasionally until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.

Add the broth and the chicken and salt and pepper and the Parm rind if using. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through and the couscous is tender, 15 to 20 minutes. (I know I cooked this longer at this point, maybe 30 to 45 minutes) Remove the chicken and coarsely shred it with two forks. While I was shredding the chicken I added the spinach and stirred it in to cook. Then return the chicken to the pot, heat through. Remove the Parm rind. Top with Parmesan cheese.

I served this with a nice crusty bread.

[RespectLife]

Oh thank you! This sound so yummy!

[NickNack]

Sounds delicious!

[Danielle46]

Thanks, this sounds great. I'm always looking for new & healthy ways to cook chicken. Is the Couscous already cooked when you add it to the pot or is it dry and it cooks in the the chicken broth?

[NickNack]

On 1/12/2015 Danielle46 said:

Thanks, this sounds great. I'm always looking for new & healthy ways to cook chicken. Is the Couscous already cooked when you add it to the pot or is it dry and it cooks in the the chicken broth?

I'm going to buy the ingredients to make this tomorrow. I, too, am unsure about whether to cook the couscous first. I'm assuming you don't.

[mousiegirl]

The couscous is not cooked, it will cook in the pot as it only takes a very short time for it to cook. Pearl couscous is also known as Israeli couscous.

[HonnyBrown]

I'm off today and I think I will make this for lunch!

Does the couscous absorb the broth?

[beanie]

lol....I have to google what couscous and Parm Rind are Ok. so, it sounds like it will be easy to find the couscous but not so much with the Parm Rind. Anything I can substitute?

beanie

[Tique]

On 1/13/2015 beanie said:

lol....I have to google what couscous and Parm Rind are

You are not alone; I know what couscous is but not Parm rind.

OP the recipe looks easy and sounds delish. Thank you.

[WenGirl42]

On 1/13/2015 beanie said:

lol....I have to google what couscous and Parm Rind are Ok. so, it sounds like it will be easy to find the couscous but not so much with the Parm Rind. Anything I can substitute?

beanie

Most grocery stores sell wedges of parmesan cheese with the rind on. It's not hard to find at all My grocery store even sells just the rinds in the specialty cheese section. But if you don't have one, it's not really necessary. It adds a salty, nutty depth of flavor in the background of the soup/stew. You might find you need a little more salt without it, but that's it. If you add some freshly grated parmesan cheese to the finished soup/stew, you'll be pretty close.