Pearl Couscous Salad with Chicken and Grilled Peppers

Couscous salad with roasted chicken and deliciously tender, smoky and colorful grilled peppers.

Today's recipe is another of my super healthy, picnic dish ideas to make your outdoor meal memorable. Perfect to take along at the park or at the beach, or great idea for your next barbecue or casual party. I made this Israeli couscous salad yesterday for lunch for my family day at the beach. It was a huge hit with my husband and the kids!
I had some left over roasted chicken from the day before, which wasn't enough for another meal, but plenty to add to the couscous. If you don't have leftover chicken, you can always use a fresh chicken breast, marinate it with rosemary and garlic, cut it thin, and quickly grill it. Just like I did in my couscous salad with chicken and zucchini.
To make this couscous salad a complete, one-dish meal, I add some organic yellow, red and orange peppers that I roasted in the oven: this won't take too much time, nor much work and it's so easy to clean up. Here is my step-by-step, super easy recipe:

Ingredients:

• 3 peppers (I used red, orange and yellow)
• 1.5 cups of cooked chicken (about one chicken breast)
• 1.5 cups of couscous (I used Israeli pearl couscous)
• extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 lemon, juice
• 6-7 leaves of fresh basil
• salt 

Preparation time: 40 minutes

Directions:
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Roast the peppers by placing them on a baking sheet covered with aluminum foil for easy clean up, in the upper part of the oven. Remember to turn them over every 8 minutes or so. Leave in the oven for about 20 minutes, or until the skin all around is dark and soft. Remove from the oven and wrap the peppers in the foil for 5-10 minutes. This way they become soft and juicy. And easy to peel!

Step 2: While the peppers are in the oven, cut the cooked chicken in small cubes.

Step 3: Cook the couscous following the direction on the box. I simmered the couscous for about 11 minutes in salted water. Drain the couscous and run it under running water to cool it off.
Step 4: Unwrap the peppers, peel them (should be very easy!!) and cut in small cubes.

Step 5: In a large bowl, mix together the couscous with the chicken and the peppers. Season with a few tablespoons of olive oil, lemon juice and basil leaves cup in pieces.

Enjoy!!

Fresh and Light Couscous Salad

Fresh, light, fast and healthy couscous salad. 

Perfect for your next picnic at the beach!

I can't believe that my boys will start school in a week. ONE WEEK! 

And it's still the middle of summer. As much as I was not ready for school to end in June, I am definitely not prepared now to get back. Not looking forward to going back to the usual: getting up early in the morning, eating a quick breakfast, packing lunches, getting everybody dress super fast, rushing out of the door before 8, and speed to get to school on time. And not to mention that all the after school activities will start right away too! As usual, I'll be the designated driver :-)

So I'm really going to do my best to enjoy our last few beach days. Today we went to this beautiful hidden spot, Dume Cove in Malibu. Amazing! Very quiet and absolutely beautiful. Here are two pictures... sorry but I did not have my camera with me, just my phone.

And as usual, I brought a picnic lunch. For the occasion, I made this fresh and light couscous salad with organic tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, cucumber and tasty olives. Perfect for these hot summer days! Here is the recipe for you:

Ingredients: serving 4 people:

• 1.5 cups of pearl couscous
• 2 organic tomatoes
• 2 small (persian) cucumbers, or one medium cucumber
• 4 oz fresh mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup of pitted olives, I used Kalamata
• salt to taste
• oregano or fresh basil leaves
• 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Directions:
Step 1: Cook the couscous as directed on the box.
Step 2: Cut the tomatoes, cucumbers and mozzarella cheese in small cubes. Slice the olives. Place everything with the olive oil in a large bowl, and season with salt.

Step 3: When the couscous is ready, drain and run under cold water to stop from overcooking.
Add to the bowl, mix well and sprinkle with oregano (or with basil leaves cut in small pieces).
Serve immediately or at room temperature.

Buon Appetito!

Grilled Chicken and Zucchini Couscous Salad

Deliciously healthy, perfectly balanced one-dish meal. 

Great recipe for your 4th of July celebration!

I hope you had a wonderful weekend! Yesterday here in Los Angeles the weather was just perfect for the beach: warm and breezy, not too hot and not too windy. Also, the ocean was finally warm enough for me to hit the waves, and boogie board with my boys. Lots of fun!
With all the playing in the water and sand, I always need to be prepared and pack a nutritious and filling lunch. The beach can really make you hungry! What I cooked was a yummy and super healthy couscous salad with grilled chicken and zucchini. A perfectly balanced, one-dish meal. Great for your next picnic, and a must-try for your 4th of July celebration party! Not really Italian, but with strong Mediterranean aroma and flavor. You will enjoy every bite of it!


Ingredients: serving 4

• 3 zucchini
• one chicken breast
• 1 cup of couscous, I used the Israeli pearl 
• extra virgin olive oil
• rosemary
• 2 garlic cloves
• half lemon, juice
• salt, to taste

Preparation time: about 40 minutes

Directions:
Step 1: Marinate the chicken breast with rosemary and garlic, and a bit of olive oil.
Thinly slice the zucchini and grill. Season with salt.

Step 2: Grill the chicken: I cut mine in thinner slices so that it would only take a few minutes per side to grill. Season with salt.

Step 3: Follow the directions on the box to cook the couscous. Mine said: boil three cups of salted water. When boiling, add half tablespoon of olive oil and the couscous. Simmer for 12 minutes. Drain and run under cold water to cool down.

Step 4: In a large bowl combine all the cold ingredients: grilled zucchini and chicken cut in pieces and the couscous.  Drizzle with a few tablespoons of olive oil and lemon juice ... as much or as little as you like! 

Buon Appetito!