Couscous Stuffed Chicken Breasts

I saw this recipe in the January/February 2011 Cooking Light magazine and immediately bookmarked it to make. You would think we would be sick of Greek flavors after the Angel Hair Pasta and Greek Burgerbut we weren’t… we all just love Mediterranean flavors. This chicken was really fun to make and tasted wonderful. I split my chicken breast in half (after flattening it) so I could make my portion smaller and share it with my kids. The chicken turned out moist and tender and the Greek flavored couscous was a huge hit with all of us, especially my daughter. I served this dish with simply seasoned green beans for a delicious and healthy meal that my whole family enjoyed.

Couscous Stuffed Chicken Breasts:

Ingredients:

1/3 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup whole-wheat couscous
1 clove of garlic, minced
Dash of oregano (plus more for the chicken)
3 tbsp grape tomatoes, diced
2 tbsp kalamata olives, diced
2 tbsp feta cheese
1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 tsp lemon rind, grated
2 tsp olive oil
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (recipe calls for 4)
Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste

How to Make Couscous Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Bring the broth to a boil in a small saucepan; remove from heat and add the couscous, minced garlic, and dash of oregano. Cover with a lid and let stand for 4-5 minutes; fluff with a fork. Cool for 10 minutes. Season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste then add the tomatoes, olives, feta cheese, parsley, and lemon grind and mix thoroughly.

Place the chicken breasts between two sheets of plastic wrap; pound to a 1/4 inch thickness. Side Note: I sliced one breast in half for smaller portions for my children and me and left one whole breast for my husband.

Season both sides of the flattened chicken with sea salt, freshly cracked pepper, and oregano, to taste. Spoon the couscous mixture onto the center of the chicken breasts; roll up jelly-roll fashion. Secure with toothpicks.

Heat an OVENPROOF skillet over medium-high heat and drizzle with the olive oil. Add chicken rolls to the hot pan and cook on all sides for a total of six minutes, making sure the whole roll is nicely browned. Place the skillet in the oven and bake for 5 minutes or until the chicken is done.