Hey there are welcome back to the tasty corner of the page, where I hope to inspire you and your tastebuds to try something new! This week I am bringing you an easy weeknight meal that is sure to please and you can change up the ingredients to fit your family’s desires. This week I bring you butter garlic chicken with couscous and sauteed veggies. So, pour a drink and pull up a chair because this one is sure to please!
We all get in a rut at times with trying to figure out “what’s for dinner,” and since I started writing this column, I have been asked that question by tons of people who aren’t even my family. I like that I am able to get you thinking outside your family’s dinner norms and I hope this week’s recipe will continue to inspire you to try something new. For this dish you will need:
— 1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
— 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
— 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
— 4 tablespoons butter
— 4-5 cloves of garlic minced
— 2 tablespoons parsley chopped (I buy the small containers in the produce section)
— 2 boxes large pearl couscous
— 1 medium yellow onion
— 2-3 each yellow squash and zucchini
— Garlic powder
— Red pepper flakes
— 4 tablespoons olive oil
Start by cooking couscous according to package directions. It should be relatively easy — you usually have to boil the water, add the box contents, cover and take off the heat. Next, you will want to chop the chicken into cubes and then dab the chicken with a paper towel to get off any excess moisture. Toss the chicken in the flour, Italian seasoning and a little salt and pepper.
Next slice the onion, squash and zucchini and now it’s time to get cooking!
In one skillet you want to put 2 tablespoons of the olive oil followed by the veggies. Sprinkle with some garlic powder, red pepper flakes and salt and pepper. Stir occasionally so nothing burns but a little brown on the veggies is a good thing.
In another pan use the remaining olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter and bring to medium high heat. Add your chicken but be careful not to crowd the pan. You don’t want to steam the chicken. Turn the chicken after roughly 3 minutes and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Don’t forget to stir your veggies because this meal is almost done!
Now it’s time to add the minced garlic and parsley to the chicken along with the rest of the butter. Toss and cook for another minute or two then serve immediately on top of the couscous with the sautéed veggies on the side.
When I talked to Annie and Clay at the Village Wine Shop about a wine pairing for this week’s meal, here is what they had to say:
“With a scrumptious garlic dish, the only way to bed this down is to bring in the citrus, the mellow and the slightly sweet.
Your Village Wine Shop has some beautiful Vermentino from the Thomas Jefferson Vineyard; Barboursville, in Charlottesville, Virginia. The white vermentino grape has some subtle green apple, a bit of pear skin and shale minerality, then opens up to kiss you with a slightly sweet aroma and layers of honeysuckle and melon! This lures the tangy bulb into a beautiful dance!
If you’d rather not entertain the sweet at all. try a super light and lemony Sauvignon Blanc like New Zealand’s Cloudy Bay or Whitehaven. Garlic and lemon are natural bedfellows as are the light and the zesty. You can easily pair the veggies and Cous Cous with anything white.”
So, there you have it friends, a great weeknight meal bursting with flavor that can be prepared in 30-40 minutes. You could make this your own by substituting chicken for beef or shrimp, swap out the couscous for rice or pasta and substitute peas or fresh green beans for the squash and zucchini. No matter what you do, have fun doing it and remember as always, I am sending love from my kitchen to yours!
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