Cooking in the Lite

This can make Thanksgiving any time of year!

• 4 8-ounce boneless chicken breasts, wings attached (optional), with as much skin as possible left on
• 1/2 cup couscous
• 2 TBSP olive oil
• sea salt
• 1 cup water
• 2 TBSP minced shallots
• 1 TBSP minced garlic
• 1/2 pound eggplant, cut into 1/4 -inch cubes
• 1 small red pepper, seeded, cored and diced
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 TBSP chopped cilantro
• 2 ounces goat cheese, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
• freshly ground black pepper

Put the couscous in a small bowl, add 1 tsp of the olive oil and toss to coat well. Bring 1 cup of salted water to a boil. Add the couscous, bring back to a boil, and remove from the heat. Cover and steep for 5 minutes. Uncover, fluff with a fork to separate the grains.

Heat 1 TBSP of the olive oil in a medium sauté pan, add the shallot and garlic and sauté for about 1 minute. Add the eggplant and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes or until soft. Add the red pepper and cumin and sauté for about 1 more minute. Remove from the heat, mix with the couscous, cilantro and goat cheese. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Preheat the oven to 375º F.

Divide the stuffing into 4 portions. Cut a pocket into the thick side of each chicken breast and stuff it with about half of each portion of stuffing. Put the remaining stuffing under the skin, pulling and tucking the skin under the breast to smooth and shape. Brush the breast with the remaining oil and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Roast the chicken breast for 25 to 35 minutes or until cooked through and nicely browned. Remove from the oven, cover with aluminum foil to keep warm and let rest for 2 to 3 minutes before serving.

Assembly:
Pool some of the Moroccan Tomato Sauce on 4 dinner-size plates. Slice each chicken breast into 4 or 5 pieces and use a spatula to transfer them to the plates. Mound the spaghetti squash, red chard and green beans around the chicken.

Nora's Note:
The stuffing keeps these chicken breasts moist while they are cooking and they look beautiful when sliced. Stuffed chicken breast is so popular at Nora's that over the years we have developed over 50 different stuffing mixtures. Tossing the couscous with the oil before cooking is a great trick. It keeps the couscous from sticking together. A farmer in Pennsylvania raises chickens for us. They run free in big barns, have access to the outside, drink water from a well and eat only organic feed with no chemical additives.

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