Make Couscous for dinner tonight…
Have you made couscous before? This North African dish is known for “being so nice they named it twice!” Couscous are tiny balls of dried pasta that only take about 5 minutes to prepare. They make a great base for this Healthy Couscous with Feta recipe.
Feta cheese, with 6 grams of fat per ounce, is reduced-fat dairy, which is a February Foods of the Month. Feta has a salty taste that we love, especially when paired with the savory flavors in this Healthy Couscous with Feta recipe like lean chicken breast, zucchini and toasted pistachios. What also goes well with feta? Extra virgin olive oil, of course! There is a hefty dose of extra virgin olive oil (also a February Foods of the Month), in this recipe to keep you full while also promoting heart health.
This recipe takes only 30 minutes to prepare. It makes a large portion that can be enough for a family dinner plus leftovers. Or, make it as part of your weekly mealy prep and eat it for lunch for a week. The combination of ingredients in this Healthy Couscous with Feta recipe is one that you can feel good about eating.
Ingredients
- 1 zucchini, chopped and roasted
- 1 summer squash, chopped and roasted
- 2 chicken breasts, shredded
- 2 cups cooked couscous
- 1 8 oz. block feta cheese, crumbled
- 1 cup pistachios, shelled
- 3 cups arugula
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
- Chop the zucchini and the summer squash into bite size pieces, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle with salt and cook for 25 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and slightly brown.
- While the vegetables are roasting, make the couscous and the chicken.
- Cook the chicken breasts using a nonstick pan on medium heat for 10 minutes until no pink remains. Let cool then shred with two forks.
- In a saucepan, boil 2 cups of water. Add the couscous, remove from heat, cover, and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
- Using a large bowl, combine all the ingredients. All the couscous, chicken, feta, pistachios, and arugula. Mix together to combine. Add the extra virgin olive oil and salt, and mix again.
- Once the zucchini and the summer squash have finished roasting, allow them to cool for 5 minutes then add to the couscous mixture and mix again to combine all ingredients.
- Serve hot or cold. Enjoy!