Mediterranean Couscous

I've been cooking 
light meals lately, just throwing things together, trying to use 
lots of veggies and other healthy stuff, like quinoa and couscous instead of the traditional side of potatoes, pasta or rice. Here is something we had the other evening and  loved it! 
I quickly wrote it down 
so I can duplicate it again. The additional recipe that follows is a variation. I love roasted tomatoes, too. If I had them on hand I may have added them. 

Other side dish recommendation: hummus and pita bread and a bowl of olives.

2 cups couscous

2 1/2 cup chicken broth

1 Tb. olive oil

3-4 garlic, minced

1/2 - 1 cup cooked chicken, chopped

1 Tb. basil

1 Tb. oregano

1/2 onion, finely diced

2 zucchini, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

1 bell pepper, chopped

1 handful fresh green beans

1 tsp. parsley

2-3 roma tomatoes, peeled and diced

parmesan cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Bring chicken broth to a boil. Add couscous and cook according to packaging directions, or till soft. Remove from heat, fluff with fork and toss in cubed chicken. ( I had some rotisserie chicken on hand, so that is what I used, otherwise I would have chopped up some fresh chicken and sautéed it in some olive oil, then added it to the couscous.  In another pan, heat the oil and sauté the carrots for several minutes. Then add other veggies except tomatoes. Sauté for a few more minutes, then add spices and garlic. Sauté until veggies are al dente. Add tomatoes for last 1-2 minutes. Serve over couscous with some freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Mediterranean Grill Over Quinoa

Another evening, we had something similar, except we grilled the chicken and veggies and served it up over some cooked quinoa, but you could use rice if you don't have quinoa on hand. Here's the exact recipe:

2 chicken breasts, sliced in half or thirds

olive oil

2 zucchini, cut into several pieces

2 bell peppers, cut into several pieces

1 onion, quartered

2-3 roma tomatoes, quartered

garlic powder

dried or fresh oregano

dried or fresh thyme

dried or fresh basil

salt and pepper

Parmesan cheese

Slice the chicken into halves or thirds, and drizzle with olive oil. Then season with oregano, basil, thyme, and garlic powder. Place on grill over medium heat. Cook 13-18 minutes. Cut veggies, drizzle with olive oil and season with herbs. Place on grill over med-low heat. Grill till preferred doneness, about 8-12 min, turning occasionally. (I actually cut my veggies into bite size pieces and grilled in a grill basket.) Cook quinoa in rice cooker just as you would with rice, or on stove top according to packaging directions. Serve chicken and veggies over quinoa and top with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Kebabs with Hummus and Chili Sauce

These are made with lamb, but you could probably substitute the lamb for chicken or pork. Lamb has a stronger flavor than chicken or pork, but in this recipe, I thought it tasted a lot like grilled pork. I would have never known if I hadn't made it myself. I thought this was a good recipe to try the week leading up to Easter.

My husband spent a few years in Denmark, and his favorite fast food was Kebabs. Döner Kebabs. Not to be confused with American Kebabs, (which are not really American, but what is?). They are Turkish in origin, and refined in Germany by Turkish immigrants. In Denmark, Kebab shops are all over, and very popular. Kebabs are similar to Gyros and Shawarmas but each is slightly different depending on the shop. Unfortunately, they are difficult to get around here. (If anybody knows of a Kebab restaurant in Utah Valley, let us know!) He's been wanting me to make some, so to satisfy his craving I made these the other night. They were absolutely delicious, and he even thought they tasted somewhat authentic. There are so many recipes out there that it is difficult to pick one. If you are looking for something different you should give these a try sometime. The hummus is optional, but I love pita bread and hummus, and having the recipe on here makes it easier for me to find when I need it.

Marinade

1-2 lbs. lamb meat

2 cloves garlic minced

2 tsp. salt

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp. allspice

2 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 onion, chopped

1/3 cup olive oil

juice of 1 lemon

Marinade the meat for 30-50 min. Grill for several minutes on both sides, until cooked through. Slice into thin slices.

Chili Sauce

1 tsp. chili flakes, or a few dried red chilies

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp. salt

2 Tb. olive oil

1 Tb. balsamic vinegar

4 Tb. tomato sauce

Mix all the ingredients together, and pulse in a blender.

Hummus

3 cups garbanzo beans or chick peas

1 roasted red bell pepper (optional)

3/4 tsp. minced garlic

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

2 Tb. water

4-6 Tb. fresh lemon juice

4 Tb. oil

1/4 tsp cumin

1/8 tsp. pepper

Blend all ingredients in blender. Garnish with paprika and parsley if desired.

Putting it all together

Pita bread

Lettuce, shredded

Cucumbers, sliced

Onions, thinly sliced into rings, or half rings

Place the meat, lettuce, cucumber, and onion in middle of pita bread and fold up like a taco. (This is how they eat these. We actually cut our pita in half, and stuffed it with everything.) Drizzle some of the chili sauce over everything. Serve with some hummus and chili sauce for dipping. (I also drizzled a little bit of Greek yogurt over mine.)

Greek Salad

1 green bell pepper, diced

2-3 small tomatoes, cut

1 small cucumber, sliced

1 small red onion, sliced thinly

1/3 cup kalamata or black olives, sliced

1 cup feta cheese

2-3 Tb. lemon juice

4 Tb. olive oil

Cut up all the vegetables, and toss together with the lemon and olive oil. Sprinkle over the cheese just before serving.