This Spiced Chicken with Beetroot Couscous is surprisingly unusual and delicious
The other night, I was not really making dinner for my Teenager specifically, however he needed to eat and I needed to dream up a recipe. I know that he will accept couscous, but I was pushing the boundaries with this one and he let me know. Apart from being a really great colour I know all of those vego loving readers out there will love this invention…..
And what happened when I called Skater for dinner?>>>>>> Well he took one look at this dish and said. …..
” Why do you have to make me things like this , why cant I just have something I like, like pasta for instance?” After picking over it for a bit, he ate most of it, even the couscous!
The bright red beetroot colour of this couscous will hit all the right notes nutritionally and aesthetically . Use it how you will but I have paired it with spiced Chicken. You could try Lamb or Salmon or with a lovely Tagine. This recipe also uses Preserved Lemons.
See here and here for other recipes
Couscous can be so boring…and dry. This couscous is spicy and nice and moist with has a kick arse chorizo sauce. Add the beautiful colur and taste of beetroot even if is just to annoy a fussy family member. (Did I really say that?)
Spiced Chicken, Beetroot Couscous and Chorizo
Ingredients
- 500 gm chicken breasts boneless
- 1/ 2 preserved lemon chopped
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 40 ml olive oil
- 5 gm salt and pepper
Beetroot Couscous
- 200 gm beetroot (Approx 1 1/2 Beetroot this is done the food processor)raw finely processed
- 150 gm onion finely diced
- 40 ml olive oil
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 250 ml chicken stock boiling, 1 cup
- 1 cup couscous
- olive oil and salt
Chorizo Sauce
- 150 gm chorizos diced (2)
- 100 gm onion sliced
- 100 gm capsicum sliced
- 1 clove garlic
- 250 ml chicken stock 1 cup
Instructions
- Cook the chicken and the sauce Put the chicken into a bowl with spices and finely chopped preserved lemons, olive oil and seasoning. Leave to marinate 5 minutes to overnight
- Put a saucepan onto medium heat and saute the onion and spices. Add the beetroot and stir till warm. Add the couscous and stock extra salt and olive oil. Take off the heat add a lid and set aside.
- Use a deep saute pan that will fit the chicken and sauce. Saute the sliced onion, chorizo and red pepper in a little oil. Saute until softened but not coloured. Turn up the heat and push the vegetables and sausage to the outside of the frypan.
- Put the chicken in and brown on one side before flipping, move everything back into the middle and add the stock and a lid and bring back to the boil. Then take off the heat and set aside for 10 minutes. This will steam cook the chicken. Test in the thickest part of the chicken before serving. If it is not cooked, slice off the thickest bit and put back into the sauce till done. Toss some rough chopped parsley or mint into the sauce and serve.
- Put the couscous onto plates. Top with the sliced chicken and some sauce. Serve with plain Greek yoghurt
Yum! I love spontaneous recipe ideas. The outcome is always delicious. Must try beet root couscous soon 🙂
Me too they are the best recipes
I love the idea of grated beets in with the couscous. I might try a GF version using quinoa instead. Thanks once again for the inspiration 🙂
Great colours, and wonderful flavour combos!
What a nice sounding meal and such a beautiful color.
Your boy was bravo….my husband would just pout.
It looks very tasty to me, esp. beetroot couscous.
Beetroot couscous and chorizo sauce? My mouth is watering! What a clever chef you are, Tania! 🙂
Oh teenagers…gotta love them. 😛 and couscous IS technically pasta! Looks like a delicious dish!
Technically yes….. pasta
I love the gorgeous colour of the couscous! It looks beautiful.
Thank you Jennifer…….
That is such a delicious dinner however, I have teenagers and I can just imagine their response if I put this in front of them at meal-time. As it is a great meal, they would eat it and really enjoy it but it wouldn’t be their first choice because it’s not a pizza!
Yeah, what a sad state of affairs
I wish I could have been your teenager!!! Looks amazing!
Thanks Diiiiaaaaaaane
It looks colourful and full of flavour Tania. Great recipe 🙂
Yum. I love couscous and look forward to adding minced beetroot to it.
Hope you like it as much as us
Yum!! I love the gorgeous color of the beet couscous and all the flavors in this sound magnificent.
Thanks Katherine, it is very bright isn’t it?
After my positive experience with Spanish chorizo, I may have to give this dish a try, despite the beetroot. Great photos!
Well theres a win, pity about the beatroot