Make My Day Camp: Lemon-Paprika Chicken with Chickpeas and Couscous

Monday, April 12, 2021

Lemon-Paprika Chicken with Chickpeas and Couscous

I made this for dinner and I think it's really good. I don't mean I think it's good but no one else does, I mean I think it's good - hard to know for sure because instead of fresh thyme I used dried and used waaaaaaay to much. Like the dish was so heavily thyme-seasoned it was hard to taste the other ingredients! But from what I can tell, minus too much thyme, I think the dish is really good!

Other than overdoing the thyme, my changes are that I didn't have fresh lemon so I used bottled juice and didn't serve with wedges; I added garlic powder instead of cloves; I omitted the red pepper; and I made a box of pine nut couscous that I had on hand.

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 T. tomato paste
3 T. olive oil
2 t. paprika
2 t. chopped fresh thyme
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
salt and pepper
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (6-8 oz. each)
1 15 oz. can chickpeas (don't drain)
1 red bell pepper, chpped
3/4 cup couscous
2 T. chopped fresh parsley
lemon wedges for serving

Preheat oven to 375'. Whisk the lemon juice, tomato paste, 2 T. olive oil, paprika, thyme, garlic and 1/2 t. each salt and pepper in a small bowl. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels; season with salt and pepper. Rub the chicken with 3 T. of the lemon-paprika mixture to evenly coat.
Heat the remaining 1 T. olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until browned on one side, about 5 minute. Meanwhile, remove 3 T. liquid from the can of chickpeas and transfer to a medium bowl. Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Add to the bowl with the chickpea liquid and add the remaining lemon-paprika mixture and the bell pepper; toss. Flip the chicken and scatter the chickpea mixture around the chicken, scraping any liquid into the pan. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast until the chicken is cooked through, 8 to 12 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook the couscous as the label directs. Fluff the couscous with a fork.
Remove the chicken to a plate. Add the couscous to the chickpea mixture and stir together to absorb the pan sauce; season with salt and pepper. Slice the chicken and divide amount plates along with the couscous-chickpea mixture. Top with the parsley and serve with lemon wedges.

4 servings. Per serving: calories 580; fat 18g; carb 47g; pro 55g; sugar 6g; fiber 8g.

from 3/21 Food Network Magazine