Cous Cous Salad and Chicken Paprikash

Originally Posted August 28, 2010. After that serious business, here's some tasty food!

Cooz Cooz Salad

(Source: Based on a recipe from Paula Deen. Probably the healthiest recipe I've ever seen her make. My mother has trouble pronouncing cous so this recipe is referred to as Cooz Cooz Salad.)

Salad: 

2 c. prepared plain cous cous  Check the package for directions. This was 1 c. dry cous cous + 1 1/2 c. water, so it was more like 2.5 cups prepared. Doesn't matter. I made mine without salt or oil or anything, but you can use broth, too.

1 can unsalted chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1/2 c. crumbled feta  This provides the majority of the salt in the recipe, so adjust quantity accordingly.

1/4 c. chopped flatleaf parsley

A few sprigs of chopped mint. Optional, but a nice touch.

One each, chopped: red bell pepper, English cucumber, tomato. Adjust quantity to taste, and based on size of said items. Sometimes half a cucumber or pepper is plenty if they're big.

1/2 white onion, chopped

Dressing:

juice of 3 limes, seems like a lot, but it's worth it.

1/4 c. olive oil

1/8 tsp salt

pepper to taste (one "shakey shakey")

In a LARGE bowl, mix salad together, toss with dressing. Serve immediately, or store in fridge for up to a few days. Great make-ahead dish. I think it gets better as it sits. This recipe makes enough for many meals. 

I think it's really delicious, but Sexy Lawyer Man took one look and said "hell no." More for me. You have to REALLY like onions. And lime. And feta. And pretty much everything else in here, as they all make a good showing. 

And now for something completely different:

Chicken Paprikash

(Source: American Heart Association Low-Salt Cookbook, 3rd Edition. Again, I suggest that everyone ever should own this cookbook.)

2 1/2 c. dried "No-yolk" egg noodles

1 1/2 lbs chicken (we used thinly sliced chicken breast, and not that much chicken, either)

olive oil

1 red onion, thinly sliced

1 tbsp paprika (they prefer sweet hungarian paprika, but I couldn't find it and regular's fine)

1 tomato, chopped

1/2 c. chicken broth (low sodium prepared or homemade)

2 tbsp flour

1/2 c fat free plain yogurt

2 tbsp fat free sour cream

Cook the noodles. Drain and set aside. Don't use salt. Or do. But I didn't. 

Cut chicken into small pieces.(I didn't do this, because the chicken was thin sliced, but I think it should be done.)

Cook chicken in olive oil until done. Transfer to a plate.

Reduce heat to medium. Put onion and paprika in skillet and cook until soft. (You may have to add a little water to keep all the paprika wet.) Stir in tomato and broth, cook until hot (2-3 min).

Return chicken to skillet and heat, covered until tender. Using a slotted spoon, transfer chicken and veggies to a plate. Set aside. 

Sprinkle flour over broth mixture. Cook 2 to 3 min until the sauce is thickened, whisking constantly. In a small bowl, mix yogurt and sour cream. Whisk into sauce. Stir veggies and chicken back in. Serve over noodles. 

Nutrition, FYI: calories 335, fat 2g, cholesterol 67mg, sodium 120mg, carbs 42g, protein 34g, calcium 81mg, potassium 583mg. 

This is a Hungarian dish that has a really bright orange color. Again, if you don't like onions, this may not be a good one. But we really liked it.