Cooking Light CHALLENGE- Couscous-Stuffed Chicken

When my friend Lisa @ Lisa's Cooking Adventures requested Guest-testers for Cooking Light's 25 Healthy Chicken Breast Recipes, I couldn't wait to cook one... I actually went with a recipe I had already tried before with hopes of tweaking it: Couscous-Stuffed Chicken. The first time I made it following the recipe as written to a "t"; it was tasty but somewhat dry. And I also wanted to just take the "bones" of the recipe & switch it up so instead of going Greek, I made it Italian style. This is the list of ingredients I used:

Couscous-Stuffed Chicken 

• 1  cup  fat-free, lower-sodium chicken stock
• 3/4  cup  uncooked couscous
• drizzles of extra-virgin olive oil
• salt  & pepper (I only measure salt when I am baking)
• grated mozzarella (not fresh)
• grated parmesan (fresh)
• zest & juice of 1 lemon
• chopped fresh basil
• chopped fresh parsley
• 1  minced garlic clove
• 4  (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

I made the couscous on the side- Boiled 1 cup chicken stock with a drizzle olive oil, s&p... took off heat, added couscous & covered. Allowed it to cool... Fluffed couscous with a fork then microplaned mozzarella, parmesan cheese & lemon zest into the couscous. Squeezed 1/2 lemon's juice into it... Added the chopped basil & parsley & garlic...

Flattened out the chicken between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Dropped couscous onto the middle of the thinned chicken & rolled it up, secured it with (pre-soaked) toothpicks. S&P.

Pre-heated my oven to 400°.

Heated my stainless steel saute pan, rubbed with olive oil, over medium-high heat. Seared chicken on both sides... (And here is where I veered from the recipe & tweaked it) Added some chicken stock & a little white wine to "deglaze" the pan.  Spooned the extra couscous mixture so that it surrounded the chicken... Juiced the remaining half of the lemon & microplaned a little parmesan on top for some crisp. Then transferred the saute pan to the oven for 8 minutes. 

Verdict: It came out very juicy (unlike the first time I tried the recipe). The chicken was fine... just fine but the couscous was delicious! Hubby & I decided I'd make the couscous this way next time but as a side dish. All in all a hit because we really enjoyed the couscous.  


PS- there is rolled chicken hidden under the couscous in the picture :) BUT the couscous is the star!