Za’atar Crusted Chicken with Pomegranate Cous Cous

Tired of the same ole chicken dinner on a Tuesday? Well tonight we bring a hint of the middle east to dinner.

Israeli cous cous, is one of our home’s favorite grains. If you can call it  a grain. It’s more like a pasta side dish that is on it’s own is nothing fancy but adding pomegranate arils to the cous cous offers a sweet juicy crunch  that makes this otherwise dull dinner a bit more lively.

We actually started using za’atar after a trip to Israel. There was a restaurant there that coated the ends of the pitas that they sliced to use for falafel sandwiches with oil, crusted them with za’atar and fried them. It was a delicious treat made with something that most places just threw away. Now, we can’t get enough of this spice mix. It’s perfect to add to your chicken breading. Try it!

 

Ingredients

4 Boneless Chicken Breast (trimmed and pounded thin)

2 eggs beaten (plus 1 tbsp water)

¼ cup za’atar

1 cup Panko

1 Tbsp Paprika

Salt and pepper

¼ cup vegetable oil

1 Lemon, cut in quarters

Method

Season the chicken breast with salt and pepper.

In a small bowl beat the egg and water together.

In a shallow bowl combine the za’atar, panko, and paprika.

Dip the chicken breast into the egg to coat, and then dredge in the panko/za’atar mixture.

In a large sauté pan heat the oil then add the chicken, if the pan isn’t large enough you may have to cook the chicken in two batches.

Cook approximately 4-5 minutes per side.

Serve with a slice of lemon.

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Israeli Cous Cous with Pomegranate

Ingredients

1lb Israeli cous cous

½  shallot, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp olive oil

2 cups water

1 tsp salt

½ tsp ground pepper

¼ cup chopped parsley

½ cup fresh pomegranate arils

Method

In a medium sauce pan heat the oil, add the shallots and garlic then sauté until translucent.  Add the cous cous and stir to coat with oil.

Season with the salt and pepper.

Add the water and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to a simmer and cover the pot.  Cook until all the water is absorbed and tender.

Fluff with a fork to separate.

Before serving fold in the parsley and pomegranate arils.