Back on the wagon (sort of)

The going-to-the-gym-regularly and eating healthy wagon, that is. It's a hard thing to stay on, especially this time of year. It's hard enough just to figure out what on earth's going on and where you're supposed to be at any given time, much less find time to work out and come up with healthy recipes. But that's what we're trying to do.

This recipe, Israeli couscous with chicken, was a recommendation from my coworker, and it didn't disappoint. It's a super-easy meal packed with flavor, not to mention warm heartiness. It has veggies in it, but we served it with a side of roasted broccoli, zucchini, green beans and parsnips for a little extra oomph. Best of all, it's quick and easy to make, and you could probably get kids to eat this without much fuss.

As B put it, "It's colorful, flavorful, and has a lot of different textures." You would never get bored eating this, and every single bite is delicious. This makes the kind of leftovers you look forward to, not the kind that make you give up and order Jimmy John's delivered to your office.

I don't have much time, and I doubt you all do either, so I'll leave you with the recipe and a hearty Merry Christmas. As always, thank you for reading my blog and following me - you all encourage me to keep writing. Love to you all!

PS - we subbed regular couscous with Trader Joe's Harvest Grains blend, which includes Israeli couscous, orzo, baby garbanzo beans and red quinoa. It was FANTASTIC. I highly recommend it.

Israeli couscous with chicken and peas

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons EVOO
1 1/3 cups Israeli couscous (or TJ's Harvest Grains blend)
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
4 scallions, finely chopped
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
5-7 sun-dried tomatoes, coarsely chopped
2 cups cooked and shredded chicken
Juice of half a lemon

Directions:
Heat oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat.
Pour in couscous and cook until lightly toasted, about 2-3 minutes (it gives it an AMAZING nutty flavor)
Add chicken broth, salt and pepper.
Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 8 minutes. There will be juice left over.
Stir in cheese, scallions, peas, tomatoes, chicken and lemon juice.
We added a little extra salt and pepper, and voila!
Eat, and enjoy!