Mushroom and Red Pepper Israeli Cous Cous, with Garlicky Mustard Roast Chicken Thighs

 

 I love Israeli cous cous and was all out for a few months because I hadn’t had the chance to get to bulk barn to buy any. By chance I came across some at the organic foods store near my home and finally was able to stock my pantry with some! Because I made the cous cous in a large pan and not a pot, I believe that more of the beef stock evaporated than was absorbed into the cous cous therefore I had to keep adding more liquid that would probably not be necessary had I used a pot with a lid. Having said that, for this cous cous recipe I am calling for 3.5 cups of stock rather than the 5 cups that I used, however more stock or water can always be added should you find the need to add it.

 Ingredients for the cous cous- serves 2- 4

3 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 long sweet pepper, sliced
4-5 white button mushrooms, sliced
3 garlic cloves minced
1/4 cups Israeli cous cous
3 1/2 cups beef stock
1-2 kale leaves, finely sliced
1 large carrot, peeled and grated

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat, add the onions, sliced pepper, and mushrooms, cook until the veggies begin to soften, about 3-5 minutes. Next, add the cous cous and minced garlic to the pot, stirring for about 2 minutes, and allowing to cous cous to “toast” a little bit.  Finally add the beef stock, the sliced kale leaves, and grated carrot.
Simmer the cous cous for 15-20 minutes, covered and stirring occasionally, until the cous cous has softened, adding extra liquid if needed. Season with salt and pepper.
 
Ingredients for the chicken- serves 2-4

4 chicken thighs, skinned and bone in
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp paprika
salt and pepper
1 1/2 tbsp tomato paste
1/4 cup water
2-3 tsp Dijon mustard
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp brown sugar

Pre heat the oven to 375*f

Line a baking tray with parchment paper ( I also lined my tray with foil to make for easier clean up! ), place chicken pieces on the baking tray, brush with the olive oil and season with the paprika, salt, and pepper.

Bake the chicken for 30 minutes until it starts to brown. Mean while,combine the remaining ingredients in a small pot over a medium heat, simmer for literally just 2 minutes, just to blend the flavors together.

Remove the chicken from the oven and pour the sauce over each piece, return the chicken to the oven and continue baking for another 15 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink on the inside.