Ellie's Balsamic Chicken with (Baby Spinach) and Couscous

Well, after a much needed and much enjoyed Caribbean holiday, I am back to work, ugh, and back in the kitchen, yay. This week's CEiMB dish was Balsamic Chicken with Baby Spinach and Couscous, as chosen by Culinary Delights.

I love couscous and spinach but the rest of the fam doesn't, so I negotiated to keep the couscous but swap the spinach for broccoli. It's all about compromise, right? We liked this dish as a quick, everyday weeknight dinner, a slight departure from the rest of my boneless, skinless chicken breast repertoire, and will probably make it again eventually. A solid 3 out of 5 stars, with extra points for being on the table in 15 minutes.

I served it with a nice goat cheese and green salad, and lots of homemade bread. Next time I think I'll top the dish itself with crumbled goat cheese, for that last extra kick fo flavor. You can find Ellie's original recipe here, or follow along with the changes I made instead:

Balsamic Chicken with Broccoli and Whole Wheat Couscous
adapted from The Food You Crave by Ellie Krieger

2 Tbsp olive oil
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded thin
3 cloves garlic, sliced (not minced, it will burn!)
1 head broccoli, broken into florets
1/3 cup chicken broth
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 cup chopped tomatoes, fresh or canned with juice
1 1/2 cups whole wheat couscous, cooked
1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese

Microwave broccoli florets on high for 2-3 minutes to parcook, set aside. Saute garlic on medium high in a 12 inch skillet briefly to flavor oil, 2 min, and remove to plate. Make it a big plate because pretty much everything's going to end up here. Add chicken to pan, with a little extra olive oil if necessary. Cook for 4 minutes on each side, or until cooked through, and remove to plate with garlic. Add precooked broccoli to pan and saute 2 minutes or so, and remove to plate. Add chicken broth, vinegar, tomatoes and red pepper flakes and bring to a boil, then turn down to medium low. Dump contents of The Plate (garlic, chicken and broccoli) back to the skillet, and cook for another 2-3 minutes to combine flavors, tasting and seasoning as you go. Serve over couscous, and crumble goat cheese over the top if so desired!