Day 3 Week 5 – CousCous = YumYum

It is Sunday morning and I am home with 2 sick kiddos. They are both getting some much needed rest so I thought I would do a little blogging. I am going to take a minute to write about my sweet daughter because one day I will forget these things. Amelia really is a sweet heart. She will be 5 next week and that blows my mind. She is growing up before my eyes and it kind of makes me sad to see it happen. She no longer mispronounces words the way most toddlers do. She is tall and slender and has lost all of her baby fat...even in her once squishy cheeks. She is very rational and argumentative and gets in trouble regularly for rolling her eyes at us. (That's not supposed to happen for at least 8 more years, right?) But she has a gigantic heart and loves everyone. She decided to stay home from church today because she is coughing and sneezing and was very worried that she would spread her germs to her friends at church and get them sick. So even though she really didn't feel bad, and I tried to convince her to go, she didn't want to take the chance of getting anyone else sick. So she is sitting in her room quietly listening to bible stories on her CD player. Such a kind little girl. I hope that is something she never outgrows.

I am not a writer so I have no idea how to transition from gushing over my little girl to talking about last wednesday's dinner... So forgive me as I just jump right in...

Wednesday was another Real Simple masterpiece. Rosemary Chicken Kebabs and Lemony Couscous. This dish was once again super simple and really tasty. AND it is looks very pretty on the plate. So if you are cooking for guests and you want to do something that looks really fancy but is not difficult, this would be a great recipe to have up your sleeves. The thing that makes this look so cool is the rosemary "skewers". You just pull the leaves off several long rosemary sprigs leaving some leaves at the top so it is pretty and smells great. And if you haven't cooked couscous, you should try it. It is a really great alternative to rice or pasta. Amelia actually really loved this meal. I took the tomatoes and chicken off the skewers for her and in her mind, it was just fancied up grilled chicken and rice!

Rosemary Chicken Kebabs and Lemony Couscous

1/2 cup mayo

1/4 cup grainy mustard

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

8 long rosemary springs

1 1/2 pounds chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes

salt and pepper

2 TBSP chopped flat-leaf parsley

In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayo, mustard, garlic and half of the lemon juice. Set aside 1/3 cup and reserve the rest for dipping sauce.

Preheat the broiler to high. Leaving the tops of the rosemary sprigs intact, remove some of the bottom leaves to make room for threading. Thread the chicken and tomatoes onto the rosemary sprigs. Brush kebabs with some of the 1/3 cup mayo-mustard sauce and season with salt and pepper. Arrange on a foil-lined baking sheet and broil about 8 inches from the heat, turning occasionally and basting with the remaining sauce, until cooked through, about 15 min.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, bring 2 cups water to a boil. Stir in couscous, cover and remove from the heat; let stand for 5 minutes before fluffing with a fork. Stir in the remaining lemon juice, the lemon zest and parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with the kebabs and dipping sauce.