Couscous isn't something I typically buy, but it was on sale one week at the grocery store and I picked up a few boxes. After letting them sit for several weeks in my cupboard untouched, I knew I needed to find some inspiration and I consulted the Near East website to see if they had any recipes. The website actually ended up being a great resource; it offers a variety of recipes for each of their products, and even the specific flavors of each product. After browsing the Toasted Pine Nut Couscous recipes, I ended up settling on the Chicken Apple Couscous. Because I had some chicken sausage in our fridge, I substituted that for the chicken breasts, as you'll see in the recipe below. I liked this recipe because it took 20 minutes tops to put together, which is ideal for a weeknight. You could also make this and pack it for lunch for a few days. This dish was good, not great. I wish I would've added additional toasted pine nuts to the finished dish, I think that would've helped add a little extra flavor. Overall, however, I liked the different elements of the meal; I also ate mine over sauteed spinach for some extra veggies!

One Year Ago: Butterhorns (one of my favorite desserts as a child!)


Chicken Sausage Apple Couscous
adapted from the Near East Couscous website


Ingredients:
-1 tbsp olive oil
-12 oz. chicken sausage, fully cooked
-1 medium onion, chopped
-1 1/4 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
-1 package (Near East) Toasted Pine Nut Couscous
-2 medium green apples, cored and chopped into 1-inch pieces
-1/4 cup raisins
-1/4 tsp fresh or dried rosemary

Directions:
1. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute for 5 minutes, until translucent. Add sliced chicken sausage and cook, just until heated through.
2. Add broth, contents of the Near East spice sack (included in couscous package), apples, raisins, and rosemary. Bring to a boil.
3. Stir in couscous and cover. Remove from heat and allow to stand for 5 minutes.