Winner, winner, chicken dinner! This dish is two out of the four polls that have won for my 25 follower celebration. It’s a big milestone for me, so I decided to have my community on Instagram and my followers on my blog vote for a dish they would want to see me make, and possibly take a recipe home! Don’t worry, the other choices are not being ignored! I will make them in due time.
I also hit 150 followers on Instagram, so this is tied into my celebration! This originally was meant for the 125 mark on Instagram, but since I had no time to make everything while on family leave to New York, it’s taking me a while to make the rest of the winners. I’ve been back home in Pennsylvania for about a week now.
Oh, and I also passed my ServSafe exam today! ServSafe, for those who may not know, is a certification for the restaurant industry to show that you know how to keep food safe and understand how to prevent foodborne illnesses.
The chimichurri sauce boldly highlights the flavor of fresh parsley and brings it all together. It was used to brighten up the couscous, which was toasted before being boiled with chicken broth. For the protein, I had used some shredded chicken breasts sautéed in some garlic. It boosted the flavor just a bit. Cucumbers were added for a refreshing cool component. I would have loved to add some sun-dried tomatoes, but I had none. Instead, I used some leftover caramelized onions from a previous dinner. This bowl takes a while to make due to letting the couscous cool and steam, but it’s an easy dish to make for lunch or dinner!
A bowl out of many bowls
This is a recipe I would consider to be a bowl recipe. I see every day that bowls are becoming increasingly popular. Whether it’s acai bowls, grain bowls. keto bowls, it’s everywhere now. Typically, these bowls are the healthier side of the spectrum, but some may not be totally healthy. For one, there’s a mac and cheese bowl that’s extremely unhealthy out there somewhere! If you want to get technical, a food bowl is a dish in which all ingredients are prepared and served in a bowl. All of the ingredients are not mixed together. They are draped on top of each other and/or next to each other for a more beautiful look. The food bowl trend has many names that more or less describe the exact contents of the bowls. Bowls usually consist of a grain, a protein, refreshing veggie or fruit, and a condiment. Keyword: “usually”. Sometimes, it has zoodles instead of a grain. It can have no condiments at all, or might not have a veggie or a fruit. It depends on the bowl!
What is Chimichurri?
Chimichurri is a loose oil-based condiment used to dress meats or fish, or in this case, dress grains! Chimichurri is made with a mixture of fresh minced parsley, garlic, red wine vinegar, oregano, and olive oil, pulsed a few times in a food processor. I added red pepper flakes for a hint of spice. Chimichurri originated in Uruguay and Argentina. Ready in 5 minutes or less, enjoy this bowl all your favorite fish, chicken, or steak recipes. Enjoy chimichurri with some lamb with its variation of mint instead of parsley.
Some extra facts
- What if I don’t own a food processor? That’s simple to answer because I don’t own one either! Not yet, at least. Just cut everything into smaller pieces and mix in the olive oil. This recipe includes the use of a food processor.
- Can I make a different variation of chimichurri for this recipe? You certainly can! There’s the classic chimichurri, then there’s not so conventional chimichurri. You can do a mint chimichurri sauce, just replace the parsley with mint! Want some spice? Make a jalapeno chimichurri, just add to your classic chimichurri! There’s kale chimichurri, rosemary chimichurri, and there’s even a red one! Or, you can create your own!
- Can I switch any of the ingredients in this bowl? The point of a bowl is to be creative. As mentioned, “a food bowl is a dish in which all ingredients are prepared and served in a bowl.” So, you can practically do anything to create a bowl! Choose a grain, protein, and a few add-ons such as fruits or veggies, maybe even a cheese, then top it all of with a condiment. For example, orzo, salmon, peas, feta, Greek dressing, and tzatziki sauce.
Want the recipe? Click print below! Let me know how it came out for you by tagging me on Instagram (@missravenskitchen) and using #missravenskitchen! Let me know if I need to tweak anything.
Chimichurri Chicken Bowl with Couscous
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh parsley leaves
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp red wine vinegar
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/2-inch even thickness
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 2 cups pearl couscous
- 2 1/2 cups chicken broth (*1)
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 cups shredded chicken
- 1 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 English cucumber, chopped fine
- 4 cups caramelized onions (optional) (*2)
Instructions
- Pulse all ingredients in a food processor, (*3) until coarsely chopped, about 10 pulses. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels and sprinkled with salt and pepper to taste. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Heat until just smoking. Cook the chicken, skin side down, until brown, about 6 minutes per side.
- Remove the chicken from the heat. Place on a cutting board or a plate and tent with aluminum foil and let it rest for 5 minutes. Shred the chicken once rested.
- Heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil and couscous in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently until half of the grains are golden brown, about 3 minutes. Stir in the broth and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the couscous is tender and the broth is absorbed, about 12 minutes.
- Remove the couscous from the heat and let it sit, covered, for 3 minutes. Transfer the couscous to a bowl so it can cool slightly, about 10 minutes.
- While the couscous cools, heat the remaining 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the chicken, toss to coat, and remove skillet from the heat.
- Stir in the parsley and 1/4 cup chimichurri sauce into the cooked couscous in the bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide the couscous evenly among four bowls, then add other ingredients to top it off. Drizzle each bowl with the remaining chimichurri sauce. Serve immediately.
Notes:
(*1) This is based on the package directions from the couscous I used. If the directions for your couscous say otherwise, then follow that. Typical couscous cooks 1 cup with 1 1/2 cups liquid
(*2) You can choose to make caramelized onions, or replace them with something else! I just used them because it’s what I had.
(*3) If you don’t own one (like me) just chop everything extra small and mix with the olive oil
Nutrition Facts
Calories
555.97Fat (grams)
27.05Sat. Fat (grams)
5.13Carbs (grams)
26.86Fiber (grams)
2.63Net carbs
24.24Sugar (grams)
2.20Protein (grams)
49.50Sodium (milligrams)
520Cholesterol (grams)
0This includes the chicken and not the caramelized onions
Miss Raven's Kitchen 
Leave a comment