Eastern Delights

Just because it's fancy doesn't mean it's really fattening.  Our low-fat feature is the Apricot-Coconut couscous, a very light tasting dish, and we chose to pair it with skewered curry chicken, "grilled" under a broiler, and a small side of our carambola chutney to help cool the heat of the curry.

Apricot-Coconut Couscous

10 oz. box of plain couscous
20-26 no-need-to-soak dried apricots
1 small bunch of fresh chives
2 tbsp shredded coconut
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Salt and pepper to taste

Couscous dressing

1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp fresh-squeezed (or unsweetened) orange juice
½ tsp finely grated orange rind
1 tsp wholegrain mustard
1 tsp clear honey
2 tbsp chopped fresh mint leaves

Prepare couscous according to box directions. Set aside to cool.

Slice the apricots into small strips – what exactly are no-need-to-soak dried apricots you ask? They look like this, more like slightly shriveled but still deliciously plump apricots.

Using scissors snip the chives over the apricots and then set aside.

Mix all of the dressing ingredients together and then in a large bowl mix couscous, apricot-chives, coconut and dressing.

Cover and chill for at least an hour to allow flavors to blend.

NOTES

This dish can be served cold or hot.

If you want a richer nuttier taste, toast the coconut before adding it to the couscous.

Skewered Curry Chicken

For the chicken skewers, we found a curry paste we liked and mixed it with water to use as a marinade.  Cut the chicken into bite-sized cubes and let sit in curry overnight.

If you are broiling in the oven, it's best to use metal skewers to cook the chicken (3-4 minutes per side).  If you do use wooden skewers, make sure to soak them for an hour or two before putting the chicken on, though they will still burn to a certain degree, they won't catch on fire (which is always a good thing as broiler + firey skewers = clouds of smoke and fire marshal as unexpected dinner guest).  Make sure to have a fan running when you use wooden skewers because they may smoke.