Middle Eastern Chicken Couscous Wrap
We had company this past Sunday. Our niece Linzy brought her beautiful daughter Lily to meet us. She is a sweet and precious little girl. We had a great time with her and look forward to seeing her again.They will be here all summer and her brother Jayden will be joining them soon…….the lucky ducks live in Hawaii, but are here for the summer.
We invited them for lunch, so it was an opportune time to try out a new recipe. I have been wanting to make a Middle Eastern dish for some time. Since it was lunch, I thought a sandwich or a wrap would be nice. I decided on a wrap. I used Naan bread, if you haven’t tried it you really should, it’s like pita bread, but It has a softer texture and it’s a bit bigger than a pita. Being softer allows you to fold it much easier, and of course you can add a bit more filling.
Chicken is always a safe bet, because after all who doesn’t like chicken? Marinating the chicken in a spicy yogurt mixture made it flavorful and juicy. The couscous was an added flavor layer using olives, pistachios, sun dried tomatoes, a bit of spinach, some cilantro and pomegranate. I did cheat with the couscous, it comes frozen at my local grocery store, so all I had to do was heat it up in the microwave and add it to the other ingredients. Also it is the pearl couscous which I happen to like better………it’s something about the texture.
Tahini………I have never used or tasted it before, but in all my research about Middle Eastern cuisine it gets mentioned…….a lot. I added lemon juice, garlic,olive oil, and a bit of yogurt, I thought it would add a creamy texture…….not so much, but it still had a really good flavor.
The best thing was, that I was able to prepare it all ahead of time, and just reheat everything and warm the Naan bread, and lunch was served. I let everyone assemble their own, having extra, cilantro, pistachios, and pomegranate to top, and goat cheese if you wished. Truth is I forgot the goat cheese,being so excited about baby Lily. Next time I will remember as I think it would add one more great tasting element.
We all enjoyed the Middle Eastern Chicken Couscous Wrap and I was glad my test subjects enjoyed the visit and the meal!
I will plan another get together soon and see what other ethnic meal I can try……….hmmmmm.
Middle Eastern Chicken Couscous Wrap
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 8 Wraps 1x
- Category: Sandwich
- Method: Cook
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients
- Chicken
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken, sliced into strips
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- Couscous
- 1 bag frozen pearl couscous, cooked
- 1 cup spinach, chopped
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/3 cup oil packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and sliced, reserve 1-2 tablespoons of the oil
- 1/3 cup kalamata olives, sliced
- 1/3 cup roasted shelled pistachios, chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 3 tablespoons pomegranate arils
- Tahini Spread
- 1/2 cup tahini
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoon greek yogurt
- 1 lemon, juiced
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 4–8 pieces of Naan bread for serving
- Goat cheese, chopped cilantro, chopped pistachios and pomegranate arils for garnish
Instructions
- To marinate the chicken. In a medium bowl combine the olive oil, greek, yogurt, ginger, garlic, pepper, cumin, crushed red pepper, cayenne and cinnamon. Add the chicken and toss well. Cover the bowl and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- To make the couscous. Cook according to package directions. Stir in the spinach, honey, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, and sundries tomato oil, pistachios, cilantro salt and pepper. Set aside and keep warm. Just before serving stir in the pomegranate arils.
- To make the Tahini Sauce. In a small bowl whisk together the tahini, olive oil, garlic, greek yogurt, lemon and a pinch of salt and pepper until smooth. Set aside until ready to use.
- Heat a large skillet over high heat and add 1 tablespoon of coconut oil. When hot remove the chicken from the marinade and shake off just a little of the excess. Add the chicken to the skillet and cook for 4-6 minutes or until cooked through.
- To assemble the wraps, warm the Naan bread,spread a little of the tahini sauce down the center of the warmed naan. Add the couscous and chicken and then top with crumbled goat cheese. Garnish with chopped cilantro, more pistachios and pomegranate arils.
Notes
Everything can be prepared ahead of time and warmed just prior to serving.
Keywords: chicken, yogurt, spices, naan bread, couscous, pomegranate, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach
