INgredients (serving 4)
- 400 g couscous
- 400 ml broth
- 1 mango
- 1 cucumber
- 200 g feta or any white cheese
- Handful of almonds (buy pre-roasted ones)
Optional but recommended:
- 2 chicken breasts (I would not recommend thighs for this one)
- 1 scallion
- 1 avocado
- Sundried tomatoes (about 8-10)
- Roasted bell pepper (from a jar)
- Some olive oil to dress
- Or anything else you have lying abouts in the fridge and you would fancy using in your salad. Think of some fresh herbs you might have lying abouts, or maybe some carrots that you can grate through etc.
Of course, if you just stick to the upper ingredients you might need some more of each to compensate for 4 people. I would say the recipe then feeds 2-3
Instructions
Some general remarks:
People usually dislike salads because (sorry but not sorry) they don’t know how to properly make a nice salad. As in all dishes, a balance in both flavour AND TEXTURE is important. Think of something fresh against rich flavours, something sweet against something salty, something crunchy against something creamy, etc. Salad is no exception to this rule. In fact, I would argue salads are THE food where having a variety of flavours and textures is most essential.
In this case we’re using the sweetness of the mango in contrast to the saltiness of the cheese. The roasted flavour of the almonds against the freshness of the cucumber. The crunch of the almonds in contrast to the creaminess of the cheese, etc. etc. So think about that next time you want to enjoy a salad, or when trying different ingredients for this one (highly encouraged!!! Experimenting is key in learning how to cook and coming up with nice dishes).
Ok so rant over. Here is the recipe:
- Prepare the couscous according to the instructions, but use broth instead of water so it seasons the couscous.
- Season the chicken filets on both sides and sear in a frying pan. Make sure to get a nice crust on there, but also make sure to flip over regularly so they can get cooked through. Remove from the pan and leave them to rest while you prepare the other ingredients.
- Chop the other ingredients in bite size pieces, or actually any size you like to eat them and mix them with the couscous. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed!!!! Very important to season your salad!!! Use some olive oil (or the oil from sundried tomatoes) to dress.
- Last, slice the chicken and present on a plate.
Bon appétit!
