Ingredients
Blackened Chicken:
1 3-pound free-range organic chicken
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/4 cup blackening seasoning
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 lemon, halved
1/2 bunch fresh thyme
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Toasted Couscous:
1 1/2 cups almond milk
1/2 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, finely diced
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 cup pine nuts
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 cup Israeli couscous
2 scallions, thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Juice of 2 lemons
Directions
To roast the chicken: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Remove the chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken and pat it dry. In a small bowl, toss together the garlic, blackening seasoning, oil, lemon halves, thyme sprigs, salt, and pepper. Remove the lemon and thyme from the seasoning mixture and stick them into the cavity of the chicken. Rub the seasoning mixture all over the chicken and transfer the bird to a roasting pan.
Roast the chicken until a thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh registers 180 degrees F, 45 to 50 minutes. Remove the chicken from the oven, take the lemon halves out of the cavity, and squeeze them over the chicken. Let the chicken cool for 10 minutes then pull the meat off in chunks.
Meanwhile, to make the couscous: In a medium saucepan, combine the almond milk and broth and bring to a rolling simmer over medium-high heat; keep on a back burner.
In another medium saucepan, heat the oil over the medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, pine nuts, cinnamon, and turmeric. Cook until the spices bloom and the aromatics take over the room, about 2 minute. Add the couscous to a large bowl and pur in the hot milk-broth mixture. Add the scallions. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and steam for at least 20 minutes.
Season the couscous liberally with salt and pepper, then sprinkle with the lemon juice. Stir in the pulled chicken shred to combine and serve warm.
This recipe is featured in Sam’s book, “The Sweet Life: Diabetes Without Boundaries.” Photo Credit: Tara Donne