Chicken & Leeks with Couscous

First, let me share my lovely new kitchen with you:



I love cooking in it. And I've done it all of once. Now onto the dish:



Serves 4

1 & 1/2 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup golden raisins
1 & 1/2 cups plain couscous
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 chicken breasts, cut into large bite-size pieces
Salt & black pepper
1 large (or 2 medium) leeks
1 cup white wine
a handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped

1. Heat the chicken stock and 1 tablespoon butter in a medium pot with a tight-fitting lid. When the liquid boils, add the raisins and couscous. Cover and remove pan from heat. Set aside.

2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Add the chicken in a single layer and season it with salt and pepper. While the chicken browns on all sides, trim the rough tops and the root ends off the leeks.

3. Cut the leeks in half lengthwise, then cut them into 1-inch half moons. Place the leeks in a colander and run them under cold water. Separate the layers to release the dirt and grit. Rinse well, then drain well.

4. Add the leeks to the chicken and wilt, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the wine and let it cook down by half, 3 to 4 minutes. The leeks should still have some color but should be tender and the chicken should be cooked through. Add the remaining tablespoon of butter and swirl into the sauce.

5. Fluff the couscous with a fork and stir in the parsley. Place a bed of couscous on each dinner plate and top it with the chicken and leeks.

Results: This was delicious, but I love anything with leeks. There is something so satisfying about preparing leeks. Normally, I think most recipes that use wine could substitute chicken broth, but in this one, the wine really added a lot of flavor, so be sure to use it. This was a perfect meal for a summer day, and the couscous was really flavorful. I don't think I'll ever prepare couscous with plain old water again. Will make again!

Creamy Chicken and Mushroom Crepes

Serves 4

1 Tablespoon butter
1 cup vertically sliced onion
1 garlic clove, minced
3 cups thinly sliced baby portobello mushroom caps (about 8 ounces)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine
3/4 cup chicken broth
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1/4 cup crème fraîche*
2 cups shredded chicken breast (use a rotisserie chicken to speed this meal up!)
8 crepes*

*note: You may be able to find crème fraîche at your grocery store's imported cheese section. If not, you can substitute equal parts sour cream and buttermilk.

You could use packaged crepes, but they are expensive! At my grocery store a package of 10 was $6.99. My crepe recipe is at the bottom of this post. You can make the crepes ahead of time and store (separated by wax paper) in the fridge.

1. Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté 2 minutes or until onion begins to brown. Add mushrooms, salt, and pepper; cook 3 minutes or until liquid evaporates and mushrooms are tender, stirring frequently. Add wine, and cook 3 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates, stirring frequently. Add broth and fresh thyme; cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat; add crème fraîche, stiring until well blended. Add chicken, tossing to coat.

2. Spoon about 1/3 cup mushroom mixture into center of each crepe; roll up.

Served with broccoli

Results: to say that Henry loved this meal would be an understatement! He devoured it, said it was "delicious", "really tasty" and "Daddy was going to be impressive when he tried it!" (He's three...cut him some slack for not knowing past tenses.) This meal does take quite a bit of preparation, but it is awesome. You could easily chop and shred everything ahead of time, so you are good to go when it's time to cook everything. I wanted to make it again the next night. Henry ate two crepes. Steven tried a tiny piece of chicken, but only because I promised him an ice-cream filled crepe if he did. Everyone else loved it, and I am looking forward to making it again.

Crepe recipe:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1/3 cup water
2 tablespoons butter, melted plus more for coating pan

1. Sift flour and salt into large bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk eggs. Mix in milk and water. Whisk egg mixture into flour mixture. Stir in melted butter.

2. Melt butter in a crepe pan or skillet. Hold pan away from heat and pour about 1/4 cup mixture into pan, swirling pan to spread the batter evenly across the pan. Let cook for about 30 seconds (or until it will flip easily), turn and cook additional 15-20 seconds.