This is our favorite dinner-salad. The recipe is adapted from Healthy Cooking for Two or Just You, by Frances Price. I learned to cook from this book – how to approach cooking with confidence and how to branch out from the basics. The subtitle of the book, “Low-fat recipes with half the fuss and double the taste,” says it all. Thank you, Ms. Price!
Moroccan Orange Salad (serves 2 as a main dish)
2 medium navel or seedless oranges
2 thin slices red onion
1 T olive oil
1 T red wine vinegar
1/4 tsp salt
Cayenne pepper to taste
4 c torn red-leaf lettuce or other salad greens
8 Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
2 T crumbled Feta cheese
2 T pecan pieces or sliced almonds, toasted
1 boneless chicken breast, broiled or grilled
2/3 cup couscous
Cut the oranges horizontally (along the equator, so to speak) into 1/2 inch slices. Peel off the strips of rind and separate each slice into several sections. Reserve about 1/2 an orange and squeeze the juice (about 2 tablespoons.)
In a small bowl, whisk together the orange juice, oil, vinegar, salt, and cayenne. Add the oranges and onion slices, stir to coat and let stand at room temperature for 10-20 minutes to blend the flavors.
Place the lettuce on 2 plates. Scatter the olives on top. Scoop the oranges and onions onto the salads, and top with chicken. Sprinkle with feta, nuts, and drizzle with the dressing left in the bowl.
Cook the couscous according to package directions, adding a pinch of salt to the boiling water, and when it is done fluff with a fork and serve alongside the salad.
[...] Heat 1 T olive oil in a large heavy skillet with a lid. Saute the onion until softened and golden-brown. Stir in the ginger and garlic, and cook and stir for a minute or two. Remove the onion mixture and set it aside. Add 1 T olive oil to the pan and place the chicken pieces in a single layer, skinned side up. Fry them until browned, then flip and fry until the other side is browned. (They always stick dreadfully for me, so that’s why I do the smooth side second and leave them there for the next step.) Add the onion mixture back into the pan, around the edges of the chicken. Add the chopped preserved lemon, scattered over the chicken. Drizzle with honey, sprinkle with salt and saffron, and then pour over the wine and 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover the pan, and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes or until the chicken is cooked thru. Take the chicken pieces out with tongs and set them aside, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cover with foil. Add 3/4 cup of water to the liquid remaining in the pan, and raise the heat to bring it to a boil. Stir in the couscous. Simmer for 10 minutes, checking after 5 to make sure there is enough liquid, adding a little more water if the couscous is sticking to the pan. The couscous is done when it is tender but still a bit chewy. Serve the couscous alongside the chicken, with salad – I recommend Moroccan Orange Salad. [...]