This weekend my friends and I organized a “Friendsgiving” where we each brought our own dish. I decided to make my classic chicken and pearl couscous recipe which was definitely a hit and also brought along pumpkin pastry twists. The original chicken and pearl couscous recipe came from Martha Stewart’s Living magazine years ago and is both healthy and delicious–it’s one of our family favorites. I’ve adjusted it a bit and the ingredients are listed below.

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 and 1/2 cups pearl couscous (aka Israeli couscous)
• 1 and 1/2 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs, chopped into bite-size pieces
• ½ medium onion, chopped
• 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 strips of lemon peel (about 2 inches each)
• Pinch of saffron
• ½ cup dry white wine
• 2 cups chicken broth (have more in case you need it)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup frozen peas

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add couscous and cook, stirring for
   1-2 minutes till slightly browned. Transfer couscous to a bowl, and return the skillet to
   heat. (OK to add a little bit more oil if the pan seems dry)
2. Cook chicken, smooth side down, until browned (3-5 minutes), flip, and cook 3
   minutes more. Transfer to a plate, leaving drippings in the skillet.
3. Reduce heat to medium, add onion and cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring. Add
   tomatoes, garlic, lemon peel, and saffron. Cook, stirring, till tomatoes begin to
   break down (about 3 minutes), add wine and cook a few minutes more.
4. Return chicken to skillet, and add stock, salt, and couscous. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook 12-14 minutes until couscous is tender and chicken is cooked
   through. NOTE: at this point, I taste the couscous and if it still a little crunchy
   (and all the stock is absorbed), I add ½ cup of chicken broth. Once the couscous is
   tender, stir in peas, cook till peas heated through (about 1 minute) and serve!

Note: if you are lucky enough to have leftovers, it’s even better the next day.

Pumpkin Pastry Twists

For dessert I made Pumpkin Pastry Twists using the ingredients listed below–along with these simple instructions.