Apricot Glazed Chicken with The Most Amazing Couscous

One of our favorite restaurants is Houston's.  It is an upscale chain, with maybe 10 locations across the country that focuses on fresh comfort classics.  It is our favorite comfort indulgence restaurant.   In fact, I worked there for a brief stint 10+ years ago when I first started my business (had to pay bills, after-all!).  Working there taught me so much about the kind of food people like to eat - real food.  Our all-time favorite menu item was the super rare french dip sandwich with a baked potato.  I have ordered the same thing for the last 20 years.  

Then, some wacky day I ordered the Thai Steak Noodle Salad.  Obsessed.  Over the holidays we went with Mike's parents for his birthday dinner and I must have been feeling strange, because I ordered the Apricot Roasted Chicken with Couscous.  Oh my goodness.  I remember when I worked there that people went nuts over it, but I couldn't imagine it being that good.  It is.  It is one of those meals I catch myself thinking about.  

Obviously, I had to attempt it at home.  The home version was so simple to prepare - so flavorful and super healthy (in my book).  The sauce is made from jarred apricot preserves and takes minutes to stir/cook together.  While the chicken was in the oven I prepared the couscous.  Super easy.   We are adding it to our two week rotation - it is that good.

Apricot Glazed Chicken with Couscous

4 Large Chicken Breasts
Sea Salt
2 Tablespoons of Butter
3 Cloves of Garlic, minced
1/2 Cup of Apricot Preserves
1 Tablespoons of Dijon
2 Tablespoons of Lemon Juice
2 Tablespoons of Soy Sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a baking dish, place chicken.  Sprinkle liberally with salt on all sides.

To make sauce, saute garlic in butter for 1 minute, then add apricot preserves, dijon, lemon juice and soy.  Cook on medium until thickened and bubbly.  Pour mixture over the chicken.  Bake chicken for 30-35 minutes, until they are cooked through.  Turn chicken halfway through cooking time.

Serve with The Most Amazing Couscous, recipe below.

The Most Amazing Couscous

1 cup uncooked couscous

1 cup water

1/4 teaspoon of salt

....

6 radishes, chopped

5 green onions, chopped

1/2 cup golden raisins

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

1/3 cup whole almonds

10 fresh mint leaves

....

1 tablespoon of lemon juice

1 tablespoon of olive oil

1/2 teaspoon of salt

Prepare couscous as directed on the package.  

Combine all of the chopped veggies, raisins, almonds and mint in a medium bowl.  Combine with couscous.  Mix together lemon, oil and salt.  Pour over couscous mixture and toss.  Serve room temperature or cold.  

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Thai Steak & Vegetable Noodles in Peanut Sauce... Again

This is the 3rd time I've shared a recipe similar to this on the blog.  The first was in 2010, and the second in 2011.  Now that it is 2014, I've perfected it - and simplified it.  Perhaps it is my lack of time or brain power to make sure that I had all of the ingredients that the first two included... I think there were 18?  Now, when we're at the grocery store, I'm pushing a giant red car cart, feeding Emma grapes and cleaning up the carton of pink milk we just drizzled down Aisle 4.

It seems like I always end up forgetting a couple of things we need to make dinner happen.  But, dinner always does happen anyway - maybe not the way I intended, but sometimes it turns out for the better.  In this case, I've simplified the ingredients to make the entire dish work better together.



You can see the old recipes, here, and grimace at my photography like I did.

I like to serve this with warm steak and noodles, but you can also serve it cold, more like a salad... which is how I had the left overs for lunch today. 

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Thai Steak Noodles in Peanut Sauce


1 pound Flank Steak
1/2 box Linguine, cooked
1 small head savoy or napa cabbage, shredded
1 1/2 cups carrots, matchsticks
1/4 cup of cilantro, fresh, torn into pieces
1 red pepper, matchsticks
3 tablespoons of peanut butter
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
1 teaspoon siracha (more for spicier)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon of brown sugar
1 lime, cut in wedgest

Salt the steak on both sides, then sear it in a hot pan for 3 minutes on each side.  Cover with foil and let rest for 15 minutes, then slice thin.

Meanwhile, cook the linguine in salted boiling water until al dente.  Drain.

To make the sauce, combine the peanut butter, oil, siracha, brown sugar and garlic in a small bowl.

Mix with whisk or fork until smooth. 

Add pasta, steak, shredded cabbage, carrots, cilantro and red pepper. 

 Serve with a squeeze of lime and chopped peanuts (if you can remember them... I forgot!).

 

Thai Steak Noodle Salad | Simple Thai Recipes | Recipe | Steak

 

 

I'm always altering and improving recipes.  Recently, I took another stab at my Thai Steak Noodle Salad Recipe.  The magic ingredient? like so many other great things in life : peanut butter.  And I took out the ginger - it was a little too much.

 

1 pound flank steak

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt & Pepper
1/2 box of rice noodles
1 cup spinach
2 cup cabbage, shredded
2 carrots, julienned
1 avocado (not pictured - I forgot it!)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
4 green onions, chopped
1 handful basil, chopped

Dressing :

1 lime, juiced
1 tablespoon sugar

1/4 cup of peanut butter
1 clove garlic minced
1 handful peanuts, chopped

1 teaspoon of chili sauce/paste

Directions:

Pat the steak dry with a paper towel, then generously salt and pepper.  Heat a skillet over high heat.  Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  Cook steak for 3-4 minutes on each side.  Set aside the steak to rest.

 

Cook the noodles in boiling water for about 2-3 minutes or prepare as directed on the package. 

Combine all of the ingredients for the dressing, whisking together with a fork.  

 

Slice the steak into 1/4 inch strips.  

In a large bowl, add cabbage, spinach, carrots, green onions, avocado and basil.  Add steak and noodles.  Pour over dressing and toss.

 

 

Recipes | Thai Steak Noodle Salad

I love the Thai Steak Noodle Salad at Houston's. It is sweet, spicy, crunchy, and delicious. Don't be scared of all of the ingredients - it takes just 25 minutes to make! To top it off it is healthy.

1 pound steak, cubed - flank steak, stew meat or sirloin
1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt & Pepper
1/2 box of rice noodles
1 cup spinach
2 cup cabbage, shredded
2 carrots, julienned
1 avocado (not pictured - I forgot it!)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
4 green onions, chopped
1 handful basil, chopped

Dressing :

1 lime, juiced
1 tablespoon sugar
1 clove garlic minced
1 teaspoon ginger, minced
1 handful peanuts, chopped

1 teaspoon of chili sauce/paste

Directions:

To cook noodles, pour boiling water over the noodles and let them soak until tender, about 5-7 minutes.

Heat the oil in a pan. Sear the steak until medium rare, abut 2-3 minutes per side and turn off the heat.

Add vegetables and noodles to the steak pan and toss off of the heat - just slightly warming the vegetables. Pour over dressing and toss.