A Perfect Autumn Meal: Salsa Chicken, Cumin Chick Peas, Green Beens with Garlic and Tri color Cousous

This was one of those "what would happen if..." recipes...

I had a recipe for chicken with olives. And there was this large jar of salsa which seemed to shout out "use me! use me!" and because I can never leave a recipe well enough alone I decided to toss the jar on top of the chicken and bake it in the oven. Well, this has to be one of my best science experiments ever. It is a go-to easy recipe if we have last minute company. It is flavorful, easy and fool-proof! I like to serve it with couscous, a green veggie and chick peas. The meal has a sort of Mediterranean feel to it. Though I am not sure where in Europe you'd find salsa on the menu!

To make the chicken you will need:
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts -- trimmed into portions the size of your palm.
1 large jar of good chunky salsa -- doesn't have to be an expensive variety, however.
1 can of black olives
3/4 cup of green olives
2 tbs of olive oil
salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste

Directions:
Add olive oil to a hot, largish saute pan
Add chicken, about 3 or 4 pieces at a time
Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder
When browned flip over and season other side. Do not cook fully as it will finish cooking in the oven.
When chicken is done place into large ceramic baking dish.
Repeat above steps until all the chicken has been browned.
Pour salsa over the chicken and spread evenly. Add olives.
Place in preheated oven, 375 for about 20 minutes, or until thoroughly cooked through.
If necessary, keep chicken in oven, on warm until ready to serve.

Meanwhile... prepare couscous per directions on package.
For this recipe I tend to stay away from the Near East and other varieties that are flavored.
I use a plain couscous and add just a little bit of salt to taste.
This can be reheated quickly in the microwave just prior to serving, if necessary.

Cumin Chick Peas are my new favorite treat! I like to make extra just so I can snack on them!
These can either be lightly sauteed in a pan or baked in the oven. Both yield fabulous, flavorful and crunchy results!

You'll need:
2 cans of chick peas, drained and rinsed
1 - 2 tsp of ground cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
Sea salt to taste
2 tbs of olive oil

In Pan:
Add olive oil to hot pan
Add chick peas and seasonings and cook until the chick peas start to brown.
Some of the skins will peel off... this is OK and delish!

In oven:
Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix well.
Place on a jelly roll or cookie sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes until lightly brown and crispy. If you want to cook these longer, please do!

Garlicky Green Beans

You'll need:
1 - 2 lbs fresh haricots vert, thin green beans (or if you have access to really good frozen ones like Trader Joe's brand)
2 - 3 tbs olive oil
1 - 2 tsp garlic powder
Sea salt and pepper to taste

In a large, hot pan add oil and green beans, saute, add garlic powder, salt and pepper and cook about 5 minutes so that beans are tender but still crisp. Some of the beans will caramelize. My kids love these beans the best!

Chicken with green olives, lemon and garlic... Couscous... Asparagus with Brown Butter Shallot Sauce

I needed something to prepare quickly. The natives were restless and hungry. I opened my fridge and the following items just jumped out at me. It helps that I had just done a major grocery shopping and shows the importance of a well stocked pantry. I created this as I went along and am beyond thrilled with the results!

As I was in a mad rush to get the food on the table... I didn't "plate" my dinner beautifully so my pictures will not do this meal justice... I would normally serve the chicken on a platter, couscous in the middle, then the chicken would have been arranged around the couscous and the olives would have been placed strategically around as well. Instead, I Dumped and Served. The result was delicious none the less. Since I created this as I went along my measures are approximate, so feel free to tweak it as you like.

To make the chicken:

I used 5 chicken breasts. (1 per person)
1 jar of Spanish olives
Juice from 2 lemons
2 XL cloves of garlic
A dash of sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
Olive oil

Trim the chicken of all fat and cut each breast in half.
In a pan add 2 to 3 Tbs of olive oil and turn heat to high.
When oil starts to get hot, add chicken and a dash of sea salt.
Let chicken brown, about 3 to 4 minutes, turn over, brown other side 3 to 4 minutes.
Add garlic, another Tbs of olive oil if needed and move chicken around so that each piece gets a good amount of garlic. The lemon juice and olive oil will start to brown. With a rubber spatula scrape the bits off the bottom of the pan and rotate chicken so that each piece absorbs the liquid. (This will add a lovely golden color to the chicken.)
Add the olives from the jar and half the juice.
Place a lid over the pan and simmer, on low heat for 15 to 20 minutes. There is enough juice at this point to keep the chicken from drying out.

To make the couscous:
In a separate pan add water and bring to boil. Then add couscous (I use Near East) and cook per directions on box.

To make the Asparagus:
While asparagus is cooking, take 1 medium shallot and chop finely.

In a small sauce pan place 2 Tbs of butter over medium heat until butter melts and starts to turn brown. As soon as it turns brown, remove from heat immediately. Add shallot and add about 1 tsp of olive oil. Keep warm.

In a large saute pan, fill with a few inches of water. Bring to boil. Add asparagus and cook about 4 to 5 minutes. Asparagus should be firm to the bite but not tough. When done remove from water. Place on a plate and pour Brown Butter Shallot Sauce over asparagus.

Remove chicken from pan and place on a large plate or platter. Be sure not to leave any of the delicious juices behind!

Serve immediately.

This meal takes no longer than 30 minutes start to finish!