Couscous and chicken salad with orange-balsamic dressing

8 Servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
Salad
4½ cup Water
3 cups Couscous; (2 10-ounce boxes)
1 cup Dried currants
1 3 pound roasted chicken; skinned, boned, cut
Into bite-size pieces
1½ cup Diced drained roasted red bell peppers
(from jar)
1 can Chick-peas (garbanzo beans); (15 1/2 ounce)
Rinsed, drained
1 cup Chopped pitted Kalamata olives*
1 bunch Green onions; chopped
½ cup Chopped fresh cilantro
Dressing
¾ cup Orange juice
3 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons Grated orange peel
1 tablespoon Ground cumin
½ cup Olive oil
Greens
Romaine lettuce leaves

Directions

For Salad: Bring 4½ cups water to boil in large saucepan. Add couscous and currants. Cover, remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with fork. Transfer to large bowl and cool. Mix all remaining salad ingredients into cooled couscous. For Dressing: Mix first 4 ingredients in bowl.

Gradually mix in oil. Pour dressing over salad and toss. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.) Line large bowl with romaine. Add salad. *Black brine-cured Kalamata olives are available at Greek and Italian markets and some supermarkets. 8 Servings Bon App‚tit June 1993

Recipe By : Bon App=E9tit June 1993=20 Posted to MC-Recipe Digest V1 #220 Date: Tue, 17 Sep 1996 18:04:38 -0400 From: Mail Delivery Subsystem <MAILER-DAEMON@...> (by way of kmeade@... (The Meades))

NOTES : Currants, roasted peppers, chick-peas, olives, green onions and cilantro add color and flavor to this portable salad. To start, dip wedges of pita bread into store-bought hummus (a creamy puree of chick-peas and sesame paste, available at Middle Eastern markets). A slightly chilled Beaujolais or lemonade is a refreshing beverage choice. =20

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