Roasted Chicken Thighs with Zucchini and Couscous

Well, like I said posts are going to be a bit rare for awhile. Josh is busier and busier with each passing week, making a lot of dinner effort hard to muster when he won't even be eating it several nights a week. The grocery budget is getting tighter for us too, just like it is for so many other households. Just doesn't allow for as much freedom as I once had in planning the weekly menu and shopping list. This is a recipe that I actually made quite awhile back. I didn't think the picture turned out all that appetizingly, but I decided to go ahead and share it with you guys. Chicken thighs can be a very cost effective protein choice, so a good option for meat eaters these days. And with only 5 ingredients required, several of which might be staples in your kitchen, it could be a recipe that keeps your weekly grocery spending down.

Roasted Chicken Thighs with Zucchini and Couscous
Recipe from Everyday Food; Serves 4












8 chicken thighs
2 zucchini (about 1 pound total), halved lengthwise and sliced crosswise
1 cup couscous
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees, with rack in upper third. Season chicken with salt and pepper; place, skin side down, on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast for 10 minutes.
• Remove sheet from oven, and turn chicken, skin side up. Scatter zucchini around chicken, and season with salt and pepper; toss with pan juices. Return sheet to oven, and continue to roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh (avoiding bone) registers 165 degrees, 7 to 10 minutes more.
• Meanwhile, bring 1 1/4 cups water to a boil in a small saucepan; season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat, and stir in couscous. Cover, and let stand until all the liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Fluff couscous with a fork. Stir in parsley, vinegar, roasted zucchini, and 2 tablespoons pan juices; season with salt and pepper. Serve chicken with zucchini and couscous.

My notes: My chicken stuck a little bit to the pan, so maybe a light rubbing with olive oil could help with that. Other than that this was a good, easy recipe that I'd probably make again.