Delicious Summer Couscous and Chicken

July 25, 2008— -- Celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck joined "Good Morning America" to whip up some simple and savory dishes. Check out his recipes for chicken kabobs and a perfect couscous salad.

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Chicken Kabobs With Lemon and Thyme

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 small shallot, minced

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 large boneless, skinless, chicken breast halves

2 lemons, each cut into 4 wedges

Directions

In medium nonreactive bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, shallot, thyme, garlic, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Place in large, heavy-duty sealable plastic food-storage bag.

Using a fork, pierce each chicken breast all over several times to help the marinade penetrate. Cut each chicken breast into 8 large equally sized chunks. Put the marinade mixture in the plastic bag; add the chicken, seal the bag, and move the pieces around to coat them thoroughly. Put the bag in the refrigerator for about 1 hour.

Preheat the grill. Meanwhile, thread the chicken chunks onto 8 skewers, including a lemon wedge in the middle of each skewer.

Grill the kabobs until the chicken is nicely brown and cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes, turning the kabobs once. Serve on a bed of Couscous Salad (recipe follows).

Yield: Serves 4

Recipe Courtesy Wolfgang Puck

Couscous Salad

Ingredients

2 cups (500 ml) good-quality canned chicken broth

10 ounces (300 g) dry instant couscous

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground cinnamon

1/4 cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil

1 lemon, zested and juiced

1 small red onion, cut into small dice

1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into small dice

1 red bell pepper, halved, stemmed, seeded, deveined, and cut into small dice

1 bunch green onions, trimmed and finely chopped

1/4 cup (60 ml) chopped cilantro leaves

Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

In a saucepan, bring the chicken broth to a boil.

Put the couscous in a large, heatproof bowl. Stir in the salt and cinnamon. Pour the boiling broth over the couscous, stir briefly, cover the bowl, and leave it at room temperature for 5 minutes. Uncover the bowl and, with a table fork, fluff the couscous to separate its grains. Leave it to cool completely to room temperature.

In another large bowl, stir together the olive oil, lemon juice and zest, red onion, cucumber, bell pepper, and green onions. Add the cooled couscous and toss until thoroughly mixed. Stir in the cilantro leaves. Taste and adjust the seasonings with more salt and pepper, if necessary. Serve at room temperature.

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

Recipe Courtesy Wolfgang Puck