Recipe: Tunisian Spiced Flattened Chicken Breasts and Couscous with Apricots and Cranber

TUNISIAN SPICED FLATTENED CHICKEN BREASTS

FOR THE GRILLING SPICE MIXTURE:
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground caraway seeds
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
TO COMPLETE THE RECIPE:
1 cup olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 4 lemons)
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast fillets, pounded evenly to 1/2 -inch thickness
2 large red onions, peeled and cut into 1-inch slices
8 wooden skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes
2 cups cooked couscous
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
1/2 cup currants or sweetened dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped green onions (white and green parts)
1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley

Prepare a hot fire in your grill. Oil a perforated grill rack and set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the Tunisian Grilling Spice Mixture ingredients. Whisk to blend and set aside.

In another small bowl, combine the olive oil and lemon juice. Whisk to blend and set aside

Place the chicken on a double baking sheet and drizzle each breast with about 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and lemon juice mixture. Then lightly sprinkle both sides of each chicken breast with about 1 tablespoon of the spice mixture. Skewer each onion slice widthwise and place on the baking sheet or on a perforated grilling rack. Drizzle the onions with some of the olive oil mixture. (Reserve 2 to 3 tablespoons of the olive oil mixture for the couscous.)

Mix the couscous with the dried fruits, green onions, parsley and 2 or 3 tablespoons of the reserved olive oil and lemon juice mixture.

Grill the chicken for about 2 1/2 minutes per side, turning once. Grill the onions for 3 or 4 minutes per side, turning once, or until you have good grill marks. Transfer the cooked food to the clean baking sheet. Serve with the couscous.

Adapted from source: Weeknight Grilling with the BBQ Queens by Karen Adler and Judith Fertig