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Heaven on a Plate has gotten a bit of a makeover!

Moving forward, please visit http://heavenonaplateblog.wordpress.com/.

See you there :)

Man on a Couscous Mission

Here's a great money saving and healthy eating tip. Every Sunday, create a lunch and dinner menu for that week. That way, you won't splurge on an unhealthy expensive meal out because you're too tired to figure out what you want to eat when you get home. I went out of town for a bachelorette party last weekend, and when I came home, fiance had planned out our whole week of eating. It included a new recipe to add to our repertoire and he was on quite a mission to execute. It was a Chicken and Couscous Salad that he found on MyRecipes.com. 

This meal was really quick and beautiful. Tons of colors. It's great as an entree and would also be good as a side dish for entertaining. 

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1 (5.7-ounce) box uncooked couscous
• 1 1/2 cups cubed cooked chicken (about 6 ounces)
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
• 1/2 cup diced radishes (about 3 large)
• 1/2 cup chopped seeded peeled cucumber
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted

Dressing:

• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 garlic clove, minced

• 
  Directions:
• 
  To prepare salad, bring broth to a boil in a medium saucepan; gradually stir in couscous. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Spoon couscous into a large bowl; cool slightly. Add chicken, onions, radishes, cucumber, parsley, and pine nuts; toss gently to combine.
  
  To prepare dressing, combine vinegar and remaining ingredients, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle dressing over salad; toss to combine.
  
  Note: You can toast nuts quickly in a dry skillet over medium-high heat. Stir frequently, and as soon as they become fragrant, remove the nuts from the pan.

Grams

When I first started blogging, my fellow bloggers warned me it was a difficult thing to keep up. Boy, were they right! Between long hours at the office, traveling every weekend (literally), this took a back seat.  Well, it’s a new year so naturally one of my resolutions was to get back to it.

But more importantly…my Grams, one of the people I dedicated this blog to, recently passed away. Grams was an enormous influence in my life, she helped shape who I am today. As I mentioned in my very first post, my love for food is a result of her. Cooking was in my Grams’ heart and soul, and it is one of the many ways she showed her love for us over the years.

There are endless ways I can honor my Grams and cooking is one of them. Cooking her recipes for the people that I love, hearing her voice in my head the whole time… “Needs some more salt Kitty Kate”. 

So Grams, this one is for you. I love you and miss you with all my heart. Certainly gives a new meaning to heaven on a plate doesn't it? 

Grams’ Broccoli & Pasta Dish:

Ingredients:
4 heads of broccoli - chopped
2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
Crushed red pepper flakes
Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 cup of bread crumbs
Whole wheat pasta (two cups dry)
3 gloves of garlic minced
Chicken bouillon cubes or chicken broth

Serves 2. 

Directions:

-In a pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water.

-Meanwhile, in a large, deep skillet, heat oil. Sauté garlic (don’t let burn) along with just a few shakes of red pepper flakes.

-If using chicken bouillon cubes (which I would suggest because they have a ton of flavor), add two cups of water to the skillet along with two cubes. The key is to add one cup of water for every cube. If using chicken broth, add two cups.

-Add chopped broccoli to the broth and turn up the heat so it begins to simmer.

-Once the broccoli softens, add the al dente pasta. It will finish cooking while absorbing the flavors. Add ¼ cup of the pasta cooking water. 

-After about 5 minutes, add bread crumbs, mix into the pasta and turn heat off. Let sit for another few minutes, stirring. If the mixture gets too dry, add more water or chicken broth.

-Add parmesan cheese to taste and enjoy!