Tonight’s Dinner: Chicken Lollipops and Tabbouleh

Chicken breasts on top of Tabbouleh doesn’t sound like something any child would enjoy. But put that chicken breast on a lollipop stick and suddenly you have an entree kids won’t be able to get enough of, especially if they help with the skewering.

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I’m a big chicken fan. I don’t care if you fry it, barbecue it, or roast it. If it’s breast, wing, leg, or thigh I’m going to eat it. My two-year-old son on the other hand, not nearly as big a fan. I don’t know what it is, but if it’s isn’t in meatball, sausage, or finger form, my son won’t touch chicken. Thanks to Melissa d’Arabian though, I’ve found a way to get my son to eat chicken breast without grinding it up or breading it. All she did was skewer the breast with a lollipop stick and suddenly my chicken has gone from something boring into a fun, healthy treat that my son can pick up with his hands and munch on. Who knew it’d be this easy to get my son to become a chicken loving little boy. Hmmm… maybe I’ll start skewering all my proteins with lollipop sticks.

Chicken Lollipops over Tabbouleh

Ingredients

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 4 tablespoon olive oil, separated
• juice of 1 lemon, separated
• 2 tablespoons barbecue sauce
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup ranch dressing
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 1-1/2 cups water
• 1-1/4 plain couscous
• 1 cup garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
• 1 large tomato, chopped
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut chicken breasts into 6 equal pieces.
2. In a medium bowl, combine one tablespoon olive oil with three tablespoons lemon juice, barbecue sauce, salt, and pepper. Add chicken and marinate for 15-30 minutes. Bake chicken on a cookie sheet for 15 minutes, turning once at seven minutes. Once cooked, spear each piece with a lollipop stick and set aside.
3. Bring water to boil and add in couscous. Stir, cover and remove from heat. Let stand for five minutes or until liquid is absorbed.
4. In a large bowl, toss couscous with garbanzo beans, parsley, cilantro, tomato, green onion, salt and pepper.
5. In a small bowl whisk together lemon zest, three tablespoons lemon juice, and three tablespoons olive oil. Drizzle over couscous and toss. Place chicken lollipop on top of tabbouleh and serve.

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• Caramelized leek and chicken coconut curry
• Catalina chicken
• Chicken bundles