Making the Most of What You Got: Soft Taco Night

There are times when you know you're making a great dish, and other times you just have to wing it.  Thursday night was one of those nights.  I had a random assortment of items in the kitchen and wanted to use all of them because I'm taking a mini-vacation in Kiawah Island, SC, this weekend.  I opted to make soft tacos since I had fresh wraps from Whole Foods that were sure to go bad and a bunch of cilantro.  So, here goes nothing...


Soft Taco's with Chicken, Veggies, and CousCous

3/4 pound of chicken, marinated with mesquite flavoring
1/2 cooked cous cous
1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced
1/2 green pepper, sliced
1/2 red pepper, sliced
2 carrots, cut into thin strips
1/2 cup of green beans, cut into small pieces
1/2 medium tomato, chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
1/2 lime, squeezed
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Garlic powder to taste
Cayenne to taste (minimal, in my case)
2 tsp olive oil
Soft taco shells/wraps

Heat a cast-iron skillet on medium heat.  Once hot, add a bit of olive oil (to prevent sticking) and add the chicken.  Keep chicken on the skillet until thoroughly cooked.

Meanwhile, heat 1 tsp of olive oil on low/medium in saute pan.  Once heated, add the onion, peppers, carrots, and green beans until soft.  Season with salt, pepper, garlic, and cayenne.

Mix the tomato and red onion with lime juice, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and a pinch of cilantro.

Mix the couscous with remaining cilantro.


Putting It All Together
Simply place a soft taco on a plate and work your way up.  I topped the taco with the couscous, followed by the chicken, veggies, and makeshift salsa.  This dish also works nicely if you don't have tacos and want to make a stir-fry with the other ingredients.

This was quite good especially for not making a special trip to Whole Foods.  Have at it :)