"Pork Chops" with Mango Scallion Couscous and Grilled Zucchini

Call us Kosher (even though we're not), call us picky, call us snobby... but we still won't eat pork in our house. We never ate in my house, growing up, and for some reason, I can't get into it. That being said, I know it has been deemed, "The other white meat," so sometimes I pork recipes, but use chicken. I figure the flavors are probably similar. True or false? Someone enlighten me. Anyway, I found this simple recipe in Everyday with Rachael Ray, and decided to try it in my new grill pan. Let me begin, by saying that I thought this was a relatively simple recipe, but for some reason, even the simplest recipes seem to turn my kitchen into a chaotic mess. Can I blame the kids? Anyway, Kevin was on "Third Call," meaning that he was home, but there was a small chance he'd get called into work. Well, in the heart of my mess-making, he was called in, Jonah woke up from a nap, and Maya needed a diaper change. Oy. Anyway, the end result of this recipe was just okay. I mean, I liked it, but it was rather plain. I didn't use the mango, because apparently, you can't judge a mango by its peel, and it was less than ideal when I cut into it. I used whole wheat couscous, and loved the flavor of the grilled scallions and zucchini, but I think the mango would have added a nice summer flavor to the dish. The chicken was pretty dry, which I think is a typical issue with grill pans. Anyone know how to remedy this? I'm open to ideas. Anyway, Kevin at this one reheated, when he got home from the hospital, and he found that it had gotten very dry, once put in the fridge. I think I'd make the couscous again, but the chicken was didn't really absorb the flavors particularly well, so I might opt for a stronger marinade next time.


This mango had such promise, but it lacked good texture and flavor on the inside. I'm new to the world of mangos, so I'll forgive this time!

Jonah's dinner.

Couscous looks so pretty, but it's a clean up challenge for sure.

I grilled the zucchini and scallions before cutting them. This is a great time saver, when it comes to flipping things on the grill.

Wrapping up Kevin's meal for later. Dinner is just not as much fun when he isn't around.


The Critique
The food was great when it came off the skillet. However, I ended up getting called back to work so that I was unable to really get a chance to enjoy the food. From what I ate, I really liked it. When I came home, the reheated chicken was a bit dry, which seems to be an ongoing theme with our reheated chicken. Being such a lover of leftovers, this is a big issue. Any suggestions on how to avoid having dry reheated chicken?

The flavor was a bit cajunny and not overseasoned at all. Really enjoyed it. Cous cous tends to be a pain in the butt to eat because if you use a fork, it gets all over the place and then its a beotch to clean up.

Chicken - 3 bowls
Cous cous - 3 bowls
Vegetables - 3 bowls

for all