mint, orange, soy, chicken...

Recipe Post!
Below is one of my favorite grilled chicken recipes. I'm not too sure Ive ever made exactly as written though - I usually add or skip various ingredients. Use toasted almonds instead of pine nuts in the couscous, add ginger and garlic to the glaze and minty peas. I often make double the glaze and add a little corn starch slurry at the end to make more sauce to dress right before serving or have as a dipping sauce - which is also great for chicken wings and dry ribs. Sometimes I just grill the chicken, chop it in to bite-sized chunks and toss in cooked rice or rice noodles, makes a great lunch the next day.
Let me know how you like it and what you do different.

Orange Soy Glaze Chicken
1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
¼ cup soy sauce
½ cup sugar
2 teaspoons orange zest
4 (6-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground white pepper
4 teaspoons olive oil
In a saucepan add the orange juice, soy sauce, sugar and orange zest. Bring to a boil, lower heat to a simmer, and cook until liquid is reduced to about 3/4 cup, about 20 minutes. Remove the glaze from the heat, reserve 1/4 cup separately, let cool and then pour the remaining glaze over the chicken breasts, seal and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Allow to come to room temperature for 30 minutes before grilling. Discard the marinade. Season the chicken on both sides with the salt and pepper and drizzle with the olive oil. Place the chicken, smooth side down, on the grill and cook for 4 minutes, rotate 45 degrees and cook an additional 4 minutes. Turn the chicken over, brush each breast with 1 tablespoon of the reserved glaze, and cook for another 4 minutes on the second side, or until just cooked through.

Orange, Currant and Pine Nut Couscous
1 ½ cups water
½ cup small diced red onion or shallots
½ cup small diced carrot
½ cup currants
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1 (10-ounce) package couscous
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup toasted pine nuts
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon fresh ground white pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
In a saucepan add the water, red onions, carrots, currants and orange zest. Bring to a boil and cook for 3 minutes. While the water boils, combine the remaining ingredients except the mint in a medium heat-proof bowl. Pour the water over the couscous in the bowl and wrap with plastic wrap. Allow to steam for 5 minutes, remove the plastic, add the mint and fluff with a fork. Serve while hot.

Minty Peas
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ cup minced yellow onion
1 pound frozen green peas, (do not thaw)
¼ cup water
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Saute the onions, until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the peas and water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the saucepan, and simmer until tender, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add the salt and mint and stir. Serve while hot.

Enjoy!