Local mom Jennifer Gwin shares one of her delicious and easy recipes. Jennifer is a single mom to an active two-and-a-half-year-old, Annora, and works full-time at Green Thumb Nursery. She does consulting work part-time with a health and wellness company, Arbonne International, and is finishing her certification as a life coach. With her on-the-go schedule, she knew early on that meal times needed to be quick, simple, and healthy.
Jennifer shares, “A desire for nutritious meals and sticking to a budget prompted the necessity of cooking. I’ve always known I love the idea of fellowship around a table. And in my mind, I can create the most welcoming of tables. However, I have had some escapades in the kitchen that are highly amusing and embarrassing. I’m still learning how to cook. I think it will be a lifelong journey. Dishes get broken. Sometimes, food burns. Learn to laugh and keep going.” Though she’s had some hiccups in the kitchen, she’s thankful her cooking has evolved since those days.
As a new mom, Jennifer was overwhelmed with a newborn and found cooking to be a daunting task. A friend encouraged her to build a repertoire of five healthy meals, and she took the advice to heart. As she began taking small steps towards cooking, she discovered a love for it. She admits busy weeknights are difficult, but she learned to manage her time on the weekends doing food prep and setting her week up for success.
As she was preparing to discard a cookbook one day because it had no photos, she looked through it one last time. That day, she had company coming over and happened to have all the ingredients in her pantry for the recipe she was reading in the cookbook. Jennifer decided to prepare the dish, and it was a hit. Everyone loved it, and she decided to keep the cookbook. She shares it with us this month!
Easy Greek Chicken with Couscous (a slow cooker recipe)
Ingredients:
(2) pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
(2) 14.5 oz. cans diced tomatoes with basil, oregano, and garlic – undrained
1.5 cups chicken broth
(2) 6oz packages of couscous with toasted pine nut mix
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives, coarsely chopped
Chopped fresh basil (Optional)
Directions:
- Cut the chicken into 1/2-inch pieces. Place chicken in a 4-quart slow cooker. Pour undrained tomatoes and broth over the chicken.
- Cover and cook on a low-heat setting for 5-6 hours or on a high-heat setting for 2 1/2-3 hours. Stir in couscous. Cover and let stand for five minutes. Fluff the couscous mixture with a fork.
- To serve, spoon couscous mixture on each of 8 dinner plates. Sprinkle with feta cheese, olives, and basil (optional). Enjoy!
Kimberley Carter Spivey is a freelance writer, blogger, author, and entrepreneur. When she’s not working as an Instructional Systems Designer and copy-editor on Maxwell AFB, she’s busy freelancing, blogging, or toiling away at her next book. Her debut book Bloom: How to Get from Good Enough to a Life You Love can be purchased on Amazon and girlyouwrite.com.
