Couscous Salad with Chicken, Dates, and Walnuts

Ingredients

• 0.4 teaspoon pepper black divided freshly ground
• 1 cup couscous uncooked
• 0.3 cup cilantro leaves fresh chopped
• 2  garlic cloves mashed
• 1  green onion thinly sliced
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin divided
• 0.5 cup buttermilk low-fat
• 12  medjool dates diced pitted
• 1.5 teaspoons olive oil 
• 0.4 teaspoon salt divided
• 12 ounces chicken thighs boneless skinless
• 0.7 cup walnuts chopped
• 1.5 cups water 

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• sauce pan
• whisk
• broiler

Directions

1. Preheat broiler to high.
2. Bring 1 1/2 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Stir in couscous; cover pan.
3. Remove from heat; let couscous mixture stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Uncover pan; fluff couscous with a fork.
4. Combine buttermilk, 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk.
5. Add couscous, walnuts, cilantro, dates, and green onion; stir mixture gently to combine.
6. Drizzle olive oil evenly over chicken thighs; sprinkle both sides of chicken with remaining 1/2 teaspoon cumin, remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and garlic. Arrange chicken in a single layer in a large ovenproof skillet. Broil chicken for 5 minutes; turn chicken over. Broil an additional 3 minutes or until done.
7. Remove chicken from pan; let stand 5 minutes.
8. Pour pan juices into couscous mixture; toss gently to combine. Spoon about 1 cup couscous mixture onto each of 6 plates. Slice chicken crosswise; divide chicken evenly over couscous.