Spicy Couscous with Roasted Vegetables and Garbanzo Beans

Our friend Stacy invited us to dinner for a double birthday celebration. She is such a wonderful cook and we have shared many amazing meals with her family. I knew her dinner would be spectacular, but now that I am a vegan, I knew I couldn't partake in all of her delicious cooking.  Seriously, she has three kids and still managed to de-bone at least eight or more game hens that she individually stuffed.
Typically we always share in the cooking, so I was excited to bring a vegan side dish that the Engineer and I could also enjoy as our main meal. I also brought two appetizers just to ensure we would have enough to eat without making our host feel like she had to cater to our special diets. 

I wanted to bring something appealing to the eye with robust flavor that also tasted hearty.  I think Spicy Couscous with Roasted Vegetables and Garbanzo Beans fit the bill. I think my only change would be to add extra olive oil if not eating right away so that the beans and vegetables remain moist.

As with most of my recipes, chopping is really the hardest part of the deal. The couscous comes together in less than ten minutes. I mean from start to finish to the platter. Not sure what could be easier than that. I use the Near East brand of plain couscous and then spice it up before cooking. I think with any kind of vegetarian  cooking, the spices should be adundant so that your tastebuds are really alive. You will never miss the meat.

These two recipes are adapted from the book Easy Vegan, a wonderful little book full of amazing vegan dishes.


Spicy Couscous with Roasted Vegetables and Garbanzo Beans

1 box of Near East Brand plain Couscous
1 Tablespoon of olive oil
2 cups of vegetable broth
1 1/2 tsp of ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp of ground coriander
1 1/2 tsp of Spanish Sweet Paprika
1/4 tsp or more of cayenne pepper

Bring the oil, broth, and spices to a boil. Add entire box of couscous. Cover and turn off heat. Let sit for about 7 minutes. Fluff with a fork and let sit a few more minutes. Re-fluff to ensure no lumps. Pour onto a big platter.

Roasted Vegetables and Garbanzo Beans

1 pint of crimini mushrooms, left whole
1/2 pint of cherry tomatoes, halved
1 red bell pepper, roughly chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, roughly chopped
1 red onion, roughly chopped
1 fennel bulb, roughly chopped
1 dozen garlic cloves, peeled
1 large sweet potato, peeled and roughly chopped
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 cups drained garbanzo beans, I prefer fresh, but canned work fine
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Chop all vegetables and try to keep pieces around the same size. Not too small but not overly big. Put all veggies in a big bowl and sprinkle with oil. Toss to make sure all items are covered. Spread veggies onto two foil lined cookie sheets and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Bake for about one hour. Start checking at 35 minutes to ensure even browning and that nothing is burning. You may have to give them a little toss. Remove from the oven and add beans that have tossed in a touch of olive oil. Put back in the oven and roast another 20-30 minutes. Remove from the oven and spread over the couscous. Top with toasted pine nuts.  Romesco sauce would make a nice accompaniment. See blog for that recipe.

As an appetizer, I brought Romesco Sauce served with warm pita wedges and kalamata olives. The other appetizer was fresh guacamole served with a tangy pico de gallo. That recipe will be featured soon.

I like to do all my chopping at once. Spreading things on a large tray helps keep you organzied. Plus, clean-up is a breeze.

Toss the vegetables in olive oil to lightly coat each piece.

Make sure to spead vegetables out evenly on the tray. Over crowding will lead to steamed versus roasted vegetables. They will shrink down and for the final roasting phase, they can be combined to one sheet pan. Also, make sure to line each pan with foil. Makes clean-up much easier plus the vegetables won't stick to the pan.

Here the vegetables have been combined to one pan along with garbanzo beans. Toss the garbanzo beans in a little bit of olive oil before adding to the vegetables so they don't dry out.

This is a photo of the vegetables and garbanzo beans after the final roasting phase.

To serve, spoon the veggies over the Spiced Couscous and sprinkle with toasted pine nuts.

Do any of you have any tried and true recipes that you like to bring when invited over for dinner? Please share. I know there are many great cooks out there!

Soupy Rice in Rich Tomato Broth

Our littlest guy was sick most of the night with a stomach virus. By noon he was so hungry, but nothing sounded good....until Mama made Soupy Rice in Rich Tomato Broth.  This dish is perfect on a cold day, when under the weather, as a snack, for breakfast, or in the lunchbox thermos. It takes minutes to prepare and tastes delicious.

Soupy Rice in Rich Tomato Broth

1/2 onion, chopped fine
3/4 cup finely chopped carrot
1 cup white rice
2 T olive oil
1 can organic tomato sauce
1 clove of garlic
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
3 + cups water - start with three and as rice cooks, add more water as needed to keep it soupy
1 T Better Than Broth Vegetable Base low sodium version
salt to taste

Saute onion, carrot and garlic in oil until onion is translucent and carrot is soft. Add rice and saute a minute or two until rice is coated in oil. Add tomato sauce, water, veggie base, cumin and paprika. Taste and add salt if needed. Bring to a very slow simmer and cook until rice is tender. You may have to add up to two or more cups of water as the rice thickens the broth.

Serve with warm flour tortillas. If you are not sick, feel free to add cilantro and sliced avocado. Keep it simple if recovering.

Our little guy kept hovering around the kitchen anxious to try a bowl. After cooling the first bite and eating he said,"Yum Mama, this is perfect." I am so happy when I can provide just what they need to feel better.

Ok, so not the best photograph. However, this dish is meant to be simple but oh so delicious.

Green Beans with Shitake Mushrooms

Green beans with shitake mushrooms make a quick, tasty side dish.  As we approach summer, farmers markets pop up every week selling numerous varieties of beans. Take advantage of these markets and try some heirloom varieties. They are loaded with nutrients plus make for a pretty presentation. Food presentation is a huge deal to me which is why I add photographs for each recipe. A nice plate makes your mouth water before you have even taken that first bite.

Shitake mushrooms have been used medically in the East for ages. Wikipedia notes that shitake mushrooms  stimulate the immune system, contain a cholesterol lowering compound called eritadenine and possess antibacterial and anti-viral properties among others. I try to incorporate shitakes into my diet at least 2 times per week and especially if I am under the weather. They taste delicious and are easily incorporated into soups, veggies, pasta sauces and salads.

One of our kids always preps the beans by cutting the stems of either end. It is a great way to get those kids involved in the kitchen plus it helps them learn important knife skills. The more kids cook and prep, the more kids eat. That has been a fact in our house. The more involved the kids are in the kitchen, the more you as a parent can teach about healthy eating and good habits.  I want the boys to know just as much about cooking as our daughter. And guess what? Cleaning comes with the territory. Little boys love to be up to their elbows in bubbles loading a dishwasher. They will have a blast all the while learning the aspects of what it takes to put a meal on the table and clean it up.  Sorting silverware is another great task for kids. I try to piggyback any chopping or fun cooking job with a small cleaning job. That way they understand that the two go together.

Green Beans with Shitake Mushrooms

green beans, any variety and quantity, ends trimmed
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
shitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced, do not rinse!

Saute mushrooms in a small amount of olive oil depending on quantity of mushrooms.  Add salt and pepper to taste. Put a pot of water on high heat. When it comes to a rolling boil add generous amount of salt and toss in beans. Cook just until crisp tender. Drain and add beans to mushrooms. Add a bit of olive oil, salt, pepper and toss to coat.  Slivered almonds would make a nice addition.

I think food looks so pretty served on a crisp white platter.

This beautiful plate was part of my lunch one day. I grabbed a handful of green beans and quickly cooked the mushrooms. It came together in minutes. Don't feel the pressure to cook large quantities. At the same time, don't choose to not cook because you are only cooking for yourself.