Couscous to cure the Mondays

It’s Monday! And boy is it a Monday. Mine started out with breaking in my new shuffle(thank you, Dan!) with a frosty headwind – a chilly 32 degrees this morning – studying while unknowingly dumping a whole bottle full of water into my bag (thank goodness for fun study buddies and nutella hot chocolates at Bustle), and then heading home without a clue about what to make for dinner.

Well, late work nights and busy weeks call for a quick meal that can be reheated for lunch or dinner the next day. Tonight, I really wasn’t in the mood for difficult food preparation, but some chopping was just what I needed to ease the tension as I pulled out the entire contents of my purse and laid it to dry in front of the heater vent. Somehow my already-duct-taped, five year old phone survived the catastrophe (I swear it is protected by some kind of preservation vortex), but many of my punch cards did not – I had to throw out my one-punch-away Cinnabon card (I didn’t even know I had it, I swear).

Any vegetable combination can work for this dish if these are not your favorites. It’s also great for cleaning out your veggie drawer or trying to figure out what to do with the strange mix of organic root vegetables you bought at the farmers market because you wanted to look like a well-versed organic market-goer Seattleite in front of the steamy, if not slightly wavy gravy granola-type, vegetable stand farmer dude. Maybe you could invite him over for this meal?!

Couscous and Veggies

·         1 cup of whole wheat couscous (made with one cup of water, a dash of salt and one tablespoon of butter)

·         1 white or yellow onion

·         2 zucchinis

·         1 yellow squash

·         a handful of baby carrots

·         1 potato or turnip

·         ½ cup grape tomatoes

·         1-15 oz. can crushed or diced tomatoes

·         1-15 oz. can of garbanzo beans, drained

·         1 cup of water or broth

Alani’s totally made up Moroccan spice mix:

·         2 tsp cumin

·         1 tsp allspice

·         1/8 tsp chili powder

·         a dash of red cayenne

·         a dash of cinnamon

·         a dash of garlic salt

·         salt & pepper to taste

Couscous: Combine one cup of water, a dash of salt and butter in a saucepan. When it comes to boiling remove from heat, add the couscous, place the lid and let it sit until the water is absorbed and it is light and fluffy. Fluff with a fork.

Veggies: Sauté the onions in a little bit of olive oil. When they are translucent add the veggies (zucchini through grape tomatoes. Add the one cup of water and let it return to a simmer. Then add the can of tomatoes and the spice mix. Simmer until the veggies are soft. Add the can of garbanzo beans at the end. If you’re lucky enough to have fresh cilantro and/or flat leaf parsley in your fridge, add 2 tablespoons of each on the top at the end. Serve over couscous.

P.S. The spice mix is mild, if you want a kick double each portion.

P.P.S. Recipes adapted from the ever-famous Lily and Martha Stewart’s Moroccan Chicken with couscous.