Couscous with Roasted Zucchini and Blistered Tomatos with a Tangy Garlic Crema

This quick and easy recipe is perfect for a mid-week lunch! If you’re working from home, like I do most days, you can put the veg into roast and keep working while it cooks. The couscous comes together in about 8-10 minutes and boom...chow time...but you can also always make this dish the night before and reheat the next day for lunch!

Now, if you’ve been following me for any length of time you’ll know what a fan if couscous that I am! Easy on the budget, filling, and you can top it with just about anything. But, I do have a couple tricks! I always toast it off in a hot pan before cooking and for the best flavor, I always use broth, never water, to cook my couscous!

What you are going to need to buy:

• Pearled Couscous, 1 cup

• Veggie Broth, 1.5 cups

• 1 small Zucchini, cut into 1/2” cubes

• 1 cup of Cherry or Grape Tomatoes, halved

• 2 tablespoons Nutritional Yeast

• Olive Oil, 1 tablespoon

• Salt and Pepper, to taste

• 1 tablespoon of Minced Garlic

• 1 teaspoon Onion Powder

• 3 tablespoon of Dairy Free Sour Cream

• 1 teaspoon Lemon Juice

• 1 teaspoon Garlic Salt

• Scallions, sliced into small rings, for garnish

What you are going to need to do:

1. To start, preheat your oven to 375.

2. In a small bowl, coat the cubed zucchini with olive oil, nutritional yeast, garlic, onion powder, and a pinch of salt and pepper.

3. Spread out on a baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes.

4. After the zucchini has roasted for 15 minutes, add the halved tomatoes to the pan, cut side up, and roast both the zucchini and the tomatoes for another 10 minutes

5. Now, onto the Couscous!

   PRO TIP: In a non-oiled, medium saucepan, on medium/low heat measure out the desired amount of couscous, according to the boxed directions, for the number of serving you need to make. Let the couscous toast in the warm pan, stirring or agitating the pan often so that the contents do not burn. After about 90 seconds you should see the couscous pearls begin to turn from blond to light brown. When this happens take the saucepan off the heat. It will continue to toast, from the residual heat but you don’t want it to burn.

6. After you have toasted your couscous, prepare according to your boxed directions (or if you’re like me…use veggie broth instead of water!)

7. In a small bowl, combine the sour cream, lemon juice, garlic salt and a pinch of salt and pepper.

8. To serve, present the couscous topped with the roasted veggies and drizzled with the crema. Add the scallions on-top, to finish!
   

   And, that’s it. I love this recipe because not only is is quick and easy, it doesn’t make me feel like I’ll need a nap afterwards, plus, it’s great on the budget. This would also make a great addition to your Easter table this year! I’d love to hear if you try it! You can always tag me online at @plantbasedgingr

   Love, Light, and Lentils, my friends!
   Sarah

Hibachi Vegetables with Toasted Couscous and Homemade Yum Yum Sauce

Confession Time: I love hibachi...and I have been craving it for months now so tonight was Hibachi at Home night complete with homemade vegan Yum Yum sauce. I don't love fried rice and at the risk of the wrath of the international food gods for mixing cultures and cuisines...I do love couscous so I had my hibachi veggies over a bed of toasted couscous.

This is a great recipe for a special occasion, or, like a traditional hibachi restaurant, serving a crowd because you can, make a huge batch of the couscous and veggies and then, if you are feeding meat eaters, just cook up some protein separate for them! Fridge to table in just about 30 minutes! Cheers to Publix for their tri-colored carrots...makes for a pretty plate if I do say so myself!

What you are going to need to buy:

Couscous - (Here’s my secret! I typically buy the boxed stuff and my favorite brand happens to be THESE from from the brand Near East)

Butter - (I love this plant based butter from Earth Balance)

Minced Garlic - (we like these jarred options from Spice World!)  

Vegetables - (I used potatoes, carrots, snap peas, green beans, broccoli, green beans and mushrooms…but really use what you love!)

Soy Sauce

Mayo (Vegan)

Ketchup

Apple Cider Vinegar

Maple Syrup

Garlic Powder

Smoked Paprika (or whatever paprika you have on hand)

Salt & Pepper, to taste

What you are going to need to do:

If you want to get this meal on the table quick, then this is a two pot meal. You’ll need a medium saucepan to cook your couscous and a larger skillet to cook the veggies.

Let’s start with the couscous. It’s pretty straight forward and I would say that you can prepare per your box’s instructions with ONE EXCEPTION! The trick to really flavorful couscous is to toast it before cooking! If you’ve been here awhile you’ll be familiar with this but if not…(See Below)

PRO TIP: In a non-oiled, medium saucepan, on medium/low heat measure out the desired amount of couscous, according to the boxed directions, for the number of serving you need to make. Let the couscous toast in the warm pan, stirring or agitating the pan often so that the contents do not burn. After about 90 seconds you should see the couscous pearls begin to turn from blond to light brown. When this happens take the saucepan off the heat. It will continue to toast, from the residual heat but you don’t want it to burn.

Roasting the vegetables is really more of a timing thing than anything! If you’ve been to a traditional hibachi you’ll remember that they cook things in stages and the same principle works here but unlike a hibachi you probably want to serve your guests a finished plate all at once so you’ll need to stagger your veggies.

In your large skillet, melt a good amount of butter…3 tablespoons, or so, and wait until it is sizzling. Here is a “rough” order of cooking for the veggies that I used:

1. Carrots & Potatoes (They are the most dense and starchy and take the longest.)

2. Mushrooms & Soy Sauce - Don’t add the Soy Sauce right away because you want a little crispness on your potatoes and with too much moisture in the pan they will cook, but not get crispy.

3. Broccoli, Green Beans & Garlic

4. Snap Peas (They go last…they are so delicate they will burn easy, if you are not careful)

Note: Cooking the veggies is cumulative, so you just keep adding to the same skillet until you’ve added everything. This way, they all finish cooking at roughly the same time.

You can make the Yum Yum Sauce while the veggies are cooking: but keep your eye on them, and your couscous so nothing begins to burn.

Making the Yum Yum Sauce

This will be measurements per serving, simply multiply the recipe for the number of people you are cooking for. Combine all ingredients in a bowl. It’s not that precise, to be honest!

1/4 cup of Mayo

1 heaping tablespoon of Ketchup

1 tablespoon of Apple Cider Vinegar

1 teaspoon of Maple Syrup

1 teaspoon Garlic Powder

1 teaspoon Paprika

Salt & Pepper, to taste

(If you like a runner “restaraunt style” sauce simply add 1 teaspoon of water at a time until you reach the desired consistency.

Serve the veggies, piled high, on top of a bed of fluffy couscous with your homemade Yum Yum Sauce on the side. Enjoy!

Mediterranean Kabobs with Fresh Pesto and Fluffy Couscous (Just 10 Ingredients)

Need a dish that cooks up quick, tastes amazing, and looks super impressive on the plate? These mediterranean inspired kabobs with fresh pesto, served over fluffy couscous are it! And, no...you don’t need a grill to make a great kabob! These cooked up, quick and easy, in the oven on 400 for about 15 minutes...the whole meal is on the table in less than 30 minutes!

I love couscous…that is no secret! If you are a long-time reader you know that I make it all the time! It cooks up in the same amount of time as most rice or noodles, is so versatile that you can serve it with almost any style of food, and it’s super affordable! Plus: If you are trying to impress someone (wink, wink) it looks and sounds way more fancy than it really is!

What you are going to need to buy:

Couscous - (Here’s my secret! I typically buy the boxed stuff and my favorite brand happens to be THESE from from the brand Near East)

Butter - (I love this plant based butter from Earth Balance)

Minced Garlic - (we like these jarred options from Spice World!)  

Vegetables for the Kabobs - (This recipe is simple, tomatoes and mushrooms, but really you can use whatever veg you like!)

Feta - (the block Feta from Violife is amazing and great for this recipe because you can cut it into big chunks!)

Basil - (about 1 cup of leaves)

Olive Oil

Lemon Juice

Salt & Pepper, to taste

What you are going to need to do:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

If you are using wood kabob sticks, make sure to soak them in water…you can do this while you make the pesto.

For this small amount of pesto I don’t bother getting out the blender but if you have a little food chopper, that could be handy! Chop your basil into very small pieces! This might take a few passes, if you are doing it by hand.

To the chopped basil, add olive oil, minced garlic, pinch of salt, and a squeeze of lemon juice. You can adjust to your own taste. I like mine a little more on the lemon-forward side. Make as much or as little as you like. If you make too much, it will keep in the fridge and you can put it on…almost everything. Moral: there is never too much pesto!

Assemble the Kabobs

This isn’t hard…as long as your kabob sticks have been soaking for 5 minutes or so…

Arrange your veg onto the kabob sticks and try not to overcrowd or some things might not cook evenly. Try to think about the kinds of veg you have and how slow or how quickly they cook! This mushroom and tomato combo is great because they are both done at about the same time. Onions would also have been good! Something like potatoes are going to take more time…

Place on a baking sheet or straight on the grates of your oven, your preference! If you do go straight onto the oven rack, place the baking sheet below to catch drips!

These are going to cook fir about 15 minutes at 400…and will need to be gently turned every 4-5 minutes so nothing sticks.

In the meantime…let’s make some couscous.

It’s pretty straight forward and I would say that you can prepare per your box’s instructions with TWO EXCEPTIONS! The trick to really flavorful couscous is to toast it before cooking! If you’ve been here awhile you’ll be familiar with this but if not…(See Below)

PRO TIP: In a non-oiled, medium saucepan, on medium/low heat measure out the desired amount of couscous, according to the boxed directions, for the number of serving you need to make. Let the couscous toast in the warm pan, stirring or agitating the pan often so that the contents do not burn. After about 90 seconds you should see the couscous pearls begin to turn from blond to light brown. When this happens take the saucepan off the heat. It will continue to toast, from the residual heat but you don’t want it to burn.

I also always add about a tablespoon of butter, at the very end and stir into the cooked couscous.

Serving!

The service of this dish is really what takes these humble ingredients and turns them into something special.

After the kabobs come out of the oven, slide a piece of feta onto each end of the kabob stick and place on top of a bed of the couscous.

Brush the kabobs with the pesto mixture and enjoy!

Braised Beefless Tips and CousCous with Tzatziki Mint Sauce

One of my all time favorite foods to cook is couscous and although it seems like it would be intimidating, it’s really super easy! Quick, versatile, and more interesting that plain rice, couscous can be served with just about any style of food.

Most people think of couscous as a middle-eastern dish but it actually has its roots, originally, in North Africa. Although it’s prepared similar to rice and other grains, couscous is actually made from tiny steamed balls of semolina flour, making it more like pasta and less like rice from a nutritional standpoint. In this dish it becomes the beautiful base for the braised beefless tips and the cool and refreshing tzatziki inspired mint sauce.  An easy weekday meal, you can have this dish on the table, to feed a crowd, in just about 30 minutes!

What you are going to need to buy:

Pearled Couscous

Veggie Stock or Bouillon – (we like the “Not Beef Bouillon” by Edward and Sons

Olive Oil  

White or Yellow Onion, small, diced

Gardein’s Beefless Tips

Sundries Tomatoes, jarred, in oil, or cut into bite-sized pieces

Black Kalama Olives, cut in half

Soy Sauce

Worcestershire

Vegan Mayo or Vegan Yogurt

Small Cucumber, diced very fine or grated

Fresh Mint

Lemon Juice

Minced Garlic - (we like these jarred options from Spice World!)  

What you are going to need to do:

Step one in this recipe, or any recipe involving couscous is to dry toast the couscous. This sounds mo0re complicated than it is and in the end gives the finished dish a much more complex depth of flavor- It only takes two minutes! Do not skip this step.

In a medium saucepan, on medium/low heat measure out the desired amount of couscous, according to the boxed directions, for the number of serving you need to make. Add to this the minced garlic and onions. I almost always use the minced garlic that comes jarred in the produce section. One teaspoon for every half-cup of dry couscous you are cooking.

Let the couscous, onions, and garlic toast in the warm pan, stirring or agitating the pan often so that the contents do not burn. After about 90 seconds you should see the couscous pearls begin to turn from blond to light brown. When this happens take the saucepan off the heat. It will continue to toast, from the residual heat but you don’t want it to burn.

Set aside.

In a nonstick skillet, over medium heat, with just a little soy sauce and worcestershire sauce in the pan, (maybe a teaspoon of each) begin to brown the frozen beefless tips. Feel free to add any other sauces or seasonings that you like, at this time. Personally, I have a bottle of balsamic fig vinegar that I just love so I almost always add a dash of that, as well.

Bring your couscous saucepan back over to medium heat and add the veggie stock. (Follow the boxed directions of your couscous for the recommend amount of liquid) Bring to a simmer and then reduce heat and cover for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally to make sure that nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pan and that the liquid is being absorbed.  If, after 10 minutes) the couscous seems too runny, take the lid off the saucepan and some of that excess water should boil/evaporate off.

Continue to check on the browning beefless tips, stirring occasionally to make sure they are not sticking to the pan…but you do want a slight amount of sticky caramelization to be happening in the bottom of the pan from the soy and worcestershire we added earlier. If they are looking dry…feel free to add a touch more of your sauces.

Once the Couscous has absorbed all the liquid and is creamy, remove from heat and stir in the sundried tomatoes and olives.

 For the tzatziki inspired mint sauce, combine Vegan Mayo or Vegan Yogurt, minced garlic, salt and pepper, lemon juice, grated cucumber, and diced fresh mint. Adjust quantities to your own personal taste. White Vinegar can be used instead of lemon juice. The sauce should be think enough to pour, but not super runny.

When ready to serve, lay down a base of the Couscous and top with the Beefless Tips. Drizzle the tzatziki inspired mint sauce over the top and garnish with another fresh spring of mint.

What's in our Tzatziki inspired Mint Sauce?

Vegan Mayo or Vegan Yogurt

Minced Garlic

Lemon Juice

Grated Cucumber

Salt and Pepper

Diced, Fresh Mint – (yes, it needs to be fresh!)

Toasted Sweet Potato Gnocchi served over Couscous with a Sweet Ginger Garlic Sauce

We’re back at it tonight with another sweet potato recipe. Yes, I know it’s smack in the middle of summer…who cares? Who says that sweet potatoes are only reserved for the fall? This Toasted Sweet Potato Gnocchi served over Couscous with a Sweet Ginger Garlic Sauce is super filling and a great way to get a “pasta fix” when you are craving carbs without all the guilt!

Admittedly, this recipe does have a few more steps than some of the dishes that I usually share on the blog because you do have to make the sweet potato gnocchi but the good news is that if you are are only cooking for on or two…or if you are super on-the-ball and are in the habit of meal prep, you have make a big batch and freeze what you don’t use tonight for another meal later! Personally, what I love about this recipe is making the gnocchi from scratch, even if it is a little more work because it means that I know exactly what is going into the food that I am eating…no excess salt or synthetic preservatives, just natural ingredients that I have prepared myself!

What you are going to need to buy:

Boxed Couscous - (we like the Near East brand and they have several to choose from!)

Veggie Stock or Bouillon – (we like the “Not Chicken Bouillon” by Edward and Sons

Olive Oil  

Red Onion, small, diced (only half)

Minced Garlic

Sweet Potato (Medium)

Brown Sugar

All Purpose Flour

Baking Powder

Salt & Pepper

Vegan Mayo (We Like JUST Mayo)

Agave Syrup

Lime Juice

Powdered Ginger

Fresh Thyme (We used Lemon Thyme)

Cashews

 

What you are going to need to do:

This recipe technically comes together in only two pots…but one of them is only used to boil water…so, does that even really count?

Making the Gnocchi:

Let’s get cooking. Preheat your over to 400.

Step one in this recipe is to roast your sweet potato(s). Yes, you need to roast them. No, please do not boil them. The key to really good gnocchi that isn’t too dense or gummy is to incorporate as little flour as possible to have the dough come together. By roasting your sweet potatoes, you are also dehydrating them just a bit, which means less flour needed later on. This, obviously, is why you don’t want to boil off your poatoes to soften them…more water = more flour. Not ideal. (If you are really in a pinch, you can use the microwave.)

Once your potatoes are roasted, soft, and cooled you need to remove the insides from the skin and mash or puree them. If you are only making a small batch (one sweet potato) you can easily do this by hand with a fork. Once the sweet potato mixture is smooth and free of most large lumps add 1 tablespoon of brown sugar and one teaspoon of baking powder, per medium potato.

Next comes the flour. This is hard to measure, because of the size of the sweet potato used, and the water content left in the potato after roasting, the amount of flour for this step will vary. Slowly add in flour 1/2 cup at a time until dough comes together and is no longer sticky. Try not to overwork the dough. Gently incorporate the flour until just combined. We are looking for a texture that is slightly less dense than traditional pasta dough. You will need to be able to work/roll the dough into “snakes” on your work surface without the dough sticking to the counter, or your hands.

Once dough is rolled into 1/2” wide snakes, cut 1/2” pieces so you have little sweet potato “pillows” At this stage you can either roll into balls, roll into logs, leave in pillow shape, or use your thumb, and the back of a fork to create the traditional “gnocchi” shape. My advice? If you are making this at home…skip the fancy stuff…it all taste the same in the end, and after boiling and frying the fork/tine marks that are seen on traditional gnocchi get a little lost, anyway.

Making the Couscous:

At this point we are going to shift gears and make our couscous. The first step to this recipe, or any recipe involving couscous is to dry toast the couscous. This sounds more complicated than it actually is and in the end gives the finished dish a much more complex depth of flavor- It only takes two minutes! Do not skip this step.

In a medium saucepan, bring enough salted water, to cook the gnocchi, to a boil. We are going to boil the gnocchi like pasta, so think the amount of water you would use for medium pasta shells. The water should come up to boiling while your couscous cooks.

In a medium saucepan, on medium/low heat measure out the desired amount of couscous, according to the boxed directions, for the number of serving you need to make. Add to this the minced garlic, one sprig and onions. I almost always use the minced garlic that comes jarred in the produce section. One teaspoon for every half-cup of dry couscous you are cooking.

Let the couscous, onions, and garlic toast in the warm pan, stirring or agitating the pan often so that the contents do not burn. After about 90 seconds you should see the couscous pearls begin to turn from blond to light brown. When this happens take the saucepan off the heat. It will continue to toast, from the residual heat but you don’t want it to burn.

Bring your couscous saucepan back over to medium heat and add the veggie stock. (Follow the boxed directions of your couscous for the recommend amount of liquid) Bring to a simmer and then reduce heat and cover for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally to make sure that nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pan and that the liquid is being absorbed.  If, after 10 minutes) the couscous seems too runny, take the lid off the saucepan and some of that excess water should boil/evaporate off.

Once the Couscous has absorbed all the liquid and is creamy, remove from pan and place in a bowl or on a plate, covered, to stay warm. Clean out the pot/pan the best you can because this is what we are going to toast/fry our gnocchi in, after it comes out of the water, to make them crunchy.

Cooking the Gnocchi:

At this point your “pasta water” aka gnocchi water should be at a light boil. With a slotted spoon, add gnocchi to the water, being careful not to overcrowd the pot if you making a large portion. The gnocchi will immediately sink and will float when finished cooking.

In the original couscous pot/pan add a handful of cashews, 1 teaspoon of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of brown sugar and, if you have it on-hand, a splash of your favorite balsamic vinegar. Once the gnocchi float in the boiling water, remove them and transfer to the pot with the cashews, over medium/high heat to toast or get a little crunchy. Continually stir or shake the pot/pan so that the gnocchi do not stick or burn. This takes about 4 minutes or so.

Making the Sweet Ginger Sauce:

In a small dish combine 2 tablespoons vegan mayo with a splash of agave syrup, lime juice, minced garlic and powdered ginger. (Add ginger to taste…but, be brave, don’t skimp!) Stir until smooth and well incorporated.

Plating and Service:

Serve the crunchy sweet potato gnocchi and cashews over the warm couscous, and top with the sweet ginger and garlic dressing. Add fresh thyme, to garnish.

Asian Inspired Orange Chick'n with Couscous and Sauteed Veggies

Who doesn’t love Orange Chicken? Served on a bed of dainty couscous, it’s feels fancier than just stir-fry and rice but still takes less than 30 minutes to prepare. This sweet and savory dish is a quick and easy way to get a hot meal, on a week-night table, that everyone will love.

Although it’s prepared similar to rice and other grains, couscous is actually made from tiny steamed balls of semolina flour, making it more like pasta and less like rice from a nutritional standpoint. Most people think of couscous as a middle-eastern dish but it actually has its roots, originally, in North Africa, and is great compliment to just about every style of cuisine. Served with fresh veggies, the best part about this dish? The leftovers make amazing chicken burrito wraps the next day for lunch!

What you are going to need to buy:

Boxed Couscous - (we like the Near East brand and they have several to choose from!)

Veggie Stock or Bouillon – (we like the “Not Chicken Bouillon” by Edward and Sons

Olive Oil  

White or Yellow Onion, small, diced

Gardein’s Mandarin Crispy Chick’n

Fresh Veggies - (we used, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Baby Carrots, and Mushrooms)

Soy Sauce

Worcestershire

Minced Garlic - (we like these jarred options from Spice World!)    

What you are going to need to do:

Step one in this recipe, or any recipe involving couscous is to dry toast the couscous. This sounds more complicated than it actually is and in the end gives the finished dish a much more complex depth of flavor- It only takes two minutes! Do not skip this step.

In a medium saucepan, on medium/low heat measure out the desired amount of couscous, according to the boxed directions, for the number of serving you need to make. Add to this the minced garlic and onions. I almost always use the minced garlic that comes jarred in the produce section. One teaspoon for every half-cup of dry couscous you are cooking.

Let the couscous, onions, and garlic toast in the warm pan, stirring or agitating the pan often so that the contents do not burn. After about 90 seconds you should see the couscous pearls begin to turn from blond to light brown. When this happens take the saucepan off the heat. It will continue to toast, from the residual heat but you don’t want it to burn.

Set aside.

Ideally, this rest of this recipe can be made in one big skillet, if you’ve got one big enough for the chicken and the veggies to cook at the same time, on opposite sides of the pan, without too much crowding. To a large skillet or frying pan, over medium low heat add the Gardein Chicken Nuggets to one side of the pan, making sure that they are all laying flat and not too crowded. You want to crisp up the outsides a little first before we add the sauce.

Cook the nuggets on medium heat for about 1-2 minutes or until golden brown and then flip all nuggets over to let the other side brown. At this point, if you pan is big enough add the veggies to the other side of the skillet, sprinkle with a little salt and drizzle with a dash of soy sauce and worcestershire.

Bring your couscous saucepan back over to medium heat and add the veggie stock. (Follow the boxed directions of your couscous for the recommend amount of liquid) Bring to a simmer and then reduce heat and cover for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally to make sure that nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pan and that the liquid is being absorbed.  If, after 10 minutes) the couscous seems too runny, take the lid off the saucepan and some of that excess water should boil/evaporate off.

At this point your chicken should be crispy and cooked through and your veggies tender. Remove Veggies from the pan and set aside, covered. Turn up the heat in the skillet and add the pack of sauce that is included in the Gardein Mandarin Chick’n Meal kit. The sauce is very thin, at this point, so we want to take a few minutes and thicken it up. Bring the sauce to a boil, but be careful not to burn it. You will need to stir and watch this closely but once you see the sauce turn more viscous and honey-like, remove skillet from the heat. Add the sauteed veggies back into the pan with the chick’n just to coat them in whatever residual sauce is left in the pan and to re-warm just a little.

Once the Couscous has absorbed all the liquid and is creamy, remove from heat. If your couscous has become too dry, no worries, just add a little water, maybe a tablespoon, and stir to incorporate. When ready to serve, lay down a base of creamy couscous and top with Orange Chick’n and sauteed veggies. Additionally, you could garnish with slivered almonds or crushed peanuts.