Winter Squash Couscous Salad

Pumpkin and butternut squash pair well with couscous

Recently, my husband made it oh so clear that he will not stand for any more rabbit food. So I experiment and try out vegan recipes late evening or mid-afternoon when I can. Last night we had a friend over for dinner, where we ate fresh caught fish, but after dinner the two of them chatted with me while I prepared an amazing couscous salad. They helped me taste test the two squashes and decide which dried fruit to use. By the time I had the finished product, my husband asked me to pack him a large portion for his lunch! Little did he know that I literally had to add some dandelion greens from the bunny's stash (out of the fridge-not his cage!), as I was out of parsley. Tee Hee. 

So it was unanimous. Butternut squash had denser color, texture, and flavour. The pumpkin was lighter and milder. Just look at the picture below. Wouldn't you enjoy roasted squash instead of boring potatoes as your next side dish. You could cut them into french fry lengths just as easily as cubes. I drizzled olive oil on top, seasoned and tossed them. Popped them into a 400 degree F.(or 200 degree C.) oven for 30 minutes, stirring once half way through cooking because they get quite brown on the pan side.

Does anyone else have trouble cutting open hard squashes? If I had a ban saw I would employ it for this purpose! For some reason the notion hit me to first peel them, to make it easier to cut them open. It does take hand strength to peel raw winter squash, but I think it helped. The hardest, and most dangerous part is splitting them in half. Your knife gets stuck in the middle...I don't have a cleaver, maybe that would do a better job. Anyway, good luck with yours.



These butternut and pumpkin squares are yummy already, just roasted with olive oil, salt & pepper.

Couscous & Winter Squash

1/2 a pumpkin or butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed (about 2-3 cups)

4-6 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion peeled and chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 cups vegetable stock

1 1/2 cups instant couscous

1/2 cup dried fruit: raisins, cranberries, or cherries

1/2 cup toasted sliced almonds

1/3 cup cilantro or parsley, chopped

1. Preheat oven and prepare the raw squash and roast it as described above.

2. Heat 2-3 tablespoons oil in a large sauce pan. Cook the onions and garlic over moderate heat 5-10 minutes until soft, but not brown. Add stock and bring to a boil.

3. Stir in couscous, cover and remove from heat. Let it steam for 10 minutes. Then fluff with a fork and season with salt and pepper, if desired.

4. Mix in the squash, fruit, nuts, and greens. Serve warm, but can be eaten cold too.

I found this recipe in a beautiful coffee table cook book called Made in Morocco. The photographs alone kept my rapt fascination. My hostess in New Zealand shared it with me last summer. It called for raisins, but I only had dried cherries and blueberries in my cupboard. My tasters preferred the  cherries. They were tart and sweet, like cranberries would be. I personally don't favor cilantro, which was originally called for, so next time I make this I will use parsley, although the dandelion greens I used in my desperation (not to run to the store), stayed bright and savory even in the leftovers. Maybe you find it hard to follow recipes exactly too. Happy taste trails to you. 

Off To Morocco--Vegan Style

While I've never set foot in Morocco, I've always enjoyed photos of the area, what with the colorful street vendors crammed against the dun-hued architecture. It seems a study in beauty set against the starkness of a desert landscape. And even though I have visited the country only in my imagination, the foods of Morocco have been reality on my taste-buds.

It isn't that the dishes are so unusual, for many of the ingredients are familiar to us. The secret to their tongue-tantalizing recipes are the spices used in every dish. The interesting thing is, these are spices we are familiar with. Yet the Moroccans blend them together in a way I would never have thought of and maybe you wouldn't have either. Give this recipe a try and see if you don't become a Moroccan vegan. Who ever would have thought such a thing existed?

I let my bean mixture get too dry. Don't make
the same mistake. Your bean mixture should look
brothy but not like a soup.

Moroccan Medley

Into a saucepan put:

1 1/2 cups vegetable broth

10 oz. of couscous
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. turmeric

Bring vegetable stock and spices to a boil. Stir in the couscous. Cover and remove from heat. Set aside till later.

In a big skillet put:

1 Tbs. oil
1 big onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbs. minced jalapeno or more if you like lots of heat
1 tsp. grated fresh ginger
Cook till the vegetables are soft.

Add:

1  14 oz. can of diced tomatoes, drained
1  15 oz. can of garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup of chopped dates or figs
1 tsp. sugar
3/4 tsp. ground cumin
3/4 tsp. ground coriander
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. paprika, not the smoked kind.
pepper to taste

Cook over medium heat until the spices marry. Turn heat to low and simmer about 1/2 hour. If the mixture gets too dry, add some vegetable stock. The resulting product should be a bit on the saucy side rather than dry, but it should not look like soup.

Fluff the couscous with a fork till it is light and fluffy. Center big scoops of the couscous on a dinner place. Pour a good portion of the bean mixture on top.

Sprinkle the dish with chopped cilantro and pine nuts (optional)
Drizzle with a bit of good olive oil

Serves 2 hungry people or 3 not so hungry ones.

Serve this dish with naan bread or any other flatbread that you like.

There will be couscous leftover. I made extra so I could make another Moroccan dish. I'll post it next week.

Happy Eating....

Quick Taboule

Whole Wheat Couscous Taboule
2 1/2 cups packaged w.w.couscous
1 cup boiling water
1 cup olive oil
2/3 cup lemon juice
1 can diced tomatoes
3 tablespoons roasted salsa
1 cup diced green peppers
1 cup diced onions
1 cup chopped parsley
salt and pepper to taste




Growing up in the 70s, whole wheat bulgar sold by bulk at health food stores somehow transformed into fresh, tangy toboule. It was a mystery how. I recently came across Whole Wheat Couscous sold at Trader Joes. It has a taboule recipe right on the package! So I decided to make the whole box into a salad that I could take to a party. As usual, I am not organized enough to plan ahead and never have the exact ingredients, but this taboule salad pictured impressed my friends and family. I will be making this all the time now, since it is super quick and easy but also very satisfying and flavorful. For those like me who are afraid of making bulgar wheat, this is the taboule recipe for you

1. Prepare all the vegetables by dicing and chopping, shown above. I didn't have nice tomatoes available at the market so I used canned, which worked just fine.

2. Boil water and add 1 cup to the dry couscous, along with the olive oil and lemon juice. Stir and let sit 5 minutes. If it looks too dry add the salsa and tomatoes too, or a tablespoon or two of hot water.

3. Add the other ingredients. Stir and spice to taste. You can eat immediately or store for later. It packs great and keeps nicely for 10-14 days.

Here's to all you Moms:

Happy (up coming) Mothers Day!