Dressed Up Couscous You'll Love

Although I hate to admit it, I've become a plagiarist. Let me explain. I've been busy with school--yes, school for a grandma of seven. I enrolled in a Master Sock Knitters Class and while I've been knitting socks for many years, they were always the plain, vanilla ones. It came to me that since I enjoy a challenge, I'd like to learn to knit those lovely patterned socks I see in so many knitting books. This is the reason I have begun stealing recipes from others. Read on. It will all make sense in a minute.

As I knit the current assignment, I watch the cooking channel on television. And I see all kinds of recipes that could be veganized with little trouble. This past week I saw Ina Garten make a couscous dish that looked like something I'd enjoy eating. So I began changing it.

Now let me tell you that I have NEVER been a couscous fan. I find it tasteless and boring. That's why I've never really cooked it. It is labeled as a "pasta" and although I've always been a pasta-holic, this tiny grain or seed or whatever it is tastes nothing like pasta. At least not to me. The package directions say to put the raw couscous into a pot of boiling water, turn off the heat, cover the pot and in a few minutes, you'll have a great pot of couscous.

BORING!!

Ina cooked her couscous in chicken stock. Now that sounded better already. Then she added sliced shallots, turned off the heat and in a few minutes, had a pot full of fluffy couscous. Then she tossed in a whole bunch of currents,which I love. Then she topped the dish with toasted nuts. Do I have to tell you I was intrigued to the point of making the dish for supper and serving it as a side? Great success all around. Let me tell you how I changed a few things to make the recipe vegan. Try it and let me know what you think. And while the following recipe is not Ina's original, it is altered to make it a vegan treat. The two guests I served it to rolled their eyes and called it delicious.

COUSCOUS WITH CURRENTS AND NUTS

2 Tbs. olive oil

2 Tbs. vegan margarine

3/4 cup diced green onions, both white and green parts

3 cups No-Chicken or Vegetable broth

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 1/2 cups couscous

1/2 cups toasted nuts

1/2 cup dried currents

2 Tbs. minced fresh parsley

Melt the oil and margarine in a saucepan. Add the green onions and cook on medium till they are somewhat translucent. Add the No-Chicken broth or vegetable stock if you can't find the former and bring it to a good boil. Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the couscous (I use organic couscous, but use what you have). Give the pot a stir. Cover the pan and ignore it for at least 10 minutes.

Fluff the couscous with a fork, gently separating the grains. Using a spoon makes a clumpy mess. Use a fork and be gentle. You want the grains to be separate, like a great pot of rice would be.

Now add the currents and toasted nuts. Fluff again. Top with the chopped parsley. Serve hot.

How To Toast Nuts

I keep all my fresh nuts in the freezer so they won't go rancid before I finish using them. If you've had nuts go bad, you know what I'm talking about. And since nuts are pricey, I do all I can to keep them edible. Toasting them is easy. Put the allotted amount in a dry skillet, turn the heat on medium, give the pan a shake now and then and let your nose be your guide. When you begin to smell them, they are done. Allow to cool enough to handle and then chop them to the desired size. You can also put the nuts on a dry sheet pan and roast them in the oven. It's been my experience that I tend to forget them and they burn. Hence the skillet method for me.

If you've never toasted the nuts before using them, do this taste test. Eat an untoasted nut and then a toasted one. Your palate will immediately note the difference and you'll be a fan of using toasted nuts in everything, from couscous to cakes to cookies and all recipes in between. The taste test is what convinced me.

Mushrooms--A Delicious Fungi

In the vegan world, fungi is more popular than ever. And so easy to attain. No more having to go out into the wilds to hunt for those earthy stems that are safe to eat. No taking the chance that two mushrooms will look exactly alike and I'll bring the poison one home  and inadvertently end my blogging career. These days, everything I need is at my local grocery store. How easy is that?

As it happens, I was having a guest to dinner who is crazy about all fungi, no matter what it's shape. Since I already had a bag of mushroom filled ravioli in the freezer (purchased, not home made. Remember, I hate cooking) I put my mind to conjuring up an earthy cream sauce to pour over the pasta.

I began with fresh Baby Bella mushrooms and then, to add to the fungi mystique, chopped up a whole bag of rehydrated wild mushrooms and added them to the pot. I seasoned only with salt and pepper, lest I take away from the heady mushroom aroma filling the kitchen.

I made a cream sauce and added it to the mushroom mixture, then dumped the cooked pasta atop everything. I gave it a good stir and let it cook a few more minutes. I served the meal in deep plates so every bit of the sauce would stay where I wanted it. All we needed was some warm French bread to sop up the last bits of that delicious gravy.

RAVIOLI WITH MUSHROOM SAUCE


1/2 pound of fresh mushrooms, your choice

Slice the mushrooms and cook them slowly in a skillet on a medium to low burner. I added a bit of olive oil to the pan so the mushrooms wouldn't burn. Cook until the mushrooms are well browned and tender.

Bring 1 1/2 cups of water to a boil
Add the dehydrated wild mushrooms
Let them stand at least 30-40 minutes before chopping them into small pieces.

Use a slotted spoon to remove the mushrooms from the water. Pour the liquid through a coffee filter to remove any forest grit and keep the broth for later use. The broth has the taste of wild mushrooms and is just too good to pour down the sink.

Make the cream sauce:

2 Tbs. vegan margarine
2 Tbs. flour

Cook the roux until the raw flour taste has gone out of it.
Add 2 cups of non dairy milk and stir the pot until the sauce becomes thick, like gravy. Stir in 4 Tbs. nutritional yeast for a Parmesan flavor and add salt and pepper to taste. Pour the sauce over the mushroom mixture.

Cook the ravioli according to package directions. When it floats to the top of the pot, it's done. Remove the pasta and dump it into the mushroom and sauce mixture. Give everything a good stir and gobble to your heart's content. Try not to groan while you eat.

Serves 2-3, depending on how hungry you are.