So I recently came to the conclusion that I’m not getting enough whole grains in my diet. This, to be quite honest, is an understatement. I don’t normally partake in the breads and pastas of the world. Not because I don’t like them (LOVE bread), but simply because I like to snack, and snacking on fruit just strikes me as a healthier course of action.
Enter couscous. You may remember that Heather recently wrote about spicy shrimp and couscous, talking briefly about healthy eating. Couscous definitely fits the bill. This stuff will fill you up without weighing you (or your scale) down. When you cook this stuff it balloons in size. A quarter cup uncooked yields three quarters of a cup cooked! And less than 200 calories! I think I found a new best friend.
This recipe comes from a cook book I’ve recently begun playing with: A Taste of Heaven and Earth
As usual, I’ve upped the vegetable count significantly. Having tried this, I strongly recommend adding cauliflower; which I’ll be sure to do next time. And of course the usual spice disclaimer applies. I used four tablespoons of hot curry and it was a bit much.
adapted from A Taste of Heaven and Earth
1 cup whole wheat couscous
1 cup stock (or water if you must)
2 tablespoons oil
1 red onion; chopped
1 carrot; peeled and diced
1 celery stalk; diced
1 green bell pepper; diced
1 red bell pepper; diced
3 garlic cloves; minced
3-4 teaspoons curry powder; depending on your heat sensitivity and type of curry
1 cup cooked chickpeas
1 1/2 cups peas; fresh or thawed and drained
ground pepper to taste
tamari to taste (soy sauce in a pinch)
Bring the stock to a boil in a small sauce pan, add the couscous, cover with a tight fitting lid, remove from the heat and let sit for five minutes.
With the oil, saute the onion, carrot and celery in a large pan (or wok) under medium-high heat until the onion is translucent; approximately 3-4 minutes. Add the bell peppers, garlic, chickpeas and curry, sauteing for an additional 2-3 minutes. Be sure to stir constantly so the curry mixes and to prevent the garlic from burning.
Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the chickpeas, peas and couscous and stir together for a two to three minutes. Remove from heat and serve with tamari and ground pepper. Enjoy.
Tags: book review, chickpea, couscous, dinner, healthy, vegetarian
Duuuude. That looks really good. When I first saw you comment about couscous, my reaction was MEH cuz i thought it’d be some bland stuff. But I didn’t know there was curry and chickpeas involved! Keep posting the asian-esque stuff and I’ll keep making it (or make Tye make it).
BTW, Tye made the eggplant, red peppers, and bean sprout dish this week and it turned out pretty good.
Made this last night. Pretty yummy. I also added leeks and a spicy little red pepper and served with hummus and crackers on the side. It is definitely being added to Vega meal line-up.
I’m glad this has been a hit. Always good to know when a recipe is successful “out in the field.” 😉
making this tonight:)
Let me know how it goes!
It was awesome. My husband and I loved it. I changed a few things:
1. Used asparagus instead of peppers (its what I had, but it was perfect)
2. Added cubes of a pork roast
3. Used the larger balls of couscous
4. Put ground tumeric on the meat (adds spice and more indian flavor!)
It was healthy and delicious:)THANKS!
Glad it turned out so well. A bit of pork can be a great flavoring agent.