Tag: dinner

Meatless Monday: Fall Harvest Couscous

kswemba
Flavorful way to eat your veggies

I am always pleasantly surprised when an idea comes to fruition. My husband had asked if we could have a dish with couscous and I jumped at the opportunity. After looking around at recipes, I found one that used chickpeas, cranberries and squash. Per usual, I did not have the necessary ingredients! Of course….so I do what I always do….wing it. I prefer my dishes to have some wiggle room. So once again, I bring you a dish that you can seriously tailor to your preference.

Preheat oven: 400 degrees Cook time: 20 minutes
Ingredients (makes 2, double for more)
Place below ingredients on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper
Add small amount of extra virgin olive oil to each item on pan, coat with hands.
1. Half stalk Asparagus – snap of bottoms
2. One pepper – diced
3. 1/2 cup blanched slivered almonds. Watch these bc they can burn (may need to be taken out early)
4. 2 roma tomatoes – diced
5. 1/2 cup canned chickpeas -wash and remove thin shell on each – time consuming but worth it b/c it cooks to a nice crunch
***Sprinkley 1tsp garlic salt and 1 tsp onion powder over veggies – pepper, tomatoes, chickpeas
***Sprinkle a couple shakes salt over almonds
(save 1/2 cup of craisins to add to dish AFTER out of the oven. Don’t cook the craisins.)

While veggies are in the oven, boil 1 and 3/4 cup water and 1 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil in saucepan. Follow directions on box of Near East Pearled Couscous Roasted Garlic and Olive Oil. This stuff is magic in a box! So good!
When the veggies come out, use scissors to cut your asparagus into small pieces. Put everything into the pot and stir. I chose to add craisins to mine to have a sweet contrast to the garlic. You could also use yellow raisins, regular raisins or even dates. (I have no advice on how to use dates, but I saw it suggested somewhere and wanted to pass it along. I prefer craisins and yellow raisins myself.)

And that’s it! Let me know what you think!



This is the couscous I use

Meatless Monday: Stuffed Peppers

kswemba
So good!

I hope everyone had a great weekend. Today I’m sharing my version of vegetarian stuffed peppers. Heat oven to 350 degrees, cook time 30 minutes.

Fill large sauce pan/pot with water. Heat to boil. In this you will place: 4-5 large peppers (I’ve used red or green. Cut off top and clean out) These will need to simmer on medium low for about 10 minutes or until soft.

Ingredients for sauce pan:  10 minute cook time
1.  1 TBSP of extra virgin olive oil
2.  1 can of diced tomatoes (oregeno, basil, garlic)
3.  1 bag of cooked rice (I use Kroger instant brown rice - microwave 90 seconds)
4.  Meatless option: 10 oz. bag of Morning star grillers crumbles OR chorizo crumbles depending on how hot you like it. (Grillers will be more like ground meat with less spice)
5.  1 tsp onion poweder
6.  2 tsp garlic salt
7.  1/2 tsp ground red pepper (optional for extra heat)
8.  Add red sauce:  I use a tomato basil mix any kind, I'm not too picky.  You will need about 1-1.5 cups.  This varies depending on how big your peppers are.  I don't like the mixture to be to drenched in sauce, just enough to keep it from drying out.  
Get a glass baking dish and add sauce from jar to dish, line bottom.
1. Remove peppers from pot. and empty water.  Add extra virgin olive oil to outsides of peppers.  Then add just a little salt to each outside.  (This softens and adds flavor, but can be skipped)
2.  Scoop out mixture from skillet and add to each pepper.  Fill to top.  There may be extra mixture, just place in dish around peppers.
3.  Cook in oven 350 for 15 minutes.
4.  Take out and add mozzarella cheese to the top of each pepper.  Place back in the oven for another 15 minutes

That’s it, enjoy