Smoky-Sweet Chickpea Burgers with Adobo

Vegan smokey-sweet chickpea burger with adobo

Smoky-Sweet Chickpea Burger with Adobo

I’ve been really into the smokey adobo flavor lately, so a few weekends ago when I set out to make a batch of my spicy chickpea burgers I decided to change things up a bit. I kept the chickpeas because they really do make the best veggie burgers, in my humble opinion, but I added sweet potato along with a couple chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (and a few teaspoons of the the sauce for good measure). I also threw in some leftover quinoa I had in the fridge.

The result? A spectaculatory burger, if I do say so myself. The heat and smokiness from the adobo chipotles is a totally different type of “spicy” than you get with other peppers or seasonings. It’s almost rich. The sweetness of the potatoes offsets it in a way that ensures it’s not too hot. This burger is perfect for people (like me) who want to get their spicy on, but still be able to enjoy the flavor. This burger is not for those people who put ghost peppers on their oatmeal, if you catch my drift. That said, my husband is the King of Hot (in more ways than one ) and he was totally digging these. He started snacking on them in bits n’ pieces while I was still baking them and said “Hey, these have a little bite!”. He was happy to have them for dinner too- a sure sign of approval.

The sweet potatoes made the mixture a bit more moist than I’m used to, but that was quickly offset with a few extra shakes of bread crumbs. Easy peasy. They’re still on the soft side (I guess that’s just what happens with sweet taters!), but super delicious. I actually made a double batch and froze the extras- I like to break them up into bits throughout the week on my lunch salads.If you haven’t tried that, I highly recommend you do- with whatever veggie burger is your favorite. It adds a different texture and whole new flavor profile to salads, really perks them up. And makes it feel less like you’re “just easting a salad”, you know? Plus it’s healthier than croutons or some of those other salad add-ons you can buy at the store.

Smoky-Sweet Chickpea Burgers (5-6 patties, depending on size )

These make a pretty soft burger, so if you want yours firmed up a little you could add more breadcrumbs and/or bake it a little longer (I think they’re wonderful as-is!).

Ingredients:

1 small-medium sweet potato, diced
1/2 a large onion, roughly chopped (I used red, sweet would also be good)
1 can chickpeas
1/2 cup cooked quinoa (red or white is fine, but red is prettiest)
2-3 chiptles in adobo sauce, or more if you want more heat
2 t of the adobo sauce from the can
3/4 cup bread crumbs (plus more to achieve perfect consistency)

Directions:

Bake or microwave sweet potato until soft-ish.
Place potatoes and onions in food processor and give a couple of whirls- leave a few small chunks, but not many.
Add the chickpeas and give it another whirl. DON’T OVERDO IT! You want to leave lots of bean chunks, otherwise your burgers will come out too soft.
Transfer to a large bowl and mix in quinoa,chopped chilies and the sauce and the bread crumbs and mix it all up.
Let the entire mixture hang out in the fridge for 30 minute (or longer, that’s fine too), then check the consistency. If’ it’s too soft, don’t be afraid to add more bread crumbs!
Form your patties and bake at 375 on a foil-lined pan for about 30 minutes, 15 on each side. Check to see if they’re done- they might need a few more minutes depending on how moist your mixture was. You can finish them under the broiler to get a little more char if you like.

Enjoy!

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Chickpea Frittatas and a Lucini Italia Giveaway!

This contest is now closed, and our winner is… Rachael from Passing Daisies! Her favorite Italian dish is Spaghetti, and I can’t say I blame her. Email me your address (thatwasvegan(at)gmail(dot)com) and we’ll get your Lucini Italia products in the mail! Thanks to everyone who entered…And keep your eyes peeled, I’m planning another giveaway in early April!

This Lucini Italia giveaway has been in the works for more than a month and I’m so excited to finally get it started! I had purchased a package of Tuscan Fiery Chili Chickpea Frittata mix (also known by it’s traditional Italian name of Cinque e’ Cinque) from my local grocer and loved it. LOVED IT! So I emailed the company and asked if they’d be willing to provide some free product to share with my readers. They were kind enough to not only say YES!, but also to send me a few freebies as well.

So far I’ve made a Chickpea Frittata with kale and tomatoes (recipe below!), as well as a pasta dish topped with their Tuscan Marinara with Roasted Garlic.

This is my second time using their Frittata mix, so it was no surprise that I enjoyed it so much.

Here’s one of the dishes I made with my freebies:

Vegan Chickpea Frittata with Kale and Tomatoes

"Cinque e' Cinque" Chickpea Frittata with Kale and Tomatoes

When I first tried these I wasn’t sure what to expect. I’ve had frittatas in my pre-gan days, but couldn’t imagine chickpea flour producing the same consistency. I expected kind of a bread-y consistency, more like cornbread, but that’s not how these are. They’re actually creamy! The top gets a little crunch in the oven, but the center is smooth and creamy. According to the packaging you can also bake them in a larger dish to make it thinner and crunchier, but I just keep going for the creamy version- I can’t help myself! Check out this picture of the thinner version. The only thing I do have to say is that the Fiery Chili is… well, fiery. If you eat a big piece there will likely be some face-fanning going on

You can top these babies with anything, or just eat them plain. The package suggests: sprinkle with fresh ground black pepper and serve on a baguette. That sounds really good too! A quick google search tells me you can also add any vegetables or or other flavors right into the mix and bake them all together. Overall, a really flexible product that you could personalize in a million different ways to suit your own palate.

Here’s a close-up of the Cinque e’ Cinque when it first came out of the oven…

My omni husband was a little suspicious at first, but as soon as I convinced him to give it a try, he really liked it. It took him a few bites to get used to the consistency, but then he kept talking about how tasty it was… And he really liked the spicy flavor of the “Tuscan Fiery Chili”!

Their Marinara was also delicious- I plan to post pictures and a review later this week. But seriously, what could be quicker and easier than sauce you can heat in the microwave without it exploding everywhere!?

Note: not every product that Lucini makes is vegan, but everything they sent me and everything they’ll send the winner is vegan.

And so, without further ado, HERE’S what the winner of this contest will get:

Cinque e’ Cinque, Tuscan Chickpea Frittata Mix
Tuscan Marinara with Roasted Garlic in a BPA-Free Microwavable Pouch
Premium Select Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Fig & Walnut Savory Vinaigrette

To enter, leave one comment for EACH that you do. Don’t combine multiple entries into one comment, that only hurts your chances. You have until Sunday at midnight (mountain time!) to enter, and the winner will be chosen at random and announced Monday morning.

Leave a comment below and let me know what your favorite Italian dish is!
Follow TWV? on Twitter and tweet about the contest (tag me so I know!)
Like TWV? on Facebook and share the contest on your wall
Follow Lucini Italia on Twitter
Like Lucini Italia on Facebook

So, a very special thanks to Lucini Italia for providing the prize, and good luck!

Chickpea Frittata with Kale and Tomatoes (6 servings as a main, more as a side or snack)

Ingredients:

1 package Cinque e’ Cinque Tuscan Chickpea Frittata Mix (I used Fiery Chili but any flavor would be yum!)
3+ T Lucini Italia olive oil
2 t sea salt
1 bunch kale
1/2 t minced garlic
15-20 grape or cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

Directions:

Prepare chickpea frittata mix as directed on package. I had to bake mine for nearly 10 minutes longer than they recommended before it firmed up and got that “golden brown” glow about it, but I live about a gazillion feet above sea level, so that could have something to do with it. Also, I baked mine in a glass pie dish instead of a cast iron skillet.
While it’s in the oven, de-stem and chop your kale, then water sautee with the minced garlic. I left mine a little more firm than I normally do, and it added a nice texture with the frittata.
When you’re ready to serve the frittata, simply top with your kale and tomatoes! Voila!

Enjoy!

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Spaghetti Pie

Spaghetti Pie with Tofu Ricotta

I love veganizing “old favorites” – who doesn’t? A few weeks ago I asked for suggestions on Facebook on what I should veganize next… and someone suggested Spaghetti Pie. This was interesting because although I’ve heard of spaghetti pie, I’ve never made it or eaten it, so I wasn’t really sure where to start. I thought it was just supposed to be a casserole- that you just throw everything into a dish and bake it, and although some recipes that I saw online did, in fact, advocate that method, many more showed a “pie” with a “crust” made out of spaghetti. Interesting! That method sounded more challenging and like it would create a more enjoyable finished product, so that’s the one I went with.

My first decision was what kind of binder to use with the pasta to create this so-called crust. I went with Chia seeds, my very first time using them. Holy Cow do they gel up! I was a little taken aback by the appearance of those dark little seeds all gelled together, but was totally happy with the finished product. (Yes, I knew the seeds were black before I added the water, I’m just more used to flax seeds and Ener-G). You can see from the picture that the crust didn’t stay totally solid, but I don’t think it’s supposed to. None of the none-vegan ones I looked at online appeared to either.

The filling was delicious! Uber-tasty tofu ricotta, a creamy mix with wonderful Italian seasonings, combined with Kale and some savory vegan Italian sausage. The entire dish was really fun, right down to the pasta-pie-crust. Total comfort food that I bet kids would love. One thing I know for sure is that these two (big) kids loved it!

Spaghetti Pie (6 servings)

Adapted from non-vegan recipe

Generally the chia seed mixture needs to sit for longer to gel, but by adding it earlier you let it gel with the pasta as well. If you miss the 5-minute mark you can still mix them together, it’ll just take more elbow grease.

Ingredients:

1/2 portion of my Tofu Ricotta (minus the spinach)
2 T chia seeds
6 T water
8 oz (ish) spaghetti, cooked al dente and drained
1/2 bunch kale, chopped and water sauteed
1-2 vegan Italian sausage links (I used Field Roast), roughly chopped (almost crumbled)
1 3/4 cup spaghetti sauce
Daiya mozzerella

Directions:

Prepare the tofu ricotta, and set aside.
Mix chia seeds and water together in a cup or bowl, and let sit for about 5 minutes.
Mix the chia concoction with the pasta, then press into a “pie crust” in a 9 in pie plate.
Mix the tofu ricotta with the kale and sausage bits, then fill the center of the “pie crust” with the mixture.
Pour all the sauce over the pie, then top with the Daiya.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 5 minutes or so, until the Daiya is fully melted.

Enjoy!

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The Best Tofu Ricotta

Veggie Lasagna with Tofu Ricotta

I promised you this a while back… sorry for the delay! This tofu ricotta is perfect for any recipe. When I’m using it in a lasagna or for stuffed shells I add the spinach, but sometimes I’ll leave it plain (like when I recently made spaghetti pie that also had kale). Mix up the seasonings a little bit, you can’t go wrong! In the example above, I made a veggie lasagna and added some lightly steamed squash and Daiya mozzerella. YUM!

Tofu Ricotta (Enough for 1 pan of lasagna, manicotti, stuffed shells, etc)

Ingredients:

1 lb firm tofu, really well pressed
2 T olive oil
Heaping 1/2 T garlic powder
1/2 T onion powder
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
1 t Italian herb sea salt (something like this),
1/2 T oregano
1 t dried basil
10 oz chopped frozen spinach, defrosted and drained (if desired)
A few pinches of sea salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

In a food processor, combine the tofu, olive oil and all the spiced pulsing until well mixed. You can also do this in a bowl, but make sure you use some serious elbow grease. You need this to be completely blended! Don’t over mix though, you don’t want the tofu to turn to mush.
Add in your spinach, if you’re using. I pretty much always add in the spinach unless the tofu ricotta is being added to a dish that already has greens. Taste, then add S&P as needed.
Add to whatever pasta dish you’re creating. Easy as (tofu ricotta) pie!

Enjoy!

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My Tofu Scramble

Spicy Tofu Scramble

First off, sorry for the late post! I’ve been trying really really hard to stick to my Monday-Wednesday-Friday posting schedule, but the slopes were calling my name yesterday… and even though I hadn’t finished this post, I had to go. I missed half the season with my bum foot, so I’m trying to make up for lost time

I’m sure there are a lot of recipes out there for Tofu Scrambz, but I’ve never actually looked. It’s such an intuitive dish, even the first time I made it I just went by memory of the times I had eaten it in restaurants, and added everything I thought would be good. It’s a dish that comes out a little bit different every time I make it, and I love that! I make it spicy with crushed red pepper flakes, and this time I used some leftover Field Roast Italian sausage and pepperjack Daiya. Fresh kale and some chopped green peppers give a healthy crunch. I like making a big ol’ batch on the weekends to enjoy throughout the week. Yesterday I heated some up in a burrito, wrapped it in foil, and took it with me snowboarding. Hearty, satisfying and easy to eat in the car!

On a completely unrelated note, did anyone see Celebrity Apprentice on Sunday? When Russel Simmons was trying to get a vegan sandwich for his $10,000 and Victoria Gotti wanted to just give him a chicken pita with the chicken removed? It made me happy that he got the camera time he did, and that no one made any snide remarks about how “difficult” vegans are, or anything like that. I also thought he was pretty funny when he said “I’m paying that much, I should get a sandwich I like!” Now that I think about it, this wasn’t a *completely* unrelated rant, because I think my tofu scrambz makes an excellent sandwich! You could do a wrap of course, but it’s also yummy on thick, chewy bread! Russel Simmons would approve, no doubt!

Tofu Scrambz (a little on the spicy side) (4-5 servings, depending on appetite)

Ingredients:

1 tub firm tofu, pressed well
1/2 onion, your favorite kind (I like red or sweet)
1 bell pepper, your favorite color (or do half n’ half)
1 T nutritional yeast
1 heaping t sea salt
1 t crushed red pepper flakes
1 heaping t cumin
a few sprinkles of pepper
Daiya or other vegan cheese, if desired
2 links vegan sausage, roughly chopped, if desired
1/2 bunch kale, sauteed in water
4 chives, diced

Directions:

Water saute the onions and peppers until soft, then add the tofu making sure it’s well crumbled.
Mix in all the seasonings, except the chives. Stir really really well so that all the tofu is evenly coated. If it’s too dry, add a couple teaspoons of water. Stir in the cheese, if using, and let it get all melty.
Add in the sausage and kale, and mix again, then sprinkle the chives on top. Done!

Enjoy!

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Blueberry Pancakes and Sausage

Blueberry Pancakes and Sausage... All Vegan and All YUM!

(Post updated… yes, I somehow forgot to mention the blueberries in the directions. Guess I’ve already checked out for the weekend, eh?)

Pancakes and sausage… a pretty all-American breakfast, right? Especially, I guess, for those who still eat the Standard American Diet (SAD ) Happily, us vegans can also enjoy this breakfast treat!

We don’t have pancakes or vegan sausage very often, and hardly ever for breakfast. I’m one of those crazy people who likes to eat breakfast for dinner… but I have to ask, is it really that crazy? I don’t know. Our breakfasts are usually oatmeal, fresh fruit, and maybe some whole grain toast with almond butter. But once in a while…

The pancake recipe came from a combination of about 5 other recipes I found online- I just took the aspects I liked best from each one, and combined them. And of course, blueberries were a must (I still had some leftover from when I made my Blueberry-Coconut Bundt Cake!)

The sausage was a mix I picked up a few weeks back at Whole Foods. I almost didn’t even give it a second glance because it said “Vegetarian” on the label, but I’m glad I did. It’s actually vegan, and the company, Harmony Valley, is located in Fort Collins, CO which I think is pretty cool (I’m now singing “that’s pretty cool” in my head, a’ la SNL Miley Cyrus).

You just combine the dry mix with some water and refrigerate for 15 minutes, then cook as you please. I broke mine into two batches, and mixed a couple tablespoons of maple syrup in with this half. Then I simply formed it into patties and cooked in a pan- easy peasy! Very flavorful, and a great texture. It’s very similar to how I remember meat sausage to be.

I know a lot of vegetarians-turned-vegan remember Morningstar Farms sausage fondly. As you probably know, those products have milk and eggs and so are verboten for vegans- but they were yummy. Well, I’m here to tell you that I enjoyed these sausage just as much as I ever did MSF!

Blueberry Pancakes (Serves at least 2)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups So Delicious Coconut Milk, plus some extra to adjust consistency, if needed
2.5 T vegetable oil
1 T white granulated sugar
1/2 T brown sugar
1/3 cup AP flour
1 t baking powder
1/8 tsp salt, plus an extra pinch
1/2 cup+ blueberries

Directions:

Combine all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl, mixing well.
Slowly add the coconut milk and oil, mixing together until smooth (but don’t over mix!). Note: If it’s too thick, you can thin it out with another dash of coconut milk!
Ladle the batter (amount depending on desired size of pancakes) onto hot, oiled pan or griddle, over med-high heat.
Immediately sprinkle your booberries onto the pancake- I try to do 3 or 4 per.
Let sit until bubbles appear and then start to pop on the top of the pancake, then flip. Make sure you don’t flip too soon, because multiple flippings will ruin the texture of your pancake!

Enjoy!

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Mac n’ Cheese Bites

Vegan Macaroni and Cheese Puff Pastry Bites

Butternut Mac n' Cheese Bites!

These pretty babies have been on my mind for at least 2 months. I never made them, but I thought about them an awful lot. Puff Pastry is so delicious, and even if you’re too ~~lazy~~ busy to make your own from scratch, Pepperidge Farms has been kind enough to produce a vegan version for us. Healthy? Ehhh… but at least it’s vegan!

I don’t know what took me so long to finally make these, but they’re everything I thought they’d be. The puff pastry is rich, almost buttery. The filling is my Butternut Squash Mac n’ Cheese which is delicious beyond belief. So creamy and gooey… but don’t take my word for it, just look at that picture! The rich Daiya cheese sauce is just oooozing out of there. Perfection! I used just one sheet of the puff pastry, rolled out thin, and got 6 of these “hot pockets”. Each one is really 2 bites, or 3 if you’re dainty.

I made them with Happy Hour in mind, but they would also make nifty lunches, if you had a toaster oven at work to heat a couple of them up in.

One word of caution… puff pastry is flammable, as is parchment paper. Please just keep that in mind in case you should, oh, I don’t know… try to brown the tops under the broiler. Just sayin’.

Macaroni and Cheese Puff Pastry Bites (6 large bites)

Ingredients:

1/2 Batch of Butternut Squash Mac n’ Cheese (Or make a full batch and double your “bites”!)
1 sheet of Pepperidge Farm (or your own homemade!) puff pastry
Flour, parchment paper & cooking spray

Directions:

Roll out the puff pastry on a floured cutting board, and cut into 3×5 inch rectangles. Don’t use too much flour or the taste of it will get into your pastry.
Using one of those larger soup spoons, place one heaping spoonful onto each rectangle, towards one end, and then pinch the 3 edges shut, crimping them like a pie crust.
Place the little masterpieces onto a parchment lined baking sheet, and just *mist* the top with a little cooking spray.
Bake at 375 degrees, 18-20 minutes or until the top turns a beautiful golden hue.

Enjoy!

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Mexican Stuffed Shells – Red Chile Style

Mexican Stuffed Shells - Red Chile Style

Maybe these should be called ‘Red Chile Enchilada Shells’, because that’s really what they are. I’ve been on a bit of a “veganizing” kick lately, and when I saw the original recipe online I knew I was going to make a version I could enjoy.

Loyal readers know my vegan-adjacent husband is from NM, and basically has red chili running through his veins. In that crazy state, you can go into any restaurant and order absolutely anything, and the server will ask you “red or green”- as in, what kind of chile do you want. There’s no possibility that you don’t want any chile at all. I’m pretty sure you could walkinto an IHOP in Albuquerque, and they’d try to put red or green chile on your pancakes- it’s that serious.

I wouldn’t say I’m a fan of NM cooking… it’s way too spicy for me. Plus they’re not known for being healthy or compassionate. But Jason is (healthy, compassionate and a fan of NM cooking!), so this recipe is for him!

Just be forewarned: This is much spicier than my usual recipes! And really, red chile is an acquired taste. If you like it, you’ll love this shells. If you’re not a fan of red chile, my feelings wont be hurt if you skip this one I’m going to come up with another, milder version… I’m thinking taco sauce, black beans and kale! ETA: Check out that version here!

One trick I use when stuffing shells, to make sure they all come out about the same and so I don’t run out of stuffing before shells (or vice versa), is to divide the filling in my pan using the spoon, into halves or quarters, depending on how many shells I have. That way you can easily eyeball it and know how much filling to give each shell!

Mexican Stuffed Shells (~3-4 servings)

Adapted from non-vegan recipe.

Ingredients:

1 package Boca crumbles
1 package taco seasoning
1 t chili powder
5-6 oz. vegan cream cheese
14-16 jumbo pasta shells
1 cup chunky salsa
1 8oz package of red chile enchilada sauce (I used “Mexican Everyday Frontera” brand)
3 green onions, chopped
Daiya cheddar or pepperjack for topping
Sour cream, if desired

Directions:

Cook shells according to package.
Heat Boca crumbles in a pan. When heated through, mix in taco seasoning and chili powder, then add cream cheese and stir until melted and thoroughly mixed.
When the shells are cooked, remove from water and lay on cutting board until they’re ready to be stuffed (this keeps them from sticking together).
Spread about 1/3 of the enchilada sauce and all the salsa on the bottom of the baking dish. Stuff each shell and with the Boca mixture, and place into your baking dish.
Cover will aluminum foil and bake at 350 for about 30 minutes. Remove foil and add Daiya, then bake uncovered for another 15 minutes or until the cheese is melty.
Serve sprinkled with green onions and sour cream, if desired.

Enjoy!

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(Not My Mom’s) Corn Chowder

(Not My Mom's) Corn Chowdah

Corn chowder (or “chowdah”, if you hail from the Northeast!) was my mom’s signature dish. Well, that and cheesecake… but growing up the chowder was my absolute favorite, and when she’d make it, I’d eat at least 2 huge bowls for dinner. Her version had corn and potatoes, just like mine does, but it also had ham and velveeta. My sweet mama has since gone vegetarian so if she were to make it today she’d nix the ham, but it would probably still have that gawdawful, orange, scientific-experiment-gone-horribly-awry velveeta in it.

Of course, if you knew my mom you’d also know that she really doesn’t cook anymore- an ironic twist because she now has the most amazing kitchen I’ve ever seen. I suspect she just doesn’t want to get it dirty. But, being the wonderful mom that she is, she’s always willing to let ME get it dirty when I visit

So this is my homage, if you will, to the corn chowdah of my youth. A healthier, more compassionate version that still makes me want bowl after bowl… and none of the ingredients were created in a lab! In another healthy twist, I did away with the roux, saving us all some calories, and I got the idea to add more vegetables to it from a “Healthy Vegan Cooking” class I attended at Whole Foods. It’s not as thick as I remember the non-version being, but the blending step does make it nice and creamy. I make this 4-5 times during the winter, and I get away with that heavy rotation because Jason really likes it too. Serve it with some crusty bread or on it’s own- it’s satisfying either way. It also reheats nicely for workday lunches.

Okay! Get out your immersion blender and let’s make some chowder!

Corn Chowder (~4 serving)

Ingredients:

4 stalks of celery, sliced
1 medium sweet onion, diced
1 carrot, grated
6 oz of frozen corn, thawed
4 medium-large potatoes, diced
2 cups So Delicious coconut milk
1 cup veggie broth (or water and bouillon cube)
1.5 t Sea salt (plus more for taste)
White pepper

Directions:

Spread the potatoes on a plate and microwave for about 3 minutes. Remove and stir, then microwave for another 2-3 minutes until tender (but not mushy).
In a large soup pot, sautee the onions and celery in water until tender. Add the corn, potatoes and veggie broth, then cover and simmer on low for about 5 minutes.
Remove from heat, and using your immersion blender, blend about half of the chowder.
Put back on the heat, and add the coconut milk,carrots and sea salt, stirring until everything is warm again. You could set aside some of the carrots for sprinkling on top- they add a nice sweet crunch!
Taste and add more sea salt and pepper as needed.

Enjoy!

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Lemon Couscous with Sweet Potatoes and Kale

There’s no big story behind this recipe. Jason and I got home late from work after a particularly painful commute (we have a loooong commute!), and I had no idea what to make for dinner.

A little background: I’m pretty high-maintenance about menu planning. I usually start on Wednesday by checking the weekly ads for my 3 favorite markets. I start my shopping list (by store) with our regular must-haves (coconut yogurt, spinach, salad fixin’s, etc) then I start to play around with new recipe ideas based on what’s on sale. Then on Saturday morning (or Friday, if it’s our flex week) I sit down with my laptop and some cookbooks and just browse. I look at what I’ve pinned on Pinterest that week and I thumb through my favorite books looking for meals to add to my menu. I put together the weekly menu, then I shop. Yes my weekly menu is highly formatted and pretty, but I’m not totally OCD about it… I mean, I don’t assign a day to each meal in advance. I allow some leeway based on what sounds good when we get home from work… So, see? I’m totally normal!

Anyhoo, that one particular night last week, nothing from the menu sounded quick and easy enough. We’ve all had those nights when delivery sounds like the only option- except we had gotten Indian take-out the night before, and I try not to do that very often. So I started rooting around in my cabinets and found some Israeli couscous and sweet potatoes and I knew I had some kale in the fridge that was dying to be used (literally), and this dish just sort of came together on it’s own.

The lemon and cumin are a great combination that I’ll definitely be using again. The earthy, warm taste of the cumin added a depth to the dish, and the lemon and gave it a light and almost perky layer. The sweetness of the potatoes round it out nicely. And of course the Israeli couscous, which is actually a pasta, made it quite filling.

Lemon Couscous with Sweet Potatoes and Kale (~4 servings as a main, 5-6 as a side)

Ingredients:

2 medium-large sweet potatoes, diced
Olive oil
Sea salt
1 large bunch of kale, roughly torn or chopped
2 cups uncooked Israeli couscous
2 cups vegetable stock (plus extra for steaming kale, if desired)
1 T cumin
2.5 T lemon juice
1 T dried parsley
S&P

Directions:

Spread the diced potatoes on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and a pinch of sea salt, and bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes (or until tender and starting to brown), stirring at least once.
Saute the kale in a pan with water or vegetable broth until tender. If you have it covered, it should only take about 2-4 minutes.
Heat a large pot over medium heat, and add 1-2 T olive oil. Once heated, add 2 cups couscous and toast for about 5 minutes, stirring every minute or so. Make sure they don’t burn!
Add 2 cups vegetable broth to the couscous, reduce heat to lowish, and cover. Let it simmer for 8-10 minutes but DO NOT lift the cover to check on it for at least 8 minutes! Then stir and make sure the liquid is gone and the balls aren’t clumping.
Add the kale and potatoes into the couscous and mix. Then mix in all the spices. Add S&P as your tastes dictate, and that’s it!

Enjoy!