Butternut Squash Couscous

It was post-Thanksgiving week, and there were no leftovers in sight, one of the downfalls to going to someone else's house for a holiday. So for lunchs this past week, I set out to create something with a "holiday leftover" feel (without it going bad by the end of the week, of course).

I couldn't be happier with how this dish turned out. I was so busy at work this week, I ended up eating every lunch at my desk every day, and it was great to have this waiting in the fridge. Thank goodness I have my "I heart Jim" mug to look at.


Butternut Squash Couscous

1 lb butternut squash, diced
10-15 pearl onions, halved
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup water
1 tsp olive oil
1 cup whole wheat couscous
3 sprigs thyme
sea salt

Toss squash and onions in 1 Tbsp olive oil. Roast in oven at 425 degrees for about 30 minutes or until squash is tender.

While squash is roasting, heat water and 1 tsp olive oil until boiling. Add couscous and remove from heat. Stir to make sure all the grains are coated, then cover and let stand 20 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Combine squash and onions with couscous in a bowl. Add the leaves from thyme sprigs, plus a large pinch of salt, and mix to incorporate. Add a splash of olive oil if the mixture is too dry. Keeps well all week.

Sunday Experiments - Couscous Crepinettes and Scallion Pancakes

So generally, Sunday seems to be a time when my roommate and I look at each other and say "I really want to cook something new."

With a fridge full of veggies that had nearly overstayed their welcome, I started a search for a recipe that would encompass most of the varied cast of characters. I struck out with a somewhat lame look through my cookbook collection, but the Food Network came to my rescue.



I've never watched Cat Cora on TV. I think I might have glimpsed her for about 5 seconds on a morning talkshow once. Nevertheless, I wanted to dislike her. Don't ask me why; I guess I'm just petty. But I gave her "Vegetable Couscous 'En Crepinette'" a shot, and, with some variations, it actually turned out pretty well.



Our edits to the recipe:
- I'm not sure why you turn on the oven at the beginning...
- Veggie filling was comprised of zucchini, red pepper, red onion and (uncooked) scallions.
- The couscous was cooked in 1 1/2 cups of water - a compromise between the recipe and the back of the couscous box. I think 2 cups would have been way too much.
- No herbs - we had none.
- Rice wine vinegar instead of red wine vinegar - again, that's what we had on hand.

The assembly took a little while to get the hang of, but I'm wicked smaht, so I caught on.



Now, the recipe called for searing the little packets before serving. I'm not sure if this step is necessary. I ate the leftovers today and, fearing the stench of hot cabbage spreading throughout the office via microwave, opted to eat them cold... and they were better. Although, using plastic cutlery did prove to be a challenge with the cabbage leaves.

As I assembled the packets, my roommate was trying to decide what needed to go with them. The bowl of extra scallions winked up at him from the counter, and neither one of us could shake the idea of scallion pancakes from our heads. I didn't follow what he put in them... all I know is that they were tasty! Since they were fried in very little oil, they didn't puff up much. As they cooled, the dough compressed; it seemed a lot like naan to me after a while. Looking at this picture now is making me hungry...