The sure thing: Vegetable couscous is THE summer potluck star

by Julie Tilsner, Posted May 25th 2008 @ 2:55PM

Summer's nearly here, and you know what that means: Potlucks.

Everyone needs at least one dish they can nail at a moment's notice. A dish everyone will love, from vegans to carnivores. Something that's cheap, easy, quick, yet delicious. Something that dresses to impress. Something that even bad home cooks can manage.

I got your sure thing right here. Vegetable couscous. It's a simple recipe, but one that's certain to please. I pulled it out of Jeanne Lemlin's mighty Quick Vegetarian Pleasures.

Make it thusly:

2 Tbs olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium onion, chopped or diced
2 tsps ground cumin
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp paprika
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
2 medium zucchini squashes, cut lengthwise, then lengthwise again, and chopped into little squares
1 15-oz can of chick peas, drained and rinsed
1 16-oz can of diced tomatoes, including juice
1/2 cup raisins
1 1/2 cups vegetable stock
1/2 tsp salt
1 or 2 tbsp butter
1 cup couscous

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the garlic and onion and saute for a few minutes. Add the spices, and cook a few minutes more, stirring often.

Stir in the zucchini, chick peas, followed by the tomatoes, then the raisins. Cover the pan and lower heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, about 15 to 20 minutes, or until the zucchini is tender.

While the vegetables are brewing, prepare the couscous. Bring the veggie stock to a boil with butter and salt (if you're using it). Stir in the couscous, cover tightly and remove from heat. Let it sit 5 minutes, or however long it takes you to finish the veggies. Fluff with a fork before serving.

You can make the vegetable part of this dish a day or two before with nothing but upside flavor potential. Impress everyone by serving the couscous in an audacious Moroccan bowl with the veggie mixture mounded in the center. My husband once won a prize at a work for the "best potluck presentation."

Go ahead and make this -- what's it take, 20 minutes? Bring it to your next potluck and let me know how it goes down. Chances are, it'll all go down big...and they'll come to you for more.

Happy potlucks!

Source

Filed Under: Spirit of Summer, Vegetarian/Vegan, Ingredients
Tags: grains, potlucks, quick recipes, QuickRecipes, recipes, summer cooking, SummerCooking, vegan, vegetable cous cous, VegetableCousCous, vegetables, vegetarian, vegitarian recipes, VegitarianRecipes

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Reader comments (Page 1 of 1)

5-26-2008 @4:13AM Kitt said... I prepared couscous the other day the traditional way, by soaking, then steaming three times, and the difference between that and the packaged kind was night and day. It takes a lot of time over all, but the actual effort is minimal, and well worth it. Try it sometime!

Kitt
http://www.kittalog.com
Reply