Jenn’s Cook Book

Interesting story about this recipe: during one of my visits to the doctor’s office, I spotted a great recipe for Vegetable Couscous Pilaf in Food & Wine magazine while in the waiting room. I figured I would find it online afterwards, but after trolling Food & Wine’s website as well as countless Google searches, I finally gave up my quest. Fortunately (or not, depending on your view of the situation), I returned to the doctor’s office two weeks later and hunted down the magazine. I was in the middle of hand copying the magazine when the doctor interrupted me and tore out the pages. What a nice guy!

While I did make some minor adjustments, the recipe was excellent. The spice combination of cumin, paprika, and caraway seed gave the dish a subtle, exotic seasoning complimented by hearty carrots, parsnips, and fresh zucchini. This couscous is flavored with spinach and sun-dried tomatoes, which adds to the overall flavor. It is not quite an all-in-one meal, but a simple side of eggplant, mushrooms, or meat would create a balanced dinner.

Above: Sauteed veggies simmer in a stockpot. 

Moroccan Vegetable Couscous
adapted from Food & Wine

1/4 cup olive oil
1 medium parsnip, peeled and finely sliced
1 medium carrot, finely sliced
2 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
salt and pepper
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp caraway seeds
1 1/2 cups couscous
2 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup golden raisins

Heat oil in a large stockpot or deep skillet. Over high heat, saute parsnip and carrot until almost tender, about 5 minutes. Add zucchini, onion, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Saute an additional 5 minutes, until vegetables begin to brown slightly.

Add cumin, paprika, and caraway. Saute until fragrant, 1-2 minutes. Add couscous and cook, stirring frequently, until toasted, about 2 minutes. Stir in chicken stock, then cover pot and remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed. Fluff couscous with a fork and stir in golden raisins just before serving.

Above: Just after fluffing the couscous.

Economically Friendly: Fresh veggies are always inexpensive, along with onions and garlic. Things like chicken stock, couscous, and golden raisins are pantry staples for me and can often be found on sale. The spices in this recipe are fairly common, caraway seed is not something I normally use but is in the spice rack. At only 1/4 teaspoon, it could be omitted without sacrificing too much flavor. Fennel seed or anise seed would be adequate substitutions.

Environmentally Responsible: Root vegetables are typically considered “all season” even though they peak in autumn, as they keep for longer than most produce. Zucchini can be purchased locally in most areas this time of year as well. A dish like this also makes meat a “side” item rather than the main attraction.

Excellently Healthy:Vegetables, spices, and couscous are great for balancing a diet. Keep the rest of the meal in check and this is a very healthy (and delicious) dish.

One of the most popular recipes on the website is Moroccan Chicken Couscous, which I made last summer with a bounty of vegetables from the Farmer’s Market. The one thing I did not like about the dish is that the spices were very subtle, and the amounts probably needed to be increased for more flavor.

While searching for recipe ideas for Veganomics, I came across a recipe from Cooking Light magazine with tons of vegetables and spices with couscous, and decided to try it. I made several modifications to accommodate what I had on hand, and you could use just about any vegetables you like in this recipe. Chick peas would be a great substitution for the mushrooms, zucchini would also be excellent.

I did not peel the eggplant, though you certainly could if you find the skin too tough. Look for an eggplant with smooth, unblemished skin that weights about 1 pound. Larger eggplant can be bitter and have more seeds. The couscous I used is particularly flavorful: tricolor with sun-dried tomato and spinach flavors.

Vegetables simmering before addition of couscous:

Moroccan Eggplant with Couscous
adapted from Cooking Light

2 tsp curry powder
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
pinch of saffron threads (substitute turmeric if not available)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large eggplant, about 1 lb, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 lb sliced mushrooms
2 cans diced tomatoes (14.5 oz each), undrained
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped cabbage
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
1 cup orange juice
2 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock
2 cups uncooked couscous

Preheat oven to 350F

Combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl.  

Heat oil in an ovenproof Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions, mushrooms, garlic, and ginger, saute 2-3 minutes. Add spice mixture, eggplant, tomatoes with juice, carrots and cabbage; saute 3 minutes.

Add orange juice and chicken stock; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in couscous. Cover and bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes.

Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Recipe Summary:

Economically Friendly: The eggplant, which is often substituted for meat in dishes, was $0.99 per pound. Ground beef, however, was originally priced $4.39 per pound, and on sale was only reduced to $3.59 per pound. Pantry staples like canned tomatoes, chicken stock, garlic and onion didn’t break the bank either.

NOTE: Saffron is crazy-expensive, but I bought it months ago and haven’t used it, so I felt this was an appropriate time to get my money’s worth. Turmeric is a reasonably price substitution, and sometimes referred to as “the poor man’s saffron.”

Ecologically Responsible: Aside from avoiding the use of meat, this recipe can be adjusted to accommodate the vegetables currently in season. It is also an all-in-one meal, which reduces energy needs for cooking and the amount of dishes to be cleaned.

Excellently Healthy: Loaded with tons of veggies, plus spices for flavor, a generous 2 cup serving has approximately 300 calories. Adding chick peas would give it a boost of protein. Garlic, ginger, and cinnamon have all sorts of proven health benefits. I found this dish to be surprisingly filling and satisfying.

Here is Turmeric-mania Recipe #2, from Everyday Food: Great Food Fast. This recipe comes from the winter section of the book, but uses produce that is in season and available at Farmer’s Markets right now. Next time, I would use 4 bone-in chicken breasts instead of 8 bone-in chicken thighs. The spice combination is intriguing, cinnamon mixes with turmeric, ginger, and chili powder to create a sweet-spicy taste, but the real flavor comes from the broth, where all of the vegetables and chicken have been simmering.

8 bone-in, skinless chicken thighs (about 2 1/2 lbs)
3 carrots, cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks
3 onions, thinly sliced
1 can (14.5 oz) whole tomatoes, drained
1 can (15.5 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 can (14.5 oz) reduced-sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup water
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp chili powder 
1/8 tsp pepper
2 medium or 1 large zucchini (about 1 lb), halved crosswise and quartered lengthwise
couscous, for serving

In a Dutch oven (or other 5-quart pot with a tight-fitting lid), combine all ingredients except zucchini and couscous. Break up tomatoes with a spoon.

Bring to a simmer over medium to medium-high heat. Cover and cook for 15 minutes. Add zucchini and cook until the chicken is cooked through yet still tender, about 15 minutes more.

Divide couscous evenly among 4 bowls or plates. Spoon the chicken, vegetables, and broth on top. Serve immediately.

Combine ingredients in a large pot:

Add zucchini to simmering pot:

Serve with couscous:

The couscous I used is a tri-color mixture of regular, tomato, and spinach flavored couscous. Plain couscous would work fine.

From Cooking Light magazine, here is a quick and easy side dish with a subtle flavor. This could easily go with a Thai or Chinese style main dish, but would also be great with fried or barbecue chicken. The recipe is quite mild, so if you prefer some spice, adjust the seasoning to suit your tastes.

1 tsp butter or olive oil
1/4 tsp curry powder
1/8 tsp allspice
1 1/3 cups chicken broth
2/3 cup uncooked couscous

Melt butter or heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add curry and allspice, cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add broth and bring to a boil. Remove from heat.

Stir in couscous. Cover and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Garnished below with a small sprig of rosemary.

Here is a dessert recipe from AOL Food. This dessert combines apples, oranges and ginger to make a dessert out of couscous. Satisfy your sweet tooth with Ginger Recipe #5.

Sauce:
3/4 cup fresh orange juice
1 1/2 tbsp Triple Sec (orange flavored liqueur)

Couscous:
1 1/3 cups apple juice
3 tbsp butter
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup uncooked couscous
2 tsp grated orange rind

Topping:
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp dark brown sugar
2 cups diced peeled Granny Smith apple (about 2 apples)
2 tbsp raisins (or golden raisins)
2 tbsp finely chopped crystallized ginger
1 1/2 tbsp Triple Sec
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Additional toppings (optional):
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
mint sprigs

To prepare sauce, bring orange juice to a boil in a saucepan. Cook until juice is reduced to 1/3 cup (about 6 minutes). Stir in 1 1/2 tbsp liqueur.

To prepare couscous, bring apple juice, 3 tbsp butter, and salt to a boil in a saucepan. Gradually stir in couscous and orange rind. Remove from heat and cover. Let stand 5 minutes and fluff with a fork.

To prepare topping, melt 2 tbsp butter in a medium non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add sugar and cook 1 minute. stirring constantly. Stir in apple and raisins, cook 5 minutes or until apple is tender, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Stir in ginger, 1 1/2 tbsp liqueur, and cinnamon.

To serve: Spoon about 1/3 cup couscous into dessert dish. Top with about 2 tbsp topping, 1 1/2 tsp sour cream (if using), and about 1 tbsp sauce. Garnish with mint sprigs, if desired. Recipe will make 8 servings.

Here is the latest creation to come out of Jenn’s Kitchen, including a new and improved recipe for Lemon Couscous.

Citrus Chicken

1/4 cup orange juice
1 tsp grated orange rind
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp grate lime rind
2 tbsp fresh thyme (remove leaves and discard stems)
2 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground red/black pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tbsp olive oil
baby spinach

Combine first 8 ingredients in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Trim fat off chicken and pound to 1/2 inch thickness with meat tenderizer or small skillet. Pour 1/4 cup juice mixture into a large zip-lock bag and add chicken. Seal and shake well to evenly coat chicken pieces; marinate for 5 minutes. Add oil to remaining juice mixture; stir well with a whisk. *Start boiling water for lemon couscous.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Remove chicken from bag and discard marinade. Add chicken to pan and cook 5 minutes on each side or until done and chicken is no longer pink. Place 1/2 cup of prepared Lemon couscous and 1 cup fresh baby spinach on each plate. Divide chicken evenly among servings, place on top of couscous and top each serving with 1 tablespoon juice mixture.

Lemon Couscous

1 cup water
3/4 cup uncooked couscous
1/4 cup sliced green onion
2 tbsp orange juice
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp grated lemon rind
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp red/black pepper

*Bring water to boil while chicken is marinating. Remove from heat and add couscous. Cover for 5 minutes, then fluff with fork. Stir in onions and remaining ingredients.

Serving Suggestions:

If desired, toss baby spinach in olive oil and top with grated carrots, sliced cucumber, chopped tomatoes and/or red pepper strips. Normally, I enjoy a contrasting flavor in the beverage, but for this dish I stayed in the citrus family by serving iced tea with lemon and red sangria with lemon and lime wedges (cherry and umbrella optional). As for dessert? Try this recipe with Lemon Poached Oranges, although plain orange slices would work too. The extra veggies and oranges add some nice color to the table and fresh flavors to compliment the main dish.

This is a simple and yummy recipe from my new Lipton Recipe Secrets Soup Mix Magic cookbook.

Crispy Garlic Chicken:

1 envelope Lipton Recipe Secrets Savory Herb and Garlic Soup Mix*
1/3 cup real mayonnaise
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
3 to 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tbsp plain dry breadcrumbs

*cookbook also suggests trying Lipton Recipe Secrets Onion Soup Mix

Preheat oven to 400F and spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.

Combine soup mix, mayonnaise and cheese in a small bowl.

Arrange chicken on baking sheet. Top chicken evenly with soup mixture, then top evenly with bread crumbs.

Bake uncovered 20 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked.

After chicken begins baking, prepare Lemon Couscous.

Lemon Couscous:

3/4 dry couscous
1 cup water
2 tbsp butter
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
fresh ground black pepper
lemon wedges

Combine water, butter and salt in a saucepan. Bring to boil and remove from heat.

Add couscous and cover for 5 minutes. Stir in lemon juice.

Serving:

Arrange a bed of couscous on eat plate and top with fresh ground black pepper. Place a piece of Crispy Garlic Chicken on top, garnishing with lemon wedges (squeeze lemon onto chicken for a burst of flavor).

Serve with a side of steamed green beans tossed in butter.

The simplicity of this recipe appeals to me, I haven’t tried it yet but I’ve wanted to ever since reading about in in Real Simple magazine. Included is a side dish, also from Real Simple. Bonus: prepare the side dish and some veggies while the chicken cooks! Maybe some green beans and carrots.

Chicken with Tangy Apricot Glaze

2 (4-pound) packages chicken pieces, skinned
1 (8-ounce) bottle Russian or spicy sweet French dressing
1 (1-ounce) envelope dry onion soup mix
1 (13-ounce) jar apricot preserves

Place chicken pieces in a lightly greased large roasting pan.
Combine dressing, soup mix, and preserves; spread over chicken.

Bake at 300° for 2 hours or until done.

Couscous with Apricot Vinaigrette

1 10-ounce box couscous
1/4 cup apricot jam or preserves
2 tbps white wine vinegar
3 tbps olive oil
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
3 scallions (white and green parts), chopped
1/4 cup (1 ounce) roasted almonds, chopped

Place the couscous in a serving bowl. Add 1 1/2 cups boiling water and stir. Cover tightly and let stand for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the jam in a small saucepan over medium heat or in a microwave on low until bubbling, 30 to 60 seconds. Remove from heat. Immediately add the vinegar, then the oil, and mix until combined. Season with the salt and pepper; set aside.

Fluff the couscous with a fork and stir in the scallions and almonds. Add the vinaigrette and toss. Serve warm.

Tip: You can also drizzle the vinaigrette over rice or quinoa instead of couscous.