Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Couscous Salad with Roasted Vegetables and Chickpeas

Couscous Salad with Roasted Vegetables and Chickpeas -Every day Food Magazine
(I added chicken and pita bread)
1 pd carrots, sliced
1 head cauliflower, (3 pd) cored and cut into florets
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
3 Tbls olive oil
salt and pepper
1 cup whole-wheat couscous
1 Tbls lemon zest, + 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (from 3 lemons)
1 can (15 oz) chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
6 scallions, thinly sliced
5 oz baby arugula or watercress

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place carrots and cauliflower on a rimmed baking sheet; toss with cumin and 2 Tbls oil. Season with salt and pepper. Spread half the veggies on a second baking sheet and roast until browned and tender, 25-30 minutesl rotating sheets and tossing halfway through. Cool to room temperature.

2. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, bring 1 1/4 cups salted water to a boil ( I cooked it in chicken broth instead of water to give it more flavor). Stir in couscous; cover and remove from heat. Let stand until tender, 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork; set aside to cool; uncovered.

3. Make dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together lemon zest and juice, and remaining Tbls oil; season with salt and pepper.

4. In a large bowl, combine roasted vegetables with couscous, chickpeas, and scallions. Place arugula on a serving platter and drizzle with 1 Tbls dressing. Add remaining dressing to couscous mixture and toss; serve over arugula.

This was delicious and beautiful. I used watercress instead of arugula, cooked the entire box of couscous, used 2 cans of chickpeas, 2 heads of cauliflower and kindof doubled it.
I sauted chicken tenders in a little olive oil and seasoned them with fresh lemon juice, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper. We also had fresh delicious pita bread to round out this meal.

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