Pantry Findings: Couscous Saute with Cashews

There was a Saturday morning cartoon in the early 2000s that made a reference to couscous: The food so nice they named it twice.  Now, every time I cook or eat it that pops into my head.  (If someone can tell me the name of the cartoon, I would be forever indebted.)  In the last few years, I have found that the Israeli style is my favorite, because you can eat it with a fork.

I made this meal out of things that I found in my pantry and refrigerator.  Feel free to make whatever substitutions you want, especially with the vegetables.  Also, orzo in place of the couscous would be delicious as well, but you would want to skip the pre-boil browning.  Otherwise, it is only limited by your imagination.

Couscous Saute with Cashews

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups Israeli Couscous

1 vegetable bouillon cube

1/2 large onion, chopped

1/2 chopped yellow pepper

1/2 Cubanelle pepper, seeded and chopped

2 carrots sliced

1/3 cup sliced ripe olives

1 1/2 cups broccoli florets

1/4 cup white wine 

2 chopped cloves of garlic

3/4 cup raw cashew pieces

1 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon cayenne powder

salt and pepper to taste

Olive Oil for sauteing

Due to how quickly this dish cooks and assembles, I get everything ready ahead of time so that I can simply add it to the pan to cook.

 

Fill a small pot with water, add the bouillon cube, and bring to a boil.  In a non-stick skillet, saute couscous with 1 teaspoon of olive oil until just toasted.  Add to boiling water and cook according to package directions.  Drain, toss with an additional teaspoon of oil, and set aside in a warm place.

Using the same skillet, add 1 teaspoon oil and the cashews to toast.  This will only take a minute or two, so do not leave unattended.  When the cashews start to brown, add cumin, cayenne, and salt to taste.  When they are browned, remove from heat and set aside.

In a saute pan, add 2 teaspoons of oil.  Saute onions and peppers.  When shiny with oil, add the carrots and saute until they start to cook.  Add the white wine, garlic, and broccoli florets and cook til wine starts to evaporate (broccoli will just start turning bright green).  Add the olives and remove from the heat.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Now, that everything is cooked, assemble your dish by scooping couscous onto a plate, top with sauteed vegetables and toasted cashews.  This recipe makes a serving for each of the four people in my house and one for leftovers for a lunch.  I had to be my own sous chef on this one, as we ate it with a fruit salad that my partner was busy making pretty.

As you can see, with this set-up it is a vegan dinner, which we do several times a week.  I have a soft spot for cheese, but it doesn't always love me.  It is easy to make in many different variations.  This happens to be my most recent, but I have made the same basic meal dozens of times with whatever I have on hand.