Veggie Fest

This dinner is packed full of veggies and healthy grains (especially if you use whole wheat couscous)!  It can easily be made vegan (with just a few small substitutes) or made meaty friendly with one small addition!

Couscous is a grain that most people don't tend to use, but will give you a chance to feel like you're branching out without too much effort (and if you buy it from the bulk section, it is very reasonably priced).  With these recipes, you can easily adjust them to meet your personal taste buds.  This is a great meal that's light but filling and won't leave you feeling sluggish or stuffed and will help you bring a little "heat" in doors.




Sweet Curry Couscous
1 1/2 cups couscous
1 tbs butter
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1/4 cup plain yogurt (or coconut milk)
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tbs apple cider vinegar
1 tbs honey (or sugar)
1 tbs curry powder
1/4 tsp turmeric
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
15 oz can garbanzo beans
1/2 -3/4 cup golden raisins or currents
1/2 cup flat leaf parsley
1 cup carrot (shredded)
1/4 - 1/2 red onion (diced)
1 bunch green onion (thinly sliced)

Boil water and add melted butter (or place into boiling water to dissolve).  Place couscous in a large bowl (this is the bowl you'll be adding everything to, so make sure it's large enough!).  Pour boiling water (and butter) over couscous and cover bowl tightly.  Allow to sit for at least 5 minutes.  Fluff with a fork.  During this time, prepare the "sauce."  Whisk together yogurt, olive oil, vinegar, honey, curry, turmeric, salt, and pepper.  Prepare the veggies, garbanzo beans, and raisins.  Once the couscous is done "cooking," combine all of the ingredients into the large bowl and mix!

You may decide that you want to adjust the proportions of the ingredients or (more acidic, less acidic, spicier by using a hot madras curry powder, sweeter with more honey, etc) have more sauce in general.  You can even swap out certain veggies with bell peppers or white onion with red or omit others (such as the raisins if you don't like their flavor or texture in savory dishes).  You could also substitute cilantro for the parsley for a different flair!

Adjust it to your desires!  This always tastes better the next day after all of the flavors have had a chance to mix together.

Vegetable Kabobs marinade
1/3 cup olive oil
2 lemons
1 lime
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp coriander
2-3 cloves of garlic
"pinch" of cayenne pepper
"pinch" of paprika
veggies!
skewers


Use whatever vegetables you like best!  Onions, bell peppers, squash, zucchini, mushrooms, tomatoes, etc...  Whatever you'll enjoy eating.  :)  Make sure to cut the vegetables into about 1" squares, so pieces are roughly the same size and can cook relatively evenly.  With the amount of marinated that was made, there was a nice bath for the 3 bell peppers and one LARGE red onion!  If you want, add about 3/4-1 of beef, chicken, pork, or even lamb of the mix!

Pour all of your veggies/meat and marinade into a one gallon, resealable bag and let it sit for 2+ hours in the fridge.  This will help to season everything in there nice and well.  Overnight is great as well.  Think of easy dinner will be the next night!

If it's too cold outside for a grill and you don't have an inside grill until for your stove-top, a grooved cast iron skillet is a great option.  Heat your "cooking" element while you prepare your skewers.  If you're using a cast iron skillet and are trying to get those nice "grill marks," try not adding any oil to your skillet.  Cook each skewer until veggies are tender (unless you like a little crunchier!) and/or meat is cooked though.

Enjoy!