One Pot Meals: Spanish Couscous

Sorry for the terrible picture, made this dinner at a friends and forgot my camera to boot

I'm a big fan of the one-pot meal. Little clean up with so much variety, so much possibility to make it up as you go. Or perhaps I just like to rebel against the traditional omnivore 1-main, 1-grain, 1-veggie meal.

Couscous, the base for the recipe below, is one of my favorite grains for these one pot meals (that and quinoa, but whole wheat couscous is generally cheap). I made this one up on a whim at my friend's house. The ingredients are easy enough for transport and hearty enough to warm the soul as you catch-up with old friends over great red wine.

Spanish Couscous

Ingredients

1 Can, Tomato sauce
1/2 Cup, Whole wheat couscous
1 Large Yellow onion, diced
2 Cups, Fresh Spinach
1/4 cup Olive oil
1 large clove garlic, minced
3 t, Paprika
2 t, Garlic Salt
2 t, Salt
3 t, Pepper
1 Can, Chickpeas


Directions

1. In a large pot, cook 1/2 cup cous-cous according to package directions but omitting half the amount of water called for. Also add in tomato sauce and stir well; cook according to package directions.
2. In a large frying pan, warm olive oil over medium heat. Add in onions and cook until soft and translucent.
3. Once onions are cooked, add in spinach and 1/4 cup water. Cook spinach until wilted, stirring often. If the spinach has not wilted and all the water is absorbed, add more water a tablespoon at a time.
4. Add garlic, paprika, garlic salt, salt, and pepper to the pan and stir well for approximately 3-5 minutes, until fragrant.
5. Remove the pan from heat. Once the cous-cous is done cooking, add in the ingredients form the pan and mix well. Add in the chickpeas and mix. Enjoy!


Peace&Love

Toni's Tikki Masala

Apologies for my inexplicable week-long absence. Toni & I were touring Europe, Germany & Amsterdam (pictures of food adventures to come!). It was an amazing time, and Amsterdam especially is such an amazing city, so vibrant, everyone is so nice, and just a quaint place (for not speaking the language basically at all, you can still feel safe & at home). If you have the chance to visit, do go, its well worth a visit!

Anyway, I've come back armed with photos, blog updates ready: many recipes to follow this week. A lot relate to how I've been toying around with different ethnic foods and, recently, tried my hand at perfecting some Southern comfort food, vegan style (the collard greens, grits, and brussel sprouts were all on sale this week).

For now though, here is the recipe I promise last week, a delicious Vegan Indian Chickpea Tikki Masala! Being that Indian spices are much cheaper here in London, Antonio and I have been powering through literally a curry or two a week: here's my favorite (the perfected spinach curry to come!)

Toni's Tikki Masala

Ingredients

2 onions, chopped
1 T ground fenugreek
1.2 T cumin seed
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 thumb print sized piece of ginger, finely chopped
1/2-1 green chili pepper, chopped (desire of heat)
3 T of garam masala
1 can of diced tomatoes with juice
15-20 T of soya cream (desire of consistency)
1 can of chickpeas
1.4 cup water
Salt, to taste
Coriander/cilantro for garnish

Directions

1. In a large frying pan, add 3 tablespoons of olive oil and heat over medium. Add chopped onions to the frying pan and cook until soft and translucent.
2. Move onions to the side of the pan, add fenugreek and cumin to the opposing side, keeping them untouched until aroma appears.
3. Once onions, fenugreek and cumin are mixed together, throw in chili pepper, garlic, and ginger. Stir together until garlic aroma appears.
4. Mix in garam masala to form a paste
5. Add tomatoes and mix.
6. Add cream and mix well. Bring to boil
7. Add water and chickpeas [or, whatever vegetable you want] and cover. Simmer for five minutes (this will allow your curry to thicken a bit, although it should turn out to be on the saucy side).
8. Add salt to taste.
9. Serve with rice and garnish with coriander. Enjoy!

* Note, in the picture there are potatoes included, but the second time around we found chickpeas alone to be a better choice. Unfortunately, it was too delicious for me to take a good picture before it was gobbled down by guests.

Peace&Love