Passion Project: Baked Lamb Shank with a Veggie Couscous

Attention everyone, this is my last “meaty” recipe for a while! Lamb shanks mark the end of the first section of my passion project. I will now briefly turn to fish (and potentially shellfish) before returning to mostly vegetarian dishes. I feel like I’ve built up my protein reserves for a while over the past two months, so that shouldn’t be an issue!

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Passion Project: One-Pot Moroccan Chicken with Cherry Tomatoes and Pearl Couscous

Aristotle once said: “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts,” and this one-pot recipe is basically the literal illustration of it. At the risk of outshining my earlier posts of the week, this has got to be one of the best dishes I have ever made. Hands down. There wasn’t a single couscous grain left in my plate, and it left me craving for more. Bottom line is: if I had my own restaurant, this would be on the menu. Have I convinced you to try it yet?

Veggie Cauliflower Couscous with Tahini Dressing

Happy belated Easter everyone! It’s good to be back. I actually went to Nashville last week and got to discover Southern cuisine, which was absolutely delicious! Shrimp & grits, sticky buns and chicken were definitely the way to go. However, it is on the “heavier” side of the food spectrum and I felt like I needed something fresh, with plenty of vegetables for lunch today! Introducing my new obsession: cauliflower couscous!

Baked Eggplant stuffed with Couscous

Lately, eggplant’s been at the top of my vegetables crush list. Seriously though. I don’t know why I love it so much, but I can eat it three times a day. Ok, maybe not for breakfast. But definitely for lunch and dinner. I use it in sauces, stews, dips or even just on its own, and I never get tired of it. This time though, I chose to stuff it with a delicious couscous mixture. It turned out to be an ideal dish for dinner. Stuffed vegetables appeal to me because they can be transformed in many ways. The combinations of grains, meat or stuffing with their tender roasted flesh always make for satisfying and diverse meals. Here, the paired eggplant and couscous offer you plenty of good nutrients in a tasty fashion. Bon appétit!

Recipe inspired by Dishing up the Dirt

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Prep time: 40 min 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 eggplant
• 1/4 yellow onion (diced)
• 1/3 cup couscous
• 1/4 cup cherry tomatoes (chopped finely)
• 1/4 cup zucchini (chopped very finely)
• crumbled feta cheese (optional)
• chopped parsley (optional)
• olive oil

Spicy lemon-yogurt sauce:

• 1 tbsp lemon juice and zest
• 3 tbsp yogurt
• 2 tbsp water
• drizzle of sriracha
• salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Scoop (and save) the seeds out of your eggplant half, leaving about a 1/2in border, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and roast flesh-down for about 30 minutes.
2. As the eggplant roasts, make the lemon-yogurt sauce by mixing the lemon juice and zest with yogurt, water, salt, pepper and a splash of sriracha.
3. To cook the couscous, bring 1/3 cup water with 3/4 tbsp of butter to a boil. Cut the heat and add the dried couscous, stir well, and let it sit for about 5 minutes. Then fluff it up with a fork (timing instructions may vary depending on the type of grain).
4. Meanwhile, sauté the onions with olive oil, on high heat, in a small pot for about 5 minutes. Add a splash of water and let it evaporate to further soften the onions. Add the chopped cherry tomatoes and diced zucchini, and cook for about 5 more minutes on medium heat.
5. Once the couscous is ready, add it to the pot and stir well so that all the ingredients are well incorporated. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and crumbled feta and adjust the seasoning.
6. Once the eggplant is fully roasted, scoop the couscous mixture in it. Drizzle with the spicy lemon-yogurt sauce and eat with a spoon!

TIP: you can substitute lentils or quinoa for the couscous if you don’t have any on hand.