Warm Israeli couscous salad

 

Another meal where I didn't have enough of anything to make as a main....but the bits and pieces could come together in one of my favorite catch-alls : a salad. Other great catch-alls...stir fry. Stew. Soup. Fried rice. Pita pockets. Lots. =)

Pork cubes

Soy sauce
Israeli Couscous
Cumin
Yams
Gailan
Pine nuts
Butter
Green Onions
Garlic  

S&P

Basically...cook everything separately and then toss together. The only exception are the green onions. That I tossed in at the end when assembling. That way it won't brown and get mushy.

Baked Portobello Caps

The picture doens't look like much...but those are baked portobello mushroom caps. I've always wanted to try cooking portobello...this was my first time! I didn't know it's actually a tedious process to scrap the brown gills looking stuff from the underside of the caps first. It ended up taking way longer than I expected so the stuffing for the caps overcooked on the stove (and then I had to bake everything afterwards.) Oh well...live and learn.

Stuffing:
Zucchini
Tomatoes
Onion
Diced mushroom stalks (cut from the portobello)
Panko
S&P
Dried herbs
Cumin

Sides were couscous and Shanghai bok choi.
It tasted good...but yeah, stuffing was over cooked. Next time!

Kimchi Israeli Couscous

What do you do with some leftover kimchi juice that is too good to pour down the drain? This!

Kimchi juice
Pork belly
Green onions
Turnip
Chicken stock
Israeli couscous

I probably could've used more kimchi juice but hey, use what you've got. And I happily didn't have to waste any of its goodness. I started with browning the couscous slightly with green onions. Then threw everything else in (measuring enough liquids for the amount of couscous I used), and covered the pot until it was done. Or until the pork belly was done. It was super flavorful and definitely will make it into rotation (when I use up the next bottle of kimchi). Enjoy!

Honey curried chicken nuggets on israeli couscous

This summer I came across a friend's post on honey bbq'd chicken wings with a hint of curry. "What an interesting combination of flavors!" I thought. I didn't have all the ingredients but what stood out for me was to have honey and curry. So I threw it together. And have made several variations on it since. It was always with wings...but this time, I had boneless skinless thighs. Why not use the same flavors right?

Marinade:
Soy Sauce
Curry Powder
Cumin
Paprika

I pan seared them...then drizzled Date Honey on top.

The Israeli couscous side was neat too. I saw it at Trader Joe's and thought to give it a try. I put some rice seasoning that I actually bought in Jerusalem into the couscous. Can't say I really knew what to do with the rice seasoning because though there was a spice scent, the taste wasn't very pronounced. I must be missing some additional seasoning...anyone know?

Zucchini Tomato Soup

It was Meatless Monday...and it was cold. I had a flat of tomatoes where some were starting to show spots, as well as two green zucchini's at the bottom of the veggie drawer that needed eating. So I decided to do a zucchini tomato soup.

Tomatoes

Zucchini

Onion

Garlic

Couscous

Tomato paste

Cumin

Basil flakes

Chili flakes

Oregano flakes

Carrot juice

Sugar

Water

Dash of white wine

While grating the zucchinis, I found I had way too much, so as a last minute idea, I made some zucchini patties to eat with the soup:

Zucchini

Spelt flour

Frulani cheese

Egg

S&P

It was perfect for a cold day. The chili flakes added extra heat and kick to the soup. The zucchini patties were flavorful with the cheese and absorbed some of the heat from the soup when eaten together. The couscous in the soup added heartiness without it getting too heavy. Will be made again I'm sure.