Cheesy Couscous and Vegetables

I debated for a while about what to call this. "Israeli Mac and Cheese"? Seemed kind of bold coming from someone who is decidedly non-Israeli. "Couscous Mac and Cheese"? I have a problem calling something mac and cheese that doesn't involve both pasta and cheese sauce. So here you go, not a terribly inventive name and an unappetizing appearance, but a pretty tasty dish. I do a lot of couscous and veggies for lunch (often with feta and/or a vinaigrette), and this felt like a great way to step that up for dinner (while making it decidedly less healthful, which is kind of my jam). Like many dishes, you can really customize this - swap in black beans and corn, sweet potatoes and parmesan, even use farro instead of couscous. I decided to go with broccoli (one of my staples) and carry on the Middle Eastern theme with chickpeas, tahini, paprika, sumac, and parsley, in addition to my usual mac and cheese ingredients - garlic, shallot, and mustard powder.

Despite my claim about this recipe's healthfulness, it's actually not terrible - whole wheat couscous and vegetables (and at least the cheese sauce is homemade! Plus, as I always remind people, cheese has lots of protein). I think it would be a treat for lunch or dinner!

Cheesy Couscous and Vegetables
Yield: 4

Ingredients
1.5 lb broccoli
1 1/3 cups dry Israeli couscous
1 15.5-oz can chickpeas
Minced fresh parsley, for garnish
For the cheese sauce:
4 tbsp (1/2 stick or 1/4 cup) butter
2-4 cloves of garlic (you know I used 4), minced
1/4 cup minced shallot (about 1 medium shallot)
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk
1/2 tsp mustard powder
1 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp sumac (optional)
2 tbsp tahini
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste

  1. Cut broccoli into bite-sized florets. Peel stems and dice. Mix broccoli on a sheet pan with a few tbsp olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast at 425 for 15-20 minutes, or steam until tender - your choice!
  2. Cook couscous according to package directions.
  3. While broccoli and couscous cook, add butter, garlic, and shallot to a medium-large saucepan. Cook over medium heat for 1-2 minutes, until garlic and shallot are very fragrant and butter is melted.
  4. Add flour to pan and whisk for 2 minutes to cook off raw flour taste.
  5. Slowly pour in milk, whisking constantly. Add spices (mustard powder through optional sumac) and tahini and continue to whisk for about 5 minutes, until thickened.
  6. Remove from heat, add cheddar, and whisk until smooth and melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  7. Add couscous, broccoli, and chickpeas to the pot with the cheese sauce and toss to combine. Serve sprinkled with parsley.

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