Whole Wheat Couscous with Zucchini and Pistachios

I hate being so busy that I can't keep up with blogging.  It is not so much that I cannot find the time to blog; it is that my brain is so overloaded with work that all I want to do when I am home is to plop down on the couch and watch lowbrow TV while consuming massive quantities of crap.  And all of that sucks because it is unproductive, uninspiring and unhealthy and becomes a cycle of feeling like crap which makes me eat crap which makes me feel like crap and you get the idea.  Eve at Eating Is Important recently wrote this post about World Eating Disorder Action Day and how almost every woman in America has most likely at one time or another developed some kind of eating disorder and I am no exception.  My issues tend to resurface when I get busy or stressed so the fact that I am both busy and stressed has led to an embarrassingly rapid backslide to some not so great habits from the past (ice cream for dinner, anyone?).

I am forcing myself to participate in some social activities so I do not fall completely down the rabbit hole and as always happens, no matter how much I do not feel like going out I always end up having a great time and enjoying myself so it is not completely hopeless.  But I would like to be cooking more and in particular, cooking more new and healthy dishes.  But I take what I can get and try not to be too hard on myself as that only adds to the downward direction of my spiral.

So more time than I would like has passed between posts but I have been wanting to share with you this couscous dish I created to go with my Yogurt and Harissa Roasted Chicken.  It was a perfect match for it, and it was simple to make.

It would also work really well with lamb.  Or add chickpeas for a vegetarian meal.

Home Cookin Chapter: Grains Pasta and Potatoes
WHOLE WHEAT COUSCOUS WITH ZUCCHINI AND PISTACHIOS makes 6 servings

1 cup whole wheat couscous
1 tsp salt
1-1/2 cups vegetable or chicken broth, or water
2 Tbsp grapeseed oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 large or 3 medium zucchinis, chopped
1/2 cup chopped dried apricot (optional)*
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup toasted pistachios, chopped, for garnish

Heat the grapeseed oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the onion and then the garlic and saute for about 5 minutes, until the onion is translucent and has begun to color.

While the onions and garlic are cooking, bring the vegetable/chicken broth or water to a boil in a 3-quart saucepan. Add the salt and then the couscous and immediately turn the heat as low as it will go. Cook for 2 minutes, turn off the heat and cover. Let sit for 5 minutes.

Add the zucchini to the onions and garlic and cook for another 5 to 7 minutes, until the zucchini is just tender. Season with the salt and pepper. Fluff up the couscous and add it to the skillet with the onion and zucchini mixture. Stir everything together and serve topped with the toasted chopped pistachios.

[update]*Oops, I left the apricots out of the recipe. Add them with the couscous to the boiling broth/water.

03/29/2016

exported from Home Cooking v.8.67 (www.mountain-software.com)