Lemon Parsley Couscous and Chickpea Salad

When we moved into our house six years ago, we had plans to redo our kitchen. It’s on the small side (not really big enough to dine in and definitely not for congregating with friends) and there wasn’t much in the way of pantry cabinets. We’ve gone back and forth about whether to renovate and after lots of research we have decided against it. The cost just doesn’t make sense when we could find another house at some point. In the meantime, modifications are being made to make it a bit more functional. Over the holidays, Eric added shelves to a cabinet that was used mostly for storage (I think the previous owners used it as a coat closet… which seems funny for a kitchen) so that we didn’t have to jam our food in a few tight spaces or keep it all it in the basement.

This means I have easier access to canned goods, a staple ingredient for us. There’s never a moment we don’t have stacks of canned tomatoes, tuna, coconut milk, and beans. I love finding ways to use these items to create a meal. Paired with something fresh and bright, some herbs and citrus, maybe a little crunch from chopped vegetables. It feels doubly impressive when the results are as super satisfying as this lemony couscous salad. It’s the kind of dish that nourishes but also makes you forget that winter has just begun.

lemon parsley couscous and chickpea salad

Yield:
4-6 servings, as a side

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups Israeli couscous
3 cups vegetable broth
Olive oil
1 - 15 oz can chickpeas, drained
Green beans, washed and trimmed
3/4 cup chopped roasted red pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
1 lemon, zest and juice
1 packed cup parsley leaves
Smoked paprika
Salt
Pepper

Directions:

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add couscous and cook, stirring often, for 4-5 minutes, until golden. Add the vegetable broth to the pot. Once the broth comes to a boil, cover the saucepan with a lid and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until all the liquid has been absorbed and the couscous is tender, about 15 minutes. Take the lid off and let the couscous cool to room temperature.

While this is cooking, prepare the green beans. Start by creating an ice bath. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a rapid boil. Add green beans and cook about 3-5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, immediately transfer the cooked green beans to the ice bath and let chill for 5 minutes. This will stop the cooking process and will leave them bright and crisp. Drain the green beans, transfer to a cutting board, and cut them in half (or smaller, if necessary).

Make the dressing by adding the garlic, lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper to a medium mixing bowl. Whisk these ingredients together and then slowly drizzle in 1/2 cup olive oil.

Add couscous and toss to combine. Add green beans, chickpeas, roasted red pepper, and parsley leaves and combine. Sprinkle smoked paprika on top before serving.

Spring Vegetable Tots

Somehow I've gone 33 years without making tater tots. Don't ask me how that's possible. It's just the way it is. It's not that I'm opposed to them, but if I'm going the potato route, fries are what often call to me. I'm happy to announce, however, that I'm on "Team Tots" now. Or should I say #teamtots? Are hashtags still in? 

My friend Dan isn't just a blogger, cookbook author, and TV star (he won Guy's Grocery Games last year), but he is king of tots. He's so into them, in fact, that he's written a book featuring fifty creative ways to use them. I decided to give my first go at a spuddy dish with this bowl of my favorite spring-time vegetables. Potatoes and mushrooms and fiddleheads and ramps. What more could one ask for? 

SPRING VEGETABLE TOTS

Servings:
Serves 4-6 as a side

Ingredients:
1/2 lb fiddleheads, washed thoroughly
2 handfuls of ramps, rinsed and roughly chopped
1 lb oyster mushrooms, any large ones sliced
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
3 tablespoons butter
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
40 frozen tater tots
Salt
Black pepper
Cooking oil 

Directions
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add fiddleheads and cook for 8 minutes. While they're cooking, prepare a bowl of ice water. Using a slotted spoon, transfer fiddleheads to the bowl to shock them. After a few minutes, drain all the water from the bowl and set fiddleheads aside. 

In a saute pan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add mushrooms and ramps and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes. Add fiddleheads and cook for another 5 minutes. Pour in lemon juice. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste, as well as most of the rosemary, leaving a little for garnish. 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Lightly coat with cooking oil and spread tots on top in an even layer. Bake in the oven for 24-26 minutes, until golden brown. 

Transfer tots and cooked spring vegetables to serving bowl and mix together. Garnish with remaining chopped rosemary.

Moroccan Carrot and Lentil Salad

Since the beginning of April, our weekends have been consumed by trips to the Cape. We're getting close to the end of the major work. The main bathroom has been gutted, which is probably our biggest obstacle at this point. There are a few exterior elements... an outdoor shower that's being constructed and some painting... that remain. It's both exciting and slightly overwhelming. But that's home ownership, right? I decided to take this past weekend off, opting to stay home and get projects finished up and some cooking done. I've taken a much longer hiatus from the blog than I'd intended, but I have a few things lined up these next couple of weeks. I'm starting off with a bowl of Moroccan spiced carrots and lentils. While it feels very fall, this is a year-round dish... and an excellent side for an outdoor feast.  It's savory and sweet with a hit of acidity from the citrusy dressing. I've eaten plenty of it on its own, but it certainly feels like the perfect pairing for a platter of grilled chicken or fish.

Moroccan Carrot and Lentil Salad

Servings:
6-8, as a side dish

Ingredients:
1 cup dry green lentils, rinsed and drained
1 lb carrots, peeled and cut at a bias into 1/4-inch thick slices
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
Juice of 1 lemon
Olive oil
Salt
Black pepper
2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill
1/4 cup currants
Chopped parsley, for garnish

Directions
Bring 1 1/2 cups of water to a boil in a medium pot. Add the lentils and turn the heat down to medium, letting it simmer for 20-25 minutes, until cooked (but not mushy). Drain of any remaining liquid. Transfer lentils to a serving bowl to let cool.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil. 

In a small bowl, whisk together the cumin, cinnamon, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add the carrots to a separate bowl and toss with 2 teaspoons olive oil, followed by the spice mix. Spread carrots over the prepared baking pan and transfer to the oven. Cook for 30 minutes, giving the carrots a stir halfway through. 

While the carrots are cooking, heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a pan set over medium-high heat. Cook the onion for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer onion to the serving bowl with the lentils.

Prepare the dressing by whisking together the lemon juice, 2 tablespoons olive oil, chopped dill, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper in a large mixing bowl. Pour over the lentils and onion and carefully stir to combine, making sure not to mash up the lentils. 

Once the carrots have finished cooking, carefully toss them with the lentils, along with the currants. Season with salt, to taste. Garnish with chopped parsley. Serve warm or at room temp.