I had one of those moments the other night, where I found myself staring blankly, into the pantry, trying to decide what I had a taste for. I kept waffling back and forth between pasta and veggies, until I finally just decided to make them both! As it turned out, I was very pleased with the results.
The creamy chickpeas and feta cheese added a healthy dose of calcium and protein; the cashews and crisp broccoli contributed a nice crunch, and the dried fruit and shredded carrots gave just the right amount of sweetness against the tangy curry and rice wine vinegar marinade. It satisfied both of my cravings and the colors made for a very pretty dish!
As a side note, I tried the dish the next day chilled from the refrigerator and although it was still very good, the cold temperature seemed to close down some of the warmth from the curry marinade. When making this dish, I would recommend serving any leftovers slightly warmed or at least at room temperature.
Ingredients:
1 package plain couscous, uncooked
2 cups small broccoli florets
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
3/4 cup reduced-fat feta cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup red onion, chopped
1/2 cup carrots, shredded
1/2 cup dried cherries, blueberries, currants
1/4 cup dry-roasted cashews, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon ginger, grated
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Directions:
1) Cook couscous according to package directions, remove from heat and set aside to cool.
2) Place the broccoli florets in a medium saucepan with an inch of water, cover the pan and steam the broccoli on the stove set to medium-high heat, for 5-8 minutes or until tender. Drain any remaining water from the pan and set aside.
3) Mix the olive oil, vinegar, curry powder, sugar, grated ginger, salt and pepper together in a small bowl.
4) Combine all of the remaining ingredients together in a large serving bowl, along with the broccoli and couscous. Pour in the olive oil mixture and gently toss all the ingredients together. Serve the dish warm or at room temperature.
