Last night, Evan hosted me and Kate for dinner at his house before he leaves a month of traveling for work (okay, not really, but close). Of the many things I appreciate about Evan, high on the list are the skills and traits he possesses that I do not, including the ability to improvise in the kitchen and successfully navigate a new recipe.
See, my sister gave me some advice a while back that I subscribe to. “Never try a new recipe when you’re feeding others.” I was choosing a meal to make for a new mother and was going to try a particular casserole dish for the first time. I’m glad I didn’t, because when I did end up making it, it wasn’t all that great. Evan, however, throws caution to the wind and makes the majority of his new recipes for others. You go, Glen Coco.
So yesterday, he picked up a cooking magazine at Kroger, saw a side dish he liked, and made it for us that night. Naturally, we loved it and so he happily shared the recipe with his two eager guests!
Lemon Couscous with Broccoli
4 cups fresh broccoli florets, cut into small pieces
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup uncooked whole wheat couscous
2 garlic cloves, minced
1¼ cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 tsp. grated lemon peel
1 tsp. lemon juice
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp dried basil
¼ ground black pepper
1Tbsp slivered almonds, toasted
In a large skillet, sauté broccoli in oil until crisp-tender. Add couscous and garlic, sauté 1-2 minutes longer. Stir in everything but the almonds and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat; cover and let stand for 5—10 minutes or until broth is absorbed. Fluff with a fork and sprinkle with the almonds.
Couscous was served alongside pork medallions with chipotle raspberry glaze. Delicious!
Friday, February 11, 2011
HEALTHY
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Thank you for the sweet, kind words, Lindsay! Cooking for you and Kate is such a joy - especially considering the fun we have while and after we eat. Our time together is always full of fun conversation and laughter!
ReplyDeleteSide notes:
ReplyDeleteBroccoli: A 12 oz bag of Broccoli florets was sufficient!
Olive Oil: I used more than 1 tbsp of olive oil when I sauteed the broccoli. I suggest using as much as you need until the broccoli meets your desired degree of tenderness.
Couscous: I used original couscous, versus whole wheat. I imagine the whole wheat would be just as good and probably healthier.
Almonds: I couldn't find slivered almonds at the grocery store, thus omitted them from my dish. It was delicious without them, but the almond might have balanced out the subtle hint of lemon from the zest. The extra crunch would have also been a nice addition!
What we enjoyed most about this side dish was how light, yet filling it was. In addition, you kind of have two sides in one: a vegetable and a starch. This would be great in any season, especially the Spring or Summer seasons.