Great Minds Think Alike: Chickpea and Winter Vegetable Stew

My friend, Christina, just sent this recipe to me the other day. Coincidentally, I had already flagged it in my most recent edition of Cooking Light. I have relished all of the recipes she has been sending me, and this incident clearly indicates that she and I are on the same wavelength with food!

While I had planned on trying this recipe, it is comforting to know that someone’s taste buds that I trust endorsed it! The recipe calls for Harissa, which is a fiery spice paste used in Moroccan cooking. Unable to find Harissa myself, and per Christina’s recommendation, I substituted with Sriracha. This dish is loaded with vegetables. It has great, warm flavors, and is spicy from the chili paste, and sweet from the honey.

Chickpea and Winter Vegetable Stew
(Adapted from Cooking Light, November, 2009)
Ingredients
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup (1/2-inch) slices leek
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds, crushed
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
3 2/3 cups vegetable stock, divided
2 cups (1-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash
1 cup (1/2-inch) sliced carrot
3/4 cup (1-inch) cubed peeled Yukon gold potato
1 tablespoon harissa
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 pound turnips, peeled and each cut into 8 wedges (about 2 medium)
1 (15 1/2-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon honey
1 1/3 cups uncooked couscous
8 lemon wedges

Directions
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and leek; sauté 5 minutes. Add coriander and next 4 ingredients (through garlic); cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add 3 cups vegetable stock and the next 8 ingredients (through chickpeas); bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes. Stir in parsley and honey.

Remove 2/3 cup hot cooking liquid from squash mixture. Place cooking liquid and remaining 2/3 cup stock in a medium bowl. Stir in couscous. Cover and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Serve with lemon wedges.

Easy Any Night: Apple Cider Salmon with Israeli Couscous

Salmon is one of my favorite foods and this is one of my stand-by recipes. My husband and I really enjoy this, and it is a recipe that I go to when I have nothing planned or nothing on hand to make. I always keep frozen salmon fillets in my freezer, couscous in my pantry, and if I have a jar of American Spoon Apple Cider Grilling sauce (along with only 15 minutes of prep and cooking time), we have a great dinner! It always makes enough for leftovers, too. I’ve made this recipe with chicken breasts in lieu of salmon, when I served it for company who was not preferential to seafood.

I mentioned previously that I was a fan of the American Spoon products, and their Apple Cider Grilling Sauce happens to be my favorite and most-used product. You may be able to find their products in your local specialty store. (In New York City I was able to purchase them at Williams-Sonoma.) I like to serve this salmon over couscous. This time I used Israeli Couscous (which is not actually made from semolina like North African Couscous, but made from wheat and is more similar to Italian orzo). I have used Israeli Couscous and North African Couscous interchangeably in this dish.

Kate’s Apple Cider Salmon with Israeli Couscous
Ingredients
* American Spoon Apple Cider Grilling Sauce (you will use about ½ jar)
* 4 skinless salmon fillets
* Kosher salt, to taste
* Freshly ground pepper, to taste
* 2 cups Israeli Couscous
* 2 teaspoons olive oil
* 2 ½ cups vegetable broth

Directions
Preheat the oven to 450° F.

Heat olive oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Add couscous and cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently, until toasted. Add vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Once broth is boiling, remove from heat and cover. Let couscous stand for approximately 12 minutes, until broth is absorbed and you can fluff couscous with a fork.

Meanwhile, place salmon fillets on a foil-lined broiling pan. Season with salt, pepper, and brush with Apple Cider Grilling Sauce (about 1 tablespoon per fillet). Bake in 450° F oven for approximately 6 minutes. Turn broiler on high, and move pan to top rack in oven. Broil for 2-4 minutes, until sauce on salmon has caramelized on top.

Serve salmon fillets over couscous and drizzle ¼ cup Apple Cider Grilling sauce on top.

His and Hers: Chicken Scallopine with Saffron Cream Sauce

I first tried this recipe a couple years ago for my husband. The good news for him was that he loved it. The bad news for me was that it smelled delicious and I couldn’t try it. After a few times of suffering through the savory smells of making this dish, I wised up and made my own vegetarian version so that I could try it too. I used Quorn Naked Chik'n Cutlets and vegetable broth. I am so glad that I did because I was definitely missing out!

There are two key moments in the process of this recipe that I look forward to. The first is deglazing the pan with the white wine. It smells so good. The second is the addition of the saffron, which smells even better. Saffron is the world’s most expensive spice, but I’ve found it priced reasonably at Trader Joe's. I serve this over couscous that has been cooked in either vegetable or chicken stock.

Now when I make this recipe, I get two burners going with a pan on each. I make one version with chicken for him, and one version with the alternatives for me. We end up with a lot of food, but everyone ends up happy with this one!

Chicken Scallopine with Saffron Cream Sauce
(From Giada's Kitchen)
Ingredients
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 pound chicken cutlets (scallopine)
* 2 shallots, sliced
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 1/2 cup white wine
* 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
* 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
* 1/2 cup heavy cream
* 3/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions
Warm the olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Season the chicken cutlets with salt and pepper. Cook the chicken until golden and cooked through, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to serving plate and tent with foil to keep warm. Turn the heat to medium, add the shallot and the garlic and cook until tender, about 2 minutes.

Deglaze the pan with the white wine. Using a wooden spoon, scrape all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook until the wine is almost evaporated. Add the chicken broth and saffron threads, bring to a simmer and reduce for 10 minutes. Add the cream, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine and simmer for 1 minute to blend the flavors. Pour the sauce over the chicken.

Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately.

Additional: Cook 1 (10 oz.) box of couscous in vegetable or chicken broth. Serve chicken and sauce over couscous.