Category Archives: Vegetables and Side Dishes

Spicy Moroccan Veggies with Couscous

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You can use any kind of plain couscous for this dish. Please don’t use the flavor-packet kind! Couscous is so easy to make and so flavorful, I often use it instead of rice.

[tip]Ras-el-hanout is a wonderful Moroccan spice mixture. You can sometimes find it in specialty food stores, or from various online ethnic grocers. Or just mix up a batch for yourself using the spices found in the Notes section of this recipe card. Enjoy![/tip]

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Moroccan Veggie Couscous
Author:: 
Type: Vegetable Side
Prep time: 
Cooking time: 
Total time: 

Servings: 6-8
 

Ingredients
  • 6 tsp. ras-el-hanout (or make your own–see note below)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 4 carrots, peeled and sliced
  • 1 potato, peeled and sliced
  • 1 28-ounce can whole San Marzano tomatoes with their juice, chopped
  • 1 zucchini, sliced
  • ½ cup golden raisins
  • 1 15-ounce can chick peas
  • 1 cup plain couscous

Instructions
  1. Toast ras-el-hanout in large skillet over medium heat until it begins to waft its fragrance throughout your kitchen. Do not let it burn! Pour it into a bowl and set aside.
  2. If you have no ras-el-hanout, mix the spices in the note below with a whisk, then heat as above.
  3. Add raisins to 1 cup of hot water; let sit until plumped.
  4. Add the oil to the skillet turn the heat up to medium high. Add the onion and sauté until softened.
  5. Add the garlic, carrots, and potato and sauté for a couple of minutes. Stir in the tomatoes with their juices and the spice mixture. Drain raisins and add to skillet. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook until the potatoes and carrots soften, about 20 minutes.
  6. Add the zucchini and chick peas and heat until the zucchini has cooked and the beans have heated through, about 5 minutes.
  7. Cook couscous according to package directions.
  8. Add cooked couscous to large bowl and spoon veggies over it. Garnish with chopped parsley if desired.

Notes
If you can’t find the wonderful Moroccan spice mixture called ras el-hanout, you can make your own: 1 teaspoon cumin 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1 teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon turmeric ½ teaspoon cinnamon Pinch saffron ½ teaspoon cardamom ½ teaspoon coriander ½ teaspoon nutmeg ½ teaspoon ground black pepper As a main dish: You can turn this into a main dish if you add slices of white or dark meat chicken to the vegetable mixture and sauté until cooked through.

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Quick Pickled Cucumbers

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Chef Marcus Samuelsson, who was born in Ethiopia but grew up in Sweden, produces the most amazing food. I first tasted his artistry at Manhattan’s Aquavit restaurant back in the 1980s. What a revelation! Who knew Swedish food could be so delicious? Samuelsson is now a celebrity chef and has opened a new restaurant in Harlem, Red Rooster. A dinner visit there is high on my list. In the meantime, I often make this dish to accompany Samuelsson’s scrumptious Swedish meatballs.

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Quick Pickled Cucumbers
Author:: 
Type: Side dish
Prep time: 
Cooking time: 
Total time: 

Servings: 4-6
 

I’ve adapted this just a tad.
Ingredients
  • 1 English (hothouse) cucumber
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 1 ½ cups water
  • ½ cup white wine vinegar
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 allspice berries or juniper berries

Instructions
  1. Slice the cucumber very thin. I use a very sharp knife, but you can use a mandoline. Put slices in a colander with the salt and let the salt work for about 30 minutes.
  2. Combine the water, vinegar, sugar, bay leaf, and allspice in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let cool.
  3. Rinse the salt off the cucumbers. Squeeze as much water out of the cucumbers as you can, then place them in a large bowl. Pour the pickling liquid over the, covering them completely. Let them sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes, up to 1 hour. They will keep in the fridge for a couple of days.

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Roasted Brussels Sprouts

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Even confirmed brussels sprouts haters often love this dish. Roasting brings out the nutty flavor of the vegetable.

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Roasted Brussels Sprouts
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Type: Side dish
Prep time: 
Cooking time: 
Total time: 

Servings: 4
 

Be careful not to over-cook!
Ingredients
  • 1 lb brussels sprouts
  • 2 T olive oil
  • kosher or sea salt (try Maldon)
  • freshly ground black pepper

Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Cut tough stem end from sprouts.
  3. Slice sprouts in half, long-wise, also removing tough outer layer of leaves. Very small sprouts can be left whole.
  4. Place sprouts in roasting pan with olive oil, sal and pepper. Toss to coat.
  5. Roast for about 30-40 minutes, shaking pan occasionally. Sprouts are done when they are slightly crisp outside and still tender inside.

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