Roasted Root Veggies over Creamy Couscous
with Herb Sauce
There are some foods that look as good as they taste, and this dish of red, orange, white, and green is certainly one. A rainbow of vegetables roasts on a sheet pan while a creamy spiced couscous comes together on the stove in just a few minutes—toasted almonds are sprinkled over all last minute for crunch. An emerald-colored herb sauce, based loosely on North African chermoula, blends cumin, coriander, cayenne, and smoked paprika with lemon juice and chopped parsley and cilantro. It’s a colorful and super-satisfying one-bowl wonder, and a fitting goodbye to winter.
INGREDIENTS
- 8 ounces baby beets
- 2 spring onions
- 2 pounds cubed butternut squash
- 8 ounces cubed rutabaga
- 10 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil*
- Salt and pepper*
- 1/2 cup slivered almonds
- 2 shallots
- 1 1/2 cups whole wheat couscous
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 oz Fresh parsley
- 2 oz Fresh cilantro
- Garlic**
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
- 1 lemon
- *not included
- **one head of garlic included in one of the meal bags
INSTRUCTIONS
Heat the oven to 425°F. Scrub, trim, and halve the beets without peeling them. Trim and peel the onions; chop them into bite-sized pieces. Put the beets, onions, squash, and rutabaga on a large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 4 tablespoons oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Put the pan in the oven, even if it’s not up to temperature yet, and roast the vegetables, undisturbed, for 15 minutes. Toss the vegetables and continue roasting, tossing every 5 minutes, until they’re tender and browned in places, another 5 to 15 minutes. If they’re not browned, turn the broiler on high and broil, watching carefully, until they are, 3 to 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, toast the almonds in a dry large saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently, until they’re golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer the nuts to a small bowl; wipe out the pan.
Trim, peel, and chop the shallots. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in the same pan over medium-low heat. Add the shallots, sprinkle with salt, and cook, stirring occasionally until they soften, 2 or 3 minutes. Add the couscous, 4 1/2 cups water, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the cumin, and a pinch each of salt and pepper and stir. Adjust the heat so the mixture bubbles enthusiastically and cook, stirring occasionally until the couscous is the consistency of mashed potatoes (wetter than regular couscous), 3 to 5 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning; cover the pan and remove from the heat.
Rinse, dry, and trim the parsley and cilantro; chop the leaves and put in a medium bowl. Peel and chop 2 medium garlic cloves as finely as possible; add to the bowl with the remaining 4 tablespoons oil, the paprika, coriander, cayenne, the remaining cumin, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Rinse and halve the lemon; juice it into the bowl and stir well. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Check the couscous consistency and stir in more water, 1/4 cup at a time, if needed to keep it creamy. Serve the vegetables over the couscous, sprinkled with the almonds. Pass the chermoula at the table.
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