Have you ever watched House Hunters or Fixer Upper or any other house hunting/home renovation show? (Of course you have, let’s be honest.) My favorite thing about these shows, aside from the interior design and my overrated love of shiplap, is the way that these home owners/house hunters walk into this process with a seemingly impossible laundry list of must-haves, and somehow, end up with everything that they wanted.
And yesterday, that’s exactly how I felt about lunch.
My checklist included:
- An earthy flavor. Not sure why, but I was sick and was just craving the flavor of dirt. Yes, I am aware how weird that sounds.
- Easy to make. Like, under 15 minutes easy. And minimal dishes.
- Must include a vegetable. Especially because I was not feeling on top of my game, my body needed a little greenery.
- Must be warm. It was a rainy, chilly day, despite being the middle of August, so my mind immediately got excited about the quick coming of fall.
- Must be relatively healthy and inexpensive. I mean, come on — well and cheaply.
Earthy Couscous Salad
I won’t claim that this recipe is revolutionary, but it definitely was delicious. It can also be easily tailored to suit your tastes — maybe asparagus rather than broccoli, parmesan rather than pecorino or a dash of red pepper flakes for some heat. I should also note that I fully intended to mix in a little bit of pesto for added flavor, but then I sneezed, got distracted and completely forgot. It happens.
1 c. uncooked porcini mushroom Israeli couscous
1 head of broccoli, chopped into florets
1 can of garbanzo beans, drained and lightly dried with a paper towel
Salt and pepper, to taste
Lemon juice, to taste
Pecorino romano, to taste
Preheat your oven to 400˚F. On a baking sheet, spread out the broccoli and garbanzo beans. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven until the broccoli has browned, tossing once. This should take about 15 minutes.
While the broccoli and beans are roasting, cook the couscous according to package instructions.
Toss the couscous, beans and broccoli together in a serving bowl, and add a touch of lemon juice. Top with pecorino romano and enjoy!
Tiny Tales 