Couscous with Broccoli and Walnuts.

My apologies, dear readers, for missing my post yesterday. For the miss, you're getting two posts this week! The first is this lovely lunch recipe, Couscous with Broccoli and Walnuts. It's a variation on the original recipe, which called for cauliflower and almonds, and really, you can add any veggies you like to this, and it's still delicious.

This is a great Saturday light lunch, or, if you have the time during the week, a great lunch anytime.

Couscous with Broccoli and Walnuts from How to Cook Everything, by Mark Bittman

makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

1/2 c. walnuts

3 T. extra virgin olive oil

1 large shallot or small red onion (we used 1/2 med. white onion)

A few stalks of broccoli (about 3 cups)

salt and pepper

1 cup whole wheat or regular couscous (we used tri-color couscous)

1 1/2 c. chicken/vegetable stock, white or rosé wine, water, or a combination (we used white cooking wine and water)

1/2 c. fresh parsley leaves

bread crumbs, preferably fresh

Directions:

Put the walnuts in a deep skillet with a lid over med-high heat. (I would recommend medium heat, or you risk burning them and the onion after.) Cook, stirring constantly, until toasted and fragrant, about 2 minutes.  Remove them from the pan and set aside to cool.

Return the pan to the heat and add the olive oil. When hot, add the shallot/onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and beginning to color, about 2 minutes.  Add the broccoli and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until it is coated with the oil and starts to soften and turn golden, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in the couscous and keep stirring until it is coated as well, and begins to toast, 3 to 5 minutes.

Stir in the stock and bring to a boil. Cover and turn the heat off. Let rest, undisturbed, for 15 minutes. Chop the walnuts as finely as you can. (Mini food processors work great for this if you've got one, as do spice grinders...) Mix them with the chopped parsley, and stir into couscous, fluffing gently with a fork. Return the lid and let the couscous rest another minute or two, the taste and adjust the seasoning.  Serve immediately, garnished with bread crumbs, or let cool and serve at room temperature, up to an hour later.

Enjoy!

Pesto.

I had a rather large basil plant when I made this. It has since died, and I must start anew.  If you have your own homegrown basil, this is a great way to use it. If you can get a lot for cheap somewhere, that's fine too. If you can only find basil in the super small, super spendy packages at the grocery store, this may not be how you want to use it...but who am I to say? This is a good condiment, and works great if you have some on hand to stir into cooked pasta for a quick dinner. I'm told there are other uses, but I haven't explored them yet.

Traditional Pesto, from How to cook Everything Vegetarian, by Mark Bittman

Makes: about 1 cup pesto

Ingredients:

2 loosely packed cups fresh basil leaves, rinsed and dried (pat dried, not 'crunchy' dried)

salt

1/2 clove or more garlic

2 T. pine nuts or walnuts

1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil, or more

1/2 c. freshly grated parmesan, pecorino romano, or other hard cheese (optional) (I didn't use this)

Directions:

Combine the basil with a pinch of salt, the garlic, the nuts, and about half the oil in a food processor or blender.  Process, stopping to scrape down the sides of the container if necessary and adding the rest of the oil gradually.

Add more oil if you prefer a thinner mixture. Store in the refrigerator for a week or two or in the freezer for several months. If you freeze, add a thin layer of olive oil on top to help keep it fresh. Stir in the parmesan by hand just before serving. (I don't like parmesan, and so skipped this step.)

 

How to eat a Passionfruit.

This is a passion fruit.

I think it's ripe...

I've never eaten a passion fruit before, and when I saw them on sale at the local Super Saver, I couldn't resist.

This is what the inside looks like.

Chris and I shared this for an afternoon snack. We discovered that it tastes mostly like a tangerine, with the texture of a pomegranate....sort of. It's still all its own fruit. The thing that's most distinct to me about it was the smell. Once you smell one, you'll recognize the scent. It's used in some sports drinks and fruit juices because it smells so good.

To eat, you simply slice open the fruit, over a bowl if you want to save the juice inside, which is pretty good. Then, you have the option of either eating the fruit as is, seeds and all, or eating around the seeds, which we did, (they're quite crunchy, and got stuck in my teeth...not fun), or you can press all the contents through a sieve and then eat. It's up to you.

I don't think we'll be buying passion fruit again any time soon, simply because they cost too much for what you got, but it was a good experience, and I'd recommend that you try one someday.