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Southwest Couscous

The first long weekend of the summer season is upon us!  I took today off to make my weekend a little extra long.  One of the best things about summer? Corn on the cob.  I love to eat it boiled, grilled, oven roasted, pretty much any way I can get it.  It’s been raining like crazy, so grilled was out of the question.  Humidity = enormous hair, so I didn’t want to boil a bit pot of water while it was already raining.  I decided oven roasting was my best bet.  Once I had the corn in the oven, I had to figure out what I wanted to do with it.

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After I made couscous last week, it’s been all I want to make for dinner.  It just cooks so fast.  I’m not normally a proponent of carbs mixed with carbs, but this couscous was SO good.  I ate way too much of it for dinner and took a huge pile for lunch the next day, and I’m not complaining about it.  For lunch, I microwaved it just until it was at about room temperature, and it was fantastic.  I probably said this about the other couscous dish, but I think this would be GREAT at a barbecue as a side dish, too.

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If you’re a cheese eater, do yourself a favor and fresh grate some cheddar cheese all over the top of this.  If not, I think a sprinkle of nutritional yeast would be pretty fantastic too.

Southwest Couscous
Author: 
Serves: 4
 

Ingredients
  • 2 ears of corn
  • 1 tsp olive oil or some water
  • onion
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 15 oz can fire roasted tomatoes
  • 15 oz can black beans
  • 1 avocado
  • 1 c whole wheat or gluten free couscous
  • 1 ¼ c no-chicken broth (or water + 1 tsp Better than Bouillon or other)
  • ½ tsp oregano
  • ½ tsp chili powder
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • Cheddar (optional)

Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  2. Peel the husks back from the corn partway and remove the silk. Replace the husks and place the corn directly on the rack in the oven for ~30 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, rough chop the garlic and onion and saute in a pan with the olive oil or a thin layer of water over medium heat.
  4. Once fragrant, add the tomatoes (undrained) and the black beans (drained and rinsed). Add the seasonings and reduce heat.
  5. Once the corn is cool, cut off the cob and add to the veggie mixture.
  6. In a separate sauce pan, bring the broth to a boil and add the couscous. Remove from heat after about 5 minutes (for whole wheat), when all liquid is absorbed.
  7. Stir couscous into the veggies. Chop the avocado and stir in carefully.
  8. Shred cheddar over the top, if desired.

Notes
To make vegan, use vegan cheese or sprinkle with nutritional yeast.
Nutrition does not include optional oil or cheese.

Nutrition Information
Calories: 410 Fat: 10g Carbohydrates: 71g Fiber: 14g Protein: 17g

 

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15 Comments
    atasteofmadess May 30, 2013

    I’m still wondering why I have never made couscous before! This looks fabulous!

      Kelly May 30, 2013

      It’s SO crazy easy to make, too!

    Natalie May 28, 2013

    oh my this looks delicious and healthy!

    Reeni May 28, 2013

    Love everything about this! Southwest anything makes me very happy!

    angela @ another bite please May 28, 2013

    ooooo…you had me at southwest i love these kinds of flavors! and i can never get enough of black beans

    Becky @ Olives n Wine May 28, 2013

    This looks ah-maz-ing!! I’m all about southwest-style delicious meals. And I hear you about the poofy hair. I look like a frizzy poodle today. Super cute 😉

    moderngirlnutrition May 26, 2013

    Love it! Couscous is one of my favorite things to cook with, because it can go in any.direction. THanks for sharing 🙂

    Pamela May 24, 2013

    What a great recipe and definitely worth a try.

    Erin @ The Speckled Palate May 24, 2013

    This sounds absolutely fabulous and like a perfect summertime-y recipe. I totally feel you on the humidity… except I live in it, and my hair is always HUGE because of it, so there’s that.

    Here’s to a fantastic kickoff weekend of the summer! Have a great time, and enjoy your day off!

    Em @ Love A Latte May 24, 2013

    Looks fantastic and hope you have a great long weekend! 🙂