Roasted Brussel Spouts with a Balsamic Glaze

For those of you out there that don't like brussels sprouts, I STRONGLY encourage you to give them one more try with this recipe.  It is from Ina Garten's Foolproof cookbook and is AMAZING.  I'm pretty sure I've had it once a week since I bought the book back in November!  They are so crunchy and delightful and if you love bacon, you'll love this... I PROMISE!!!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with a Basamic Glaze
Serves:  4
Source:  Adapted from Ina Garten's Foolproof

15 brussels sprouts
kosher salt
pepper
3 slices of pancetta (regular bacon works as well)
1 tablespoon balasmic moderno syrup

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut pancetta into 1/2 inch cubes and arrange on a baking dish.  Bake in oven for five minutes.  
 
Remove stems of brussels sprouts and cut in half.  In a bowl combine brussels sprouts, olive oil, salt, and pepper and toss.  Add brussels sprouts to the baking pan and return to oven.  Roast for 20-30 minutes tossing once have way through cooking.  When pancetta is crispy and brussels sprouts are browned, remove from oven.  Drizzle brussels sprouts with balsamic glaze and serve.

Ratings:
Miss J, 10 out of 10
Moe, 6 out of 10 (he isn't a huge Brussels sprout fan) 

- Miss J

 

Roasted Broccoli

As much as I try to be healthy, I have fallen into a rut for healthy eating.  Whenever this happens, I have two things I do to get back on track....

#1) Go shopping - All I have to do is try on a few pieces of clothing that don't fit and I go off the deep end.  Diet starts immediately.


#2)  Go grocery shopping - I create rules and am only allowed to buy healthy things (minimal frozen products, mostly fruits and vegetables).  The only junk food I buy is one dark chocolate bar which I freeze and keep as backup. 

Now that both things have been accomplished, I officially am back on wagon again.  Tonight was roasted broccoli.  Although it sounds pretty bland, I have figured out how to make this into a wonderful side dish that has both crunch and a bit of sweetness. 

Roasted Broccoli
Source:  Miss J Original
Serves:  4 small servings or 2 large servings

1 head broccoli
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp water
1/8 tsp cranberry - pear vinaigrette
1/2 tsp brown sugar
pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Wash and cut broccoli into small florets.  In a bowl, whisk together the last five ingredients.  Add broccoli to the bowl and mix together.  Place broccoli in a baking dish and discard any extra olive oil mixture.  Bake in the oven for 15 minutes or until desired doneness.  You want the broccoli to be crunchy and golden on the edges. 

Miss J - 8 out of 10
Moe, unrated (we'd be waiting all day on a rating from him!)

- Miss J

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Sometimes when I eat sweet potatoes I feel like I am cheating by eating dessert before dinner.  This recipe uses honey and cinnamon so it is a nice contrast to the traditional side dish.  Ready in 20 minutes with minimal prep work, this is an easy side dish for a week night meal.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Source:  Miss J Original
Serves:  2 servings

2 cups sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 tablespoon honey
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp olive oil
pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Spray the baking dish with cooking spray.  In a bowl, mix olive oil, honey, cinnamon and sweet potatoes.  Toss together well, coating the sweet potatoes.  Pour into baking dish and place in oven for 20 minutes until tender.  Serve immediately.

Ratings:
Miss J, 8 out of 10
Moe, 8 out of 10

- Miss J

Homemade Baked Fries

I love fries.  Specifically McDonald's fries.  However, in the interest of eating healthy, I attempted to find a good subsitute.  These fries are baked so that puts them on the semi-healthy category.  The cayenne pepper adds a nice kick so there is no need to use ketchup (although it was difficult to convince Moe of this as he sees fries and has an automatic response to drown them in ketchup and mustard... yes mustard which is gross). I left the fries in the oven a bit longer than the recipe called for as I like mine super crispy.  

Oven Baked Fries
Source:  Modified from Weight Watchers Online
Serves: 2 servings

2 large Idaho potatoes
olive oil
cayenne pepper
salt and pepper
cooking spray

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Slice potatoes long ways into 16 slices (8 slices per potato).  Toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper.  Coat a baking pan with cooking spray.  Arrange slices on baking sheet.

Bake in the oven for 20 minutes.  Remove and flip slices.  Place back in the oven for 10 minutes or until desired doneness.  Remove and serve immediately. 

Ratings:
Miss J, 9 out of 10
Moe, 10 out of 10

- Miss J

Brussels Sprouts Casserole

For those of you that are not brussels sprouts fans, I encourage you to be daring and try this recipe.  I absolutely love it!  I almost ate the entire casserole in one sitting.  Moe is not a fan of this vegetable BUT he said they were still good (in a tolerable way).  He compares his hate for brussels sprouts to my hate of pickles but I think he is being a bit dramatic. I mean no one can hate something as much as I hate pickles. Anyways, this is a great recipe, especially if you have kids and want to try to trick them into eating this vegetable! 

Brussels Sprouts Casserole
Source:  Miss J Original
Serves:  4 servings

15 brussels sprouts, halved
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup of panko
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 chopped garlic clove
1 tsp sage
1 tsp parsley, fresh
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Boil a pot of water and blanch brussels sprouts for 3 minutes.  Remove and set aside.  In a skillet, heat olive oil in a skillet.  Add onion and garlic to the skillet.  Cook until onions are translucent.  Move garlic and onions to the edge of the pan to be sure that they don't burn.  In the middle of the pan, place brussels sprouts halves face down and brown slightly.  Remove from pan and arrange in the bottom of a small casserole dish. 

Add whipping cream and sage to the skillet and mix in with the onions and garlic.  Once the cream sauce has thickened, pour over the the brussels sprouts in the baking dish.  Place in oven and cook for 30 minutes. While the casserole is baking, mix panko, parsley, and Parmesan in a small bowl.

Remove casserole and top with panko mixture.  Place back in oven and cook for 15 minutes until golden browned and hot and bubbly.  Serve immediately.

Ratings:
Miss J, 9 out of 10
Moe, 7 out of 10 (he hates brussels sprouts so pretty good for a hater)

- Miss J

Smahed Potatoes with Garlic

This is a great side to make when your main dish is taking up a large portion of your time.  You can boil the potatoes ahead of time and just smash them and throw them in the oven 15-20 minuets before you are ready to serve.  Bon Appetite!



Smashed Potatoes with Garlic
Source:  Modified from http://www.bonappetit.com/
Serves:  6 servings

2 lbs of gold potatoes (approximately 2-3 per person)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 stick of butter
1 shallot
olive oil
rosemary, fresh if possible
salt and pepper to taste

Fill a pot with cold water.  Place potatoes in water and bring to a boil.  Cook until tender.  It should break apart with a fork but be careful not to over cook as you want them to remain whole as you remove them from the pan.  Place on a plate lined with a scott towel so they can dry out.  Once potatoes are cool, arrange on a baking sheet.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  In a skillet on the oven, heat butter and add garlic and shallots.  Cook until onions are translucent.  Stir in rosemary. 

On the baking sheet, smash each potato with your hand or a masher.  You want it to break open but not crumble apart.

Baste potatoes with garlic butter mixture.  Pour excess mixture over the potatoes. 

Place in oven and cook for about 15 - 20 minutes or until potatoes are golden brown and crisp.  If need be, put them under the broiler for a few minutes to make them extra crispy before serving.  Top with salt and pepper to taste.  Enjoy!

Ratings:
Miss J, 8 out of 10
Moe, 9 out of 10

- Miss J

Homemade Green Bean Casserole

I have been making green bean casserole for as long as I can remember.  However, over Thanksgiving, I learned how to make HOMEMADE green bean casserole.  The difference..... fresh green beans, made from scratch mushroom soup, and the best part.... fried shallots to top it off!  My sister-in-law, Hannah, had a wonderful recipe so I took mental notes and looked up the missing pieces when I got home. I found a recipe by Martha Stewart that was very similar so I used that as my guide.  I must say that now that I have crossed over, I will never use canned green beans again!

Homemade Green Bean Casserole
Source:  Adapted from Martha Stewart
Serves:  8 servings

1 1/2 lbs fresh green beans
2 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, chopped finely
6 shallots
1 cup flour
1 lb portabella mushrooms, sliced
2 cups of milk
1 pinch ground nutmeg
Canola oil (2 cups more or less)

Rinse green beans.  Trim ends and break into 2 inch pieces. Store in cold ice water until ready to blanch.

In a large skillet or saucepan, heat butter.  Add chopped onion to the pan and saute until they begin to soften.  Add mushrooms and milk to the pan.  Simmer on low to medium heat as flavors meld.  Add pinch of nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste.  If sauce does not thicken, add a thickening agent (flour mixed with a bit of water).  Once sauce is done, set aside to cool.

Boil a pot of water.  Blanch green beans for 4 minutes.  Remove and rinse with cold water.  Set aside.

Heat canola oil in a medium sized skillet.  While oil is heating, slice shallots cross ways and coat with flour. 

Once oil is hot (test with a drop of water - should sizzle slightly), drop in one floured shallot to test.  It should bubble but not instantly burn.  Once you have had one successful shallot, remove onto a baking sheet lined with a paper towel.  Fry the remaining shallots in batches.  Remove from pan using a skimmer and lightly placing on paper towel. 

Once cool, store in an air tight container until ready to use. 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a mixing bowl, combine mushroom soup and green beans. Toss well and spread into a 9 x 13 baking dish.  Place into oven and cook for 15 minutes or until hot and bubbly. 

Remove from oven and let cool for 1-2 minutes.  Before serving, add shallots to the top of the casserole.  Enjoy!

Notes:  The majority of this can be done the day ahead.  The shallots can be fried and stored in an air tight container until ready to use. The green beans can be cleaned, trimmed, and cut to be about 2 inches in length.  You can blanch them and then let them cool before storing them in the fridge overnight.  The mushroom sauce can also be made the night before, cooled, and then stored in the fridge.  Assemble everything together and increase cooking time to about 20-25 minutes until hot and bubbly. 

Ratings:
Miss J, 10 out of 10
Moe, 8 of 10 (he says he likes the canned green beans better - I disagree)

- Miss J

Brussels Sprouts with a Balsamic Drizzle

Brussels sprouts seem to be a hated vegetables.  I know they smell when they are cooking but if you can get over that, they are a wonderful deviation from the traditional vegetable side dishes.  They are easy to cook and extremely filling.  For those of you that don't know, brussels sprouts are actually a wild cabbage AND are an excellent source of vitamin C.  This is a basic recipe that is quick and easy to throw together for a weeknight meal. 

Brussels Sprouts with a Balsamic Drizzle
Source:  Miss J Original
Serves:  4 (5 sprouts per serving - since cut in half these are big portions so may want to adjust down)

20 brussels sprouts, raw
olive oil
balsamic vinegar of Modena (syrup)
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slice brussels sprouts in half. Toss sprouts in a little bit of olive oil and arrange on a baking pan with cut side down.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Bake in oven for 10-15 minutes until slightly browned.  Remove from oven.  Plate and drizzle with balsamic syrup.  

Note:  If you over cook brussels sprouts they become very very bitter.  They are supposed to be crunchy so pull them from the oven right before you think they are actually done.    

- Miss J

Ratings:
Miss J, 8 out of 10
Moe, 7 out of 10 (He is not a fan of brussels sprouts but I'm slowly working on it. A year ago this would have been rated a 2)

Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes

One of my favorite foods is mashed potatoes.  I think I could eat them for every meal if I had a choice.  I have spent many years perfecting my mashed potatoes approach and finally can say that I think I have it down.  I don't have an "official" recipe but I tried to make mental note as I prepared them this last time.  Although I would love to say that they are low-fat, there is no real way to make them creamy and fluffy without the addition of butter :)

Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Source:  Miss J Original
Serves:  8-10 people

3-4 lb bag of russet potatoes
2 stick of butter, melted (minimum 1 stick, maximum 2 sticks)
1- 2 cup of milk, low fat, warmed
1 package of cream cheese
3 garlic cloves
1 1/2 cups of chopped onion, finely diced
2 tablespoons of parsley, freshly chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Set cream cheese on the counter to soften and bring to room temperature.  Rinse and peel russet potatoes.

Chop potatoes into about two inch by two inch cubes and place in stock pot filled with cold water.  Salt the water and place on stove top.  Bring water to a boil.  Boil stirring occasionally until potatoes are tender and break apart easily with a fork.  

While potatoes are cooking, chop onions and garlic and set aside.  In a skillet, melt butter over medium heat.  Add onions and garlic and saute until onions are translucent. 

Once potatoes are done cooking, strain them and place them in a kitchen aid mixing bowl.  You will have to mix them in two batches depending on how much you are cooking.  In the first batch, add half of butter, garlic mixture, 1/2 of the cream cheese package, and 1 tablespoon of parsley.  Add half a cup of milk (more or less) to get the desired consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste.  

Remove from the mixing bowl and place in a glass serving dish.  Place in microwave to keep warm while you make the second batch of potatoes.  If you are not serving immediately, heat in the microwave with a bit more butter to keep moisture. 

Ratings:

Miss J, 10 out 10

Moe, 9 out 10 

- Miss J

Turnips and Yams Casserole

This year for Thanksgiving, we decided to mix up our traditional spread and make a turnip and yams casserole.  My mom had brought in a recipe from work so we used that as our "guide".  As always, I mixed up the recipe a bit, but the end result was still awesome.  I have never cooked with turnips so I wasn't sure what I'd think of them. However, I found it to be a great substitute if you are looking for a starchy side. 

Turnips and Yams Casserole
Source:  Unknown
Serves:  8 servings

5 turnips
1 large yam
4 tablespoons of butter
1 cup of freshly shaved Parmesan cheese
1 tsp of thyme
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Peel turnips and yams.  Once the skins have been remove, slice thinly.  This is best done using a mandoline slicer.  However, we didn't have one so a sharp knife worked fine as well. 

Shredded Parmesan cheese.

Heat up butter in a skillet and add thyme.  Remove from heat and set aside.  Spray a glass baking dish with cooking spray.  Arrange a layer of yam and turnip slices on the bottom of the dish alternating type.  Sprinkle a layer of cheese and top with another layer of turnips/yams.  Continue for two more layers.  Top with remaining cheese.  Add salt and pepper to taste. 

Pour butter mixture over casserole.  Cook uncovered for 30-45 minutes.  Serve immediately.

Ratings:
Miss J, 9 out 10
Moe, 8 out 10

- Miss J

Stuffed Acorn Squash

This side dish makes a beautiful display which is why it jumped off the page when I was flipping through one of my favorite Saint Louis magazines, Sauce.  However, the picture spoke louder than the end result.  The acorn squash was a bit dry while the stuffing was lacking in flavor.  Although I wouldn't call it a total failure, it was a disappointment.  I think that with a few modifications, this could be a keeper, but until then, it was just so-so. 

Stuffed Acorn Squash
Serves:  4 servings (cut back from 8 in the original recipe)
Source:  Sauce Magazine, Guide to the Holidays 2011

6 slices of bread
olive oil
2 medium squash, halved horizontally and seeded
1/2 tsp salt
2 tablespoons of butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 lb mushrooms
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 stalk celery, minced
ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon sage
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/8 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup of minced walnuts

DAY AHEAD:  Set the bread sliced on a baking sheet, uncovered, and let stand overnight so they dry out.

Place dried bread slices in a food processor and pulse until medium sized cubes.  Set aside.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Drizzle olive oil in a shallow baking dish.  Place squash cut side down in the dish and bake for 30 minutes or until tender.  Turn cut-side up and sprinkle with salt.  Bake for another 20 minutes.  Remove from oven and set aside.

While squash is in the oven, melt butter under medium heat in a skillet.  Add the onions and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes.   Add the next 7 ingredients sauteing until everything is tender, about 10 minutes.  Add the walnuts and breadcrumbs to the skillet.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Remove from heat and set aside. 

Once squash is done, fill the cavity of each squash with prepared stuffing.  Cover each squash with foil and bake until heated through approximately 20-30 minutes.  Serve inside squash.

Notes:  To cut back on cook time, I baked the squash ahead of time and then prepared the stuffing and filled the squash the day of.  The only change was baking the squash for 35 minutes with the foil to ensure it was heated through. 

Ratings
Miss J, 6 out of 10
Moe, 6 out of 10


- Miss J

Baked Mac and Cheese with Button Mushrooms and Truffle Oil

For those of you who don't know Moe very well, he loves Mac and Cheese.  I'm pretty sure that if he had to come up with a list of five reasons why he wanted to have kids, excuse to eat Mac and Cheese with hot dogs would be on the top of his list.  If I send him to the store for milk, there is a 100% guarantee that he will return home with a box (if not numerous boxes) of Sponge Bob Mac and Cheese. Yes, the Sponge Bob part is the kicker in the whole thing.  Now, I see two problems with this.  One,  why is a grown man getting so excited about cartoon shaped noddles? And two, there is ZERO nutritional value in this meal which I have a problem with!

However, since I am SUCH A NICE WIFE, I am willing to meet in the middle on this one.  I have been in search of a good homemade mac and cheese recipe and finally found one that is worth blogging about! I'm sure Moe will get home tonight and say that Sponge Bob wins in comparison, but at least I can say I tried!

Baked Mac and Cheese with Button Mushrooms and Truffle Oil
Source:  Modified from Cooking Light, November 2011

2 cups of uncooked penne pasta (any tube shaped pasta will work)
10 small button mushrooms, rinsed, and sliced
1 tsp of butter
6 oz of low fat cottage cheese (1% or 2%)
1/2 cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided into two portions
2 tablespoons of panko
1 tablespoon of flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
salt and pepper to taste
truffle oil (minimal amount - less than 1/4 tsp) - a little goes a long way

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Cook pasta according to packaged directions. Drain and set aside until ready to use. 

While pasta is cooking, put cottage cheese in a food processor and process until smooth.  Combine cottage cheese, cheddar cheese, and 1/8 tsp of Parmesan cheese, and salt and pepper to taste.  Rinse mushrooms and remove the stem.

Slice mushrooms and saute in a pan with butter until softened for approximately 4 minutes.  Add mushrooms to cheese mixture. Add cheese mixture to pasta and stir together.  Spoon mixture into a ceramic or glass baking dish coated in cooking spray. 

Combine remaining Parmesan, panko, and parsley in a small bowl.  Sprinkle evenly over pasta mixture.  Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes.  Preheat the broiler (leave dish in the oven while broiler preheats).  Broil pasta for 1 minutes until top is golden brown.   Drizzle with truffle oil and serve immediately.

Served with a arugula salad with cherry tomatoes and a balsamic vinaigrette.

Ratings
Miss J, 9 out of 10
Moe, 9.5 out of 10

Notes:  This can be made the night before and heated up in the oven (add 10-15 minutes to the cook time).  Add a little bit of milk or cream to the top of the pasta dish before it goes in the oven to avoid the pasta from drying out. 

- Miss J

Scalloped Potato Bake

While Moe and I were in France, I discovered creme fraiche.  Although it is not the healthiest of foods (to say the least), it is amazing.  I made this recipe while we were staying in Provence France and Moe loved it.  I decided since I was serving fish, I'd offset in Moe's book and make this recipe for him.  It turned out perfect as he loved the fish and the potatoes!

Scalloped Potato Bake
Source:  Miss J Original
Serves: 4

2 Idaho potatoes, divided into 3 servings
4 ounces creme fraiche, divided into 3 servings
1/2 small onion, divided into 3 servings
1 tablespoon fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, low fat, divided into 3 servings
2 tablespoons of half and half, fat free
salt and pepper to taste

Using a mandolin slicer (or a sharp knife) slice potatoes into thin rounds.  Dice onion into long slivers.  Chop parsley.  Coat a small baking dish with oil or cooking spray.  place two layers of potatoes at bottom of pan.  Layer creme fraiche, onions, and mozzarella.  Repeat so there are three layers of potatoes and three layers of cheese.  Pour half and half around the edges of the baking dish.  Top with salt and pepper to taste.  Bake for 1 hour or until potatoes are tender.  Once done, place under broiler for 1 minutes to make the top golden.  Sprinkle with parsley before serving. 

                                                Before                                                  After

Ratings:
Moe, 9.5 out of 10
Miss J, 9 out of 10

- Miss J

Grilled Polenta with Mushrooms and Sausage

I had left over polenta and decided since we were having grill night we might as well use it up.  We threw them on the grill with some steak and topped it with a mushroom mixture that I had made in the skillet earlier.  It is some times difficult to figure out timing when you grill especially being in an apartment where you have to run back every time you need something.  So I had sauteed the mushrooms and then wrapped them in foil to heat on the grill right before the steaks and polenta were finished.  It worked out great and might be the easiest side dish EVER!

Grilled Polenta with Mushrooms and Sausage
Source:  Miss J Original

4 oz mushrooms
1/8 tsp of oregano
5 slices of polenta
1/2 sausage (removed from casing and broken up - I used a feta spinach sausage from Whole Foods)
olive oil

On a grill save skillet, coat pan with olive oil.  place polenta slices on the pan and set aside.  In a skillet, heat a tiny bit of olive oil and throw in mushrooms.  Remove sausage from casing and breakup into little pieces before adding to the skillet.  When mushrooms start to release the moisture and soften toss in the oregano and mix well.  Once mushroom mixture and sausage is fully cooked, place in some aluminum foil. 

Heat grill.  Grill the polenta on each side until done (approximately 5 minutes). 

Set aside on the grill and keep warm until other items (we had steak) are done. Sit back and enjoy a glass of wine while the rest of the items cook.

When there is a couple minutes left, throw the aluminum foil with mushroom mixture on the grill to heat up.  Serve the mushroom mixture on top of the grilled polenta.

Skyler on patrol in case anyone has a food fumble.

- Miss J

Kind of Curry Couscous

I love couscous. It is quick, easy, and elegant. I started out the evening thinking I was going to make Israeli couscous; however, I stumbled across a Curried Couscous recipe on another blog I follow, The Parsley Thief. I absolute love this blog and have yet to make a recipe on it that I have not enjoyed. I started the recipe but quickly realized I was missing several main ingredients including the CURRY part. My curry is "MIA" in my kitchen so I had to improvise quickly. I must say, it turned out to be a masterpiece. It was a beautiful dish that I will definitely be making again.



Kind of Curry Couscous

Source: Adapted from The Parsley Thief, http://www.theparsleythief.com/2008/06/curried-couscous.html

8 oz couscous
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup almonds
3 tablespoons of almonds
1/2 cup shallots, finely chopped
1 3/4 cup of chicken stock
salt and pepper
1/4 cup of parsley
1/4 cup cranberries
1/4 cup chopped sweet chili peppers (or red peppers)
1/2 cup of extra small curd cottage cheese (fat free)
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/8 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp cardamom
1/8 tsp honey
1/8 tsp cinnamon
3 tablespoons of olive oil


Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet. Add slivered almonds to the pan and stir until golden brown. Remove from pan and transfer to a bowl. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter and minced shallots and saute until golden brown. Add couscous and bay leaf and let couscous brown slightly. Add broth to the pan and bring to a boil. Reduce head and cover. Allow to simmer until mixture is absorbed in the couscous and desired tenderness is reached.

Meanwhile, combine chopped parsley, cranberries, and almonds in a separate bowl.

Set aside. In a small mixing bowl, mix olive oil, cumin, cardamom, honey, cinnamon, turmeric, and cottage cheese. Set aside. Chop red peppers and set aside.

 Once couscous is done, remove from heat. Combine everything into the skillet and toss together on a low heat so flavors meld together. Remove from heat and serve immediately.

- Miss J

Served with baked fish and sweet asparagus.