Curried Couscous (or Quinoa)

When Aki makes this, the broccoli florets are super tiny
and it's better but it's too much work for me!

 Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups water (2 cups for quinoa)
• 1 cup uncooked couscous (or quinoa)
• 1 1/2 cups small broccoli florets
• 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
• 1/3 cup shredded carrot
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup dry-roasted cashews, chopped (I have substituted almonds or pistachios)
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder 
• 1 teaspoon bottled minced fresh ginger
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed or equivalent dried (after soaking and pressure cooking)



Here is the quinoa version.  Also should be tinier broccoli florets...

• 3/4 cup (3 ounces) crumbled feta cheese

Preparation

1. Bring 1 3/4 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan; gradually stir in couscous. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.  (For quinoa, just put water and quinoa in a pot, bring to boil, then reduce to simmer until water is all gone.  OR use a pressure cooker or rice cooker.)
2. While couscous stands, steam broccoli florets, covered, for 3 minutes or until tender.
3. Combine couscous, broccoli, onion, and next 10 ingredients (onion through chickpeas), tossing gently. Sprinkle with cheese.

Spiced Butternut Goan Tacos

Ingredients:

1 butternut squash (peeled and diced into 1-inch pieces)

feta cheese

pepitas (pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds)

salsa verde (key ingredient: tomatillos)

kale, or julienned cabbage

tortillas or rotis or flaky parantha

Moroccan or Indian spices: 

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp ground ginger  

1/8 tsp ground cinnamon 

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

1/8 tsp allspice 

1/4 tsp salt 

1/4 tsp pepper

3 tbsp olive oil

Recipe:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees

2. Whisk all spices together in a small bowl

3. Mix squash, olive oil, and spices together in a large bowl (coat evenly)

4. Roast squash in oven (try to make sure the pieces don't touch each other) for 20-30 minutes

5. As soon as the squash is done, take out of the oven and add kale to the top of the squash (to let the kale get a little loose/steamed a bit)

6. Heat tortillas on an iron skillet.  Wait until both sides are fully cooked, then assemble taco on plate.

7. Assembly: place tortilla on plate.  Add two spoonfuls of salsa verde, then a slice or two of feta. Then add spiced squash and top with kale and a few pepitas for garnish.