Vegan Cook-a-Long

Here's Lookin' at You, Kid

So luckily AA reminded me AFTER the meal is over about the moroccan couscous mix that comes out of the box. Oh my, I hate hate hate that stuff! Something about it, the smell, the fact that he'd eat it over and over again and leave leftovers on the stove, the cinammon-y overkill, etc.

But this one, is lovely. As lovely as Ingrid Bergman in Casablanca. Or even better, as lovely as Marlene Dietrich in Morocco. Go watch that one instead.

Anyway, so we got home from our long and lovely (yes, everything is lovely) trip to Buffalo and Toronto then back to Buffalo around 9 pm. Got home too late and sad to have missed hanging out with my local friends tonight. Makin' me feel grumpy. And I was also hungry. So I busted out the ingredients to make Taste of Morocco, many of which I bought in Buffalo on the way out of town: yellow and red peppers for way cheaper than around here, chickpeas, zucchini, and garnet yam (for the sweet potato).

sauteing the garlic, yam, and zucchini in olive oil (2 tbs instead of 1)

chopped peppers for adding later

chickpeas, salt, and the spices (had to grind the allspice and cumin in the coffee grinder)

Moroccan stew in the pan
+

cooked israeli couscous in vegetable broth (hot water + veg. bouillon cube)

=

mmmmm!

I liked getting to benefit from suggestions. I added double the amount of salt (maybe even more?), double the garlic (of course!), cooked the veggies in broth instead of water, added more spice (double the ginger, double the paprika, added some chopped, roasted tomatoes from the meditteranean bar at Wegmans (leftover from my car lunch) plus the oil they were marinating in. Left out the raisins cause I was out, but it was agreed that it was better without it. Grated some of my new telicherry pepper on top.

However, it was also agreed that it was a little too spicy. I think that comes mostly from my very fresh and hyperactive cayenne pepper. Though I was happy with the extra spice, this is something I have to think about when making it for other people. But overall, I was really happy. And I bet the leftovers will mellow out a bit.

posted by Michelle @ 11:51 PM