Cauliflower and Chickpea Stew with Couscous

Thursday night I made the best dinner. I think the reason I like this so much is that it is just clean, good food. Nothing fancy. No special ingredients. One pot....one plate...done. The only thing I had to buy was the cauliflower, otherwise all of the other ingredients are pretty standard in my pantry and fridge.

For the carnivores out there, I could easily see adding some rotisserie chicken.  But really? Why ruin a good thing.

This recipe came from the December 2010 Real Simple, but I did modify it, so I am writing the modified version.

Cauliflower and Chickpea Stew with Couscous
Yields 4 generous servings (I actually had some for lunch today, and will probably be having some for lunch tomorrow)

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
Salt and Pepper
1 - 14 oz can diced tomatoes
1 - 15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 head cauliflower, cored and cut into pieces
1/2 cup raisins (golden or regular)
1 - 5 oz package baby spinach, chopped
1 cup couscous

1. Heat the oil in a large pot (I used my dutch oven), over medium heat. Add the onion and saute, stirring occasionally until it begins to soften (about 5 minutes). 
2. Add the cumin, ginger, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.  Cook, stirring until fragrant (about a minute).
3. Add the tomatoes, and their liquid, chickpeas, cauliflower, raisins, and 1 1/2 cups of water.  Bring to a boil.
4. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender (about 15 - 20 minutes)*.
5. Add the spinach, and cook an additional 1 - 2 minutes.
6. Place the couscous in a large bowl. Add 1 cup of boiling water. Cover and let sit for 5 minutes.  Fluff with a fork, and serve with the stew.

* Note: I cut my cauliflower into fairly large pieces, and as the stew simmered I broke them down with a wooden spoon into more bite friendly florets. I only did this because cauliflower is super messy to cut up and this worked really well.

For added protein Real Simple did recommended sprinkling with sliced almonds.  I think I would definitely give this a try - especially toasted, sliced almonds. I think the crunch would add great texture. Don't be afraid to kick up this recipe with a few dashes of chili sauce as well.  Bon apetit!