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!

Spring is in the air.  With daffodils blooming, and a 59 degree day, today, I feel that we are on the verge of spring (or perhaps that is my wishful heart hoping that winter is about to be officially put to rest).  Unfortunately one of the innocent victims of the end of winter is soup. October through March are really the prime soup months. Gray skies, rain showers, and shorter days go hand in hand with a steaming bowl of soup.

Nobody in the dead of winter ever says they want to curl up with a cozy blanket, by the fire, and eat a green salad. It's the slow cooked meals -  the house filled with the aroma of some beautiful creation simmering away all day, ready to warm you from the inside out. That is what makes soup the best thing ever. Add a grilled cheese sandwich...and forget about it.

With daylight savings arriving, or returning (not really sure which) on Sunday, I see soup recipes thinning out soon. Luckily, I found a great new recipe that I can't wait to share with you. It comes from Real Simple magazine (February 2011).  If you actually make this soup, you will be AMAZED at how easy, tasty, and truly satisfying it is.

One tip: I used my immersion blender for this. If you do not have an immersion blender, you can use a traditional blender, but I tell you what, immersion blenders are awesome.  Once you go immersion you never go back. 

This is one smooth operator - pun intended :-)

Second tip: I did not have Bagel chips to put on my soup. I figured the Bagel chip was essentially acting as a crouton (texture, salt) for the creamy soup.  Instead, we had Parmesan/garlic pretzel nugget things in our pantry, that I put in a plastic storage bag, and pulverized with my rolling pin. I think they worked really well, so don't be afraid to be resourceful and use what you already have.

Here's the star of our show...

Creamy Broccoli Soup

Serves 4| Hands-On Time: 20m | Total Time: 40m

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1⁄8 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
• 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 bunch broccoli, florets roughly chopped and stems peeled and sliced (about 7 cups)
• 1 large russet potato (about 8 ounces), peeled and cut into 1⁄2-inch pieces
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 2 ounces sharp white Cheddar, grated (1⁄2 cup)
• bagel chips, for serving

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and red pepper (if using) and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft, 4 to 6 minutes.
2. Add the broth, broccoli, potato, 2 cups water, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper to the saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until the vegetables are very tender, 18 to 20 minutes.
3. In a blender, working in batches, puree the soup until smooth, adjusting the consistency with water as necessary. (Alternatively, use a handheld immersion blender in the saucepan.) Top with the Cheddar and bagel chips, if desired, before serving.