Recipe: Couscous with Parsley Yogurt Sauce, Spicy Acorn Squash, Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpeas

Couscous with Parsley Yogurt Sauce, Spicy Acorn Squash, Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpeas

This dish is my entry in Savvy Savorer's recipe contest using Greek God's Yogurt. I really do love the Greek God's products. They are a small company based in Seattle, started by three young guys who wanted to bring the true flavors of their Greek heritage to the public, and they have done a great job.

For a quick snack right from the fridge, my favorite is the fig flavor. The plain or non-fat are excellent for cooking. They are thick and flavorful, so no draining is required to make a delicious sauce.

The recipe below is for a very quick parsley-yogurt sauce that you can make in the food processor. The same technique can be used with different fresh herbs, or a combination. Likely candidates would be mint, dill, oregano, marjoram, or scallions. Add grated cucumber (without the seeds), and you are headed into Indian raita territory.

I love this kind of yogurt sauce because you can make it in minutes, and use it to amp up the flavor of any meal. They are especially welcome with spicy foods because the yogurt cuts the heat. The same type of sauce can also work as a salad dressing or even a cold soup.

Last night I used it over couscous with spicy acorn squash, cauliflower, and chickpeas. Oven-roasting the vegetables gives them a light caramelization that adds a lot of flavor, and the spicy harissa rub on the acorn squash gives the dish another dimension. I've separated out the sub-recipes for each of the components to make it easier to do parts ahead, or mix-and-match.

Couscous with Parsley Yogurt Sauce, Spicy Acorn Squash, Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpeas
Vegetarian, not gluten free
To make vegan, use a soy yogurt instead
Serves 4

For the parsley-yogurt sauce:

• 3 c. Greek God's plain yogurt
• 1 clove garlic, sliced thin (or more too taste)
• 1 big bunch of flat-leaf Italian parsley, stems removed
• 2 t. kosher salt
• juice of 1/2 lemon

Combine all ingredients in a food processor until thoroughly blended. Taste and adjust salt.

For the acorn squash:

• 1 acorn squash, peeled, halved, seeded, and cut into 1/4" thick half moons
• 1 T. dry harissa powder (make it or buy it)
• 2 t. kosher salt
• 1 T. olive oil

Toss the squash with the other ingredients, place on a baking sheet lined with a silpat, and roast in a 400 degree oven until tender and slightly browned, about 15 minutes. If you have a harissa paste instead of the dry spice mix, that should work too, just leave out the olive oil and maybe the salt.

For the cauliflower:

• 1 head cauliflower, cut into flowerets; stems trimmed and sliced
• 1 t. kosher salt
• 1 T. olive oil

Toss the cauliflower with the other ingredients, place on a baking sheet lined with a silpat, and roast in a 400 degree oven until tender and slightly browned, about 20 minutes.

For the chickpeas:

• 2 c. cooked chickpeas (cook them yourself or canned)
  
• 1 onion, medium dice
• 1 T. olive oil
• 1 t. kosher salt
• 2 t. cumin powder

Fry the onion in a skillet until beginning to brown. Add all of the other ingredients and cook until the chickpeas are thoroughly heated through.

For the couscous:

• 1.5 c. couscous
• 2 1/4 c. water
• 1/2 t. kosher salt

Follow these instructions for making fluffy couscous.