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.

Review: Senor Moose Cafe

Well, sorry about the cell phone pic folks. My Dad is in town, and we were wandering around the wilds of Ballard when he declared his hunger. Immediately my mental food tracking GPS went in to gear, and said "Senor Moose!! I haven't been to Senor Moose in far too long!"

The Moose is one of the most amazing restaurants in the Seattle area. When you walk in, you feel like you are in a humble backroads diner, with cozy but rustic furniture. You would think that this is going to be a pleasant ham-and-eggs joint, but then you notice all of the Mexican decorations, and you hope against hope, maybe there will be huevos rancheros too.

Oh, dear hungry sir or madam, you have not dared to dream big enough. Open your eyes, and you will find yourself rewarded with Calabacitas Guisadas (zucchini, corn, and onion stew from Michoacan, $8.75), Papas Con Rajas (poblano chilis and potatoes in cream, from Mexico City, $7.95), the Huevos Con Nopalitos pictured above (eggs with fresh cactus paddles, black beans and cotija cheese, and corn tortillas, $7.95), or the magnificient Huevos Ahogados (poached eggs "drowning" in a tomato broth, $7.95).

And that just begins to scratch the surface of the menu. Out of a tiny kitchen, owner Kathleen Andersen and chef Abraham Mata offer dozens of regional specialties from all over Mexico. Kathleen lived and traveled throughout Mexico for decades, and collected recipes from every abuela and tia she was lucky enough to spend time with.

Vegetarians as well as carnivores will find plenty of options, though the menu might be a bit tough for vegans.

If you have any of the cookbooks of Diana Kennedy or Rick Bayless (or have eaten at his restaurants), you will be amazed to find the same level of authenticity and flavor in an inexpensive joint in Ballard.

The menu also includes some American-style breakfast items, and more familiar tacos and enchiladas for those who aren't in the mood to stretch their culinary horizons first thing in the morning. Dad was really happy with his Havarti, Mushroom and Spinach scramble ($7.95).

Breakfast is offered from 8:00 - 3:00 everyday, and dinner starts at 5:00, running until 9:00 on weekdays and 10:00 on Friday and Saturday.

Recipe: Grapefruit And Avocado Salad

Chef Janine over at Cafe Flora showed me the other day how to cut sections of citrus fruit properly. Technically these are called "supremes" as in in "we need to cut grapefruit supremes". I've tried to do them before and always had a lot of trouble, with bits of pith leftover and broken segments and frustration.

Anyhow, I had always tried to go in with my knife on both sides of the membrane between the segments. The way she showed me, you go in on one side, flip your knife around, and come back towards you on the other side, maybe leaving a bit of "meat" behind. Works like a charm, you end up with clean segments and a beautiful cup of juice too. If enough folks are interested maybe I could put up a video of the technique.

So I was itching to try this new found skill at home, and we had a grapefruit and an avocado just begging to become a salad. There is a famous crabmeat version of this salad at Etta's, which I'm sure is great. And we have one with these ingredients at Cafe Flora too, but with an Asian-inflected twist of shiitake mushrooms and a ginger-miso dressing, all on greens. Delicious.

My take is below. Possible variations would be to use different citrus (blood oranges!), or add feta cheese and/or cilantro.

Grapefruit And Avocado Salad
Serves 2
Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten free

• 1 grapefruit, cut into supremes over a bowl (see discussion above)
• 1 ripe avocado, cubed or sliced
• 1/4 red onion, sliced paper thin
• 1/4 c. best quality extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 t. kosher salt
• 1 t. prepared dijon mustard (like Grey Poupon)
• black salt and black pepper for finishing

1. Squeeze the leftover bits of grapefruit and the juice gathered while cutting the supremes, and measure 1/4 c. of it. Drink the rest, cook's treat.
2. Mix the 1/4 c. of juice with the olive oil, kosher salt, and mustard in a jar and shake intensively to emulsify. Taste and add a little good vinegar if it needs more acidity. Leave it underseasoned so you can finish with the black salt.
3. Arrange the grapefruit, avocado, and onions on a plate, either individually or on a platter. Just before serving, drizzle on the salad and sprinkle with the black salt and black pepper.