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Dill Carrot Couscous

February 23, 2011 by Leave a Comment

For some reason, my husband and I decided to buy a giant container of couscous when we were grocery shopping last month. It’s not that we dislike couscous, it’s more that I’m wondering what the hell I’m going to do with 2lbs of it. I mean, couscous is pretty small, right? And 2lbs is not an insignificant amount. So… we’ll see, I guess.

This is a very quick side dish and I almost feel guilty posting about it because it was so easy. It was just something I threw together to go alongside some steak tips and it all came together in less than 20 minutes.

Dill Carrot Couscous

1 cup couscous
1 3/4 cup vegetable stock
1 large carrot, diced
1/2 small onion, diced
1 teaspoon dill weed
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan (optional)
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

In a small, heavy bottomed pot, heat the oil. Add onions and carrots and saute until tender, then remove from pan and keep warm. Add in the vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Add in couscous, dill and Parmesan cheese if using. Cover and let sit for 5 minutes until all of the stock is absorbed and couscous is light and fluffy when run through with a fork. Add salt and pepper as needed.

This is good; it’s simple and satisfying. It’s also very versatile since there are so many options for seasonings and vegetables that can be used. It’s a nice vegetarian dish and can also very easily be made vegan without sacrificing any of the taste.

Filed Under: Grains & Rice Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Lemon-Dill Roasted Potato Salad

July 26, 2010 by 11 Comments

I know, I know; posting about potato salad during the summer. How novel. Next thing you know, I’ll be waxing poetic about hamburgers and hot dogs. But I just can’t help it – this is the first thing I’ve cooked in quite awhile that I’ve felt excited enough about to post on here. I made it for poker night this past Tuesday, and if left to our own devices, I’m sure my friend and I would’ve been able to eat the whole bowl ourselves.

There’s something about potato salad that I love, no matter how it’s made. It’s such a comfort food, and since I’m still lacking a stove, I’ve been lacking some of those comfort foods. I was kind of bummed out for awhile, because I like making potato salad, but not being able to boil the potatoes is obviously going to gum up the works. Luckily, I got my head out of my ass and realized I could just roast the potatoes and then treat it like I would any other potato salad.

That realization, along with the fact that I got an amazingly beautiful bunch of dill for $2 the other day, was the impetus for this potato salad. I love dill yet I rarely cook with it, so this seemed like a perfect opportunity to do something different.

Lemon-Dill Roasted Potato Salad

2.5 lbs baby red potatoes, diced
1/8 cup of roughly chopped fresh dill
3/4 – 1 cup of mayo, to taste
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons freshly cracked lemon pepper seasoning
2 tablespoons olive oil

Heat oven to 425 F. Toss diced potatoes with oil and lemon pepper seasoning, try to evenly cover all the potatoes. Put in the oven to roast, about 40 – 50 minutes, depending on how well done you’d like the potatoes. Thoroughly mix the mustard, mayo and dill. Chill for about 20 minutes, to allow the flavors to combine. When the potatoes are done, put them in a large bowl and let them cool for a few minutes. Add in the mayo/mustard mixture and distribute evenly among the potatoes. Best served warm, although honestly, just as tasty room temperature.

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Better late than never!

April 10, 2010 by 6 Comments

I finally bought a farm share! So hopefully this summer I will be full of recipes lovingly prepared with fresh, local produce. Because I CARE. And also, because I keep hearing about how awesome it is and I want to judge for myself. And maaaaybe because the one I chose also includes local honey and cheese. Just maybe.

Last weekend we had Easter dinner at my in-laws, with ham [my favorite; down with turkey! except dark meat!], mashed potatoes, green beans and the side dish I am about to show you in all its glory. Also, my husband and brother-in-law made a bet in which it was somehow determined the loser would have to help pay for a turducken. I forget the conditions of it, but I’m glad we’re finally going to have one so my husband stops yapping about it. He’s more susceptible to advertising than I am.

This side dish is really quite basic but it’s tasty and satisfying. It’s from allrecipes.com, which is an amazingly awesome source of recipes. Even if you don’t follow the recipes on there to the letter, there are a lot of great basic ideas. Plus, I love the fact that you can plug in ingredients you have on hand and it brings up recipe suggestions for you.

Maple Dill Carrots
1.5 lbs baby carrots
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons brown sugar
3 teaspoons fresh dill, chopped
1 tablespoon of flour, if necessary
salt and pepper to taste

Heat a large pan over medium high heat. Add in the carrots and just enough water to cover them. Let the carrots cook for about 15 – 20 minutes or until fork tender; the water may be evaporated depending upon the thickness of your carrots. If the water isn’t evaporated, pour the excess off from the pan. Add in the butter, brown sugar and dill. Toss with the carrots and make sure they’re all evenly coated. Let that cook down for a bit, until the butter and sugar thicken into a glaze; use the flour to thicken up if necessary. Salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.

I never realized how much I like dill until I made this recipe. It’s such a bright, clean flavor – somewhere between sweet and savory, that plays beautifully with the brown sugar. This really would go well with just about any meal.

Filed Under: vegetables Tagged With: , , ,