couscous | the petite beet

It has been way too hot to turn the oven on, so I’ve been trying to make quick things on the stove top, like this vegetable curry with cauliflower “couscous” that took about 30 mins to make. I love using cauliflower in this way, it tastes just like tiny rice or couscous, which is especially great for any gluten-free people, or people simply

Ingredients: (serves 2)

1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 Japanese eggplant, chopped
1 summer squash, chopped
10 or so green beans, halved
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon red curry paste
1 tablespoon yellow curry powder
1 (14oz) can coconut milk
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 small cauliflower
1 lime – 1/2 for the curry, and the rest sliced for serving
1 teaspoon lime zest
1 tablespoon fresh grated (or minced) ginger
Salt and pepper, to taste
Olive oil
Naan bread, for serving

Start by making the cauliflower couscous by pulsing the florets in a food processor until it resembles a couscous texture. I did mine in two batches, otherwise it doesn’t blend evenly at times. Next, saute 1 garlic clove in a little olive oil, then add the lime zest, cauliflower, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well then cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often as to not let it burn.

For the curry, saute a garlic clove with a little olive oil in a large pot. Add all the vegetables, coating with the olive oil, and adding more as needed. Toss in the red pepper flakes, then salt and pepper to taste. Add the coconut milk, fish sauce, red curry paste, curry powder, fresh basil, and lime juice. Simmer for about 10 minutes.

To serve, plate some couscous and top with the vegetable curry. Serve with a lime wedge and warm naan bread!

Romanesco cauliflower is one of the coolest looking vegetables. I always take a few days to cook it because I like opening my fridge and seeing a spiky green diamond in there! I read somewhere that “It’s the Lady Gaga of Cauliflower,” which is a pretty accurate description. Despite it’s funky look, it tastes just like regular cauliflower. I had seen a recipe recently that used cauliflower as mock couscous and thought that would be a fun experiment. I loved it! I even mixed some of the leftovers into my scrambled eggs in the morning, which was delicious. I will definitely be making this again!

Ingredients:

Couscous:
1 large romanesco cauliflower (or two if really small)
1/4 cup water
2 garlic cloves
2 green onions, chopped
1 small carrot, shredded
1/3 cup sliced almonds
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
Salt and pepper, to taste
Olive oil

Steak:
1 pound flank steak
1/2 white onion, sliced
2 tablespoons butter
Salt and pepper
Olive oil

Salt and pepper the steak and let it sit for about 15 minutes. Doing this makes it more flavorful! In the meantime, make the couscous.

Chop up the romanesco and add it to a food processor, blending until it resembles the texture of couscous. Best to do it in smaller amounts so it breaks up evenly. Add a little olive oil to a pan and saute the garlic for a minute or so, then add 1/4 cup water and the romanesco. Cook, stirring enough that it doesn’t burn at all. Add the shredded carrot, green onions, and ginger. Next add the cumin and tumeric, then salt and pepper to taste. Lastly, toss in the almonds. Set aside and cover to keep warm.

For the steak, add a tablespoon of butter to a cast iron pan. When it’s nice and hot throw on the steak and cook for 3-5 minutes on each side, depending on the thickness of the cut. Remove from the pan, cover with aluminum foil, and let rest for at least 5 minutes. The steak continues to cook after it comes off the pan, so resting it lets it do its thing and get nice and juicy. While the steak is getting awesome, add a little more butter to the pan and cook the onions until translucent, and making sure to scrape up any goodness leftover from the steak. Cut the steak against the grain and plate with the couscous and onion!