Thoughtful Foods

Serves 4 as a main course with rice, or 8 as a side dish
Vegan and gluten free.

The tagine is a lovely way to use the sweet potato's and zucchinis in this weeks veggie box. It also has potatoes and chickpeas so it could be a full meal on its own without the couscous. The spices are all available in the co-op, as is the couscous. It makes pretty tasty leftovers for lunch too.

Ingredients

Serves 4

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 3 carrots, chopped
• 2 cups (400g) couscous
• 400g canned chickpeas, rinsed, drained
• 2 tsp sumac
• 2 tbs lemon juice
• 1 tbs olive oil
• Mint leaves, to garnish

Minted yoghurt

• 1/2 cup Greek-style yoghurt
• 1 tbs lemon juice
• 2 tbs roughly chopped mint leaves

Method

For the yoghurt, mix all ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

Steam carrots, covered, over boiling water for 3-5 minutes until just tender.

Meanwhile, place couscous in a heatproof bowl and pour over 375ml boiling water. Cover and stand for 5 minutes. Uncover, fluff with a fork, then add chickpeas and carrots.

For the dressing, whisk sumac, lemon juice and olive oil in a bowl.

Add to the couscous and toss together.

Spicy couscous salad

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups vegetable vtock
• 1 1/2 cups couscous
• 250g haloumi cheese
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 420g can chickpeas, drained, rinsed
• 5 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup mint leaves, roughly chopped
• 2 long red chillies, deseeded, thinly sliced

Dressing

Serves 4

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup quinoa
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 eggplant, diced
• 425g tin of crushed tomatoes
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• handful basil, chopped
• 425g chickpeas, rinsed
• 2 tbsp pine nuts, toasted
• salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Cook quinoa in stock.
2. In the meantime, fry the onion and eggplant in olive oil for 10 minutes or until tender.
3. Add the tomatoes and garlic and simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Mix in chickpeas and cooked quinoa.
5. Stir through basil and pine nuts, and season to taste.

Note: also good with olives stirred through.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients

1 cup chickpeas soaked overnight (210g)
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 cloves garlic, sliced
juice of two lemons
1/2 cup Greek/continental yoghurt

Method

1. Drain chickpeas, cook in boiling salted water for 45 mins or until tender. Drain and cool.

2. Heat olive oil in a small frying pan and cook garlic over medium heat until lightly coloured (careful).

3. Process chickpeas with garlic and cooking oil in a food processor until well chopped.

4. Add lemon juice and yoghurt and process until smooth.

5. Serve at room temperature.

Louisa Micallef

Ingredients

1 Spanish onion
3 cloves garlic
3 medium potatoes (cut into chunks)
2 tablespoon paprika
2 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon turmeric
150 grams green beans
400 grams chickpeas
1 tin tomatoes
1 pear (chunks)
150 ml vegie stock
salt/pepper to taste

Method

1. Heat onion, garlic until brown.

2. Add potatoes and spices, and cook for one minute.

3. Stir in remaining ingredients/cover/simmer for 30 minutes, until potatoes are soft.