It is Fall in a bowl

I made this dish last week and I just...fell in love with the bursting flavor, the simplistic foods that married in their uniqueness. It is what I call "Fall in a Bowl". Now as I have mentioned, I am not one to write paragraphs and paragraphs of description before the recipe. Why? Well, when I am looking for a recipe I just want to read the ingredients, the method and then decide - try it or no?

So here we go - right into the ingredients and the method.

Ingredients

3 cups of vegetable stock

3 tablespoons of vegan butter (like Earth Balance), divided

1 1/2 cups of pearl couscous (like Bob's Red Mill Wheat Pearl Couscous)

1 large shallot, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 butternut squash, roasted

1 teaspoon of cinnamon

1 1/2 cups of fresh cranberries

1 Macintosh apple, chopped

1/3 cup of white wine

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Zest of 1 lemon

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, divided

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/4 teaspoon of fresh ground pepper

2 teaspoons of maple syrup

1/3 cup pumpkin seeds

Method

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Chop the butternut squash into cubes; put cubes on a lined baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper and cinnamon; roast for about 30-40 minutes, turning over 1/2 way through. Keep an eye on it so they do not burn.

3. In a small pot over medium low heat, bring stock to simmer.

4. In a separate pot, add 1 tablespoon of butter and couscous; cook for 5 minutes to toast the couscous. Slowly stir in the stock and cover; cook for 12-14 minutes until the liquid is absorbed.

5. As the couscous is cooking, bring a sauté pan to medium high heat adding 2 tablespoons of butter.

6. Add shallot and garlic and cook for 2 minutes to soften. Add the cranberries, wine, thyme, lemon zest, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Cook until cranberries are beginning to soften (but not burst), about 5-7 minutes. During the last minute, add in the chopped apples.

7. When the cranberries are done, add the cranberry mixture and butternut squash to the pot of cooked couscous and stir gently. Fold in the 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and maple syrup.

8. Plate to a bowl and top with pumpkin seeds and chives (if you have them on hand), serve and ENJOY!

Fall in a Bowl

Bursts of flavor

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