This Week's Menu

An "interesting" week here in Sweet Bean's blogland. With our CSA produce, sometimes I have to plan bizarre meals in order to use up our bounty! Garlic mashed potatoes and salad, anyone? Oh, well...it works for me!

P.S. I made the summer squash gratin last week, as well. It was so delicious, I would eat it every day. Try it!

P.P.S. Salsa recipe from here.

This Week's Menu (and a recipe!)

This is one of my favorite super-fast go-to recipes for a busy weeknight.

Couscous Topped with White Beans, Tomatoes, and Zucchini
from Jeanne Lemlin's Simple Vegetarian Pleasures

The Vegetables
2 T olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced on the diagonal
1 (16oz) can tomatoes, finely chopped with their juice (or use 3 fresh Roma tomatoes)
1 (16oz) can small white beans, well rinsed and drained
1 T chopped fresh basil, or 1/2 t dried
1 t chopped fresh rosemary, or 1/4 t dried, crumbled
Salt
Generous seasoning freshly ground black pepper

The Couscous
1.5 c water
1/4 t salt
1 T unsalted butter
1 c couscous

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until tender but not brown, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and zucchini and cook 5 minutes, or until the zucchini is beginning to get tender but is still crisp.
2. Stir in the tomatoes, beans, herbs, salt, and pepper and cook, tossing occasionally, until the zucchini is tender and the sauce has thickened slightly, about 5 minutes. (The vegetables may be prepared to this point up to 4 hours in advance and reheated).
3. Meanwhile cook the couscous. Bring the water, salt, and butter to a boil in a small saucepan. Pour in the couscous, cover the pot, and remove it from the heat. Let sit 5 minutes, fluff with a fork, then cover again and let sit 5 more minutes. Serve a portion on each plate and top with a mound of the vegetable mixture.

YUM! It's SO easy, and crazy delicious. I like to top it with cheese from Parma (I would probably put Parmesan on ice cream if my husband would let me). Make it. Now.

P.S. I'm trying a new recipe for the summer squash gratin from here.

This Week's Menu

It's another yummy week here at Sweet Bean's! I started my microbiology class yesterday, so I'm looking to simplify my meal prep on mondays and wednesdays (I have 5 hours of class each night).


I'm trying four new recipes this week!:

1. Moroccan-spiced brisket (in the slow cooker)
2. French onion burgers, from Rachael Ray's Just in Time
3. Cuban Black Beans (slow cooker!) from Andrea's Recipes
4. Balsamic Chicken in pesto gravy, also from JIT (this is supposedly a 15-minute meal).