Curried Couscous with Zucchini

It is zucchini time again!  Last year we grew zucchini in our garden.  As we were warned, the harvest was abundant.  We managed to give some away and use the rest up in muffins, pasta and as a side dish.  Also, you can't beat fried zucchini blossoms!

But, because the plant took up so much space in the garden, we didn't grow zucchini this year.  We've got brussels sprouts growing in their place.  So I had to buy some zucchini for this recipe, but it's a great way to use it.  It is delicious warm or at room temperature.  As a side dish or a vegetarian main course.  Colourful, crunchy and tasty.

Here's what you need:  

Short & Sweet Sunday - Israeli Couscous with Pine Nuts and Parsley

I always seem to find interesting grain mixes at Costco. But they come in enormous bags so I need to find interesting ways to use it up.

Israeli couscous is larger than regular couscous and has a nice chewy texture when cooked.  This particular mix also includes a small amount of quinoa, dried chickpeas and orzo.  

Since I didn't read the recipe carefully, I used a slightly different technique to cook the dish, but it all worked out in the end.  

I cooked the orzo in chicken stock with a cinnamon stick and bay leaf.

Meanwhile, toast some pine nuts until light brown, not too dark!  Also, saute some shallots. If you're on the ball you'll saute the shallots first, then add the couscous, spices and stock, but adding the cooked shallots after is ok too.  

To the cooked couscous, add the sauteed shallots, minced parsley and the pine nuts.

Mix it all together...

And serve. 

I served with a grilled pork chop and broccoli.

Tasty!  Now I need to find about 10 more recipes to use up this bag of couscous.