Veggie Hash and Couscous

I have been trying to make healthy changes over the past year, and one of my hardest changes is making healthy family meals.  I teeter back and forth between making meals that are healthy (that don't get eaten willingly if at all) and making meals I know they will like but feeling guilty for making less healthy fare.  It's a lose lose situation for my self esteem!  Tonight was the best night for my cooing self esteem in a long time!  Seriously!  Feel free to walk through the evening with me, or just scroll down to the recipe below :).

Kayleigh is testing to see if she has dairy allergies so this week we are doing dairy free family meals.  Anyone who knows me well will know that I LOVE dairy too much.  I have a hard time finding any meal that doesn't use cheese or milk, or something.  And the worst part, I buried myself in the basement working on laundry, and forgot the time (it was nearly 7..)so it had to be fast.

As I stared into the fridge, all I could see staring back at me were the veggies from my sweet neighbor that I didn't want to go bad...  So veggie hash was born.  Then I had to think of a fast side.  All I could remember that we have is brown rice, so I opened the freezer to grab it and hoped I could find a quick way to cook it.  But right there in the door was the couscous I bought six months ago that never got around to making.  Lucky for me I recently saw an America's test kitchen on the best way or I wouldn't have even tried it.

It started out much like other healthier meals(full of groans, complaints, and lists of what they won't eat), but then I made them try it.  It was a total hit!!!  My kids actually liked the veggies, Kayleigh even ate peppers!  So I want to remember it, and of course share too :).


Veggie Hash

Olive oil
1 red pepper
1 yellow pepper
1 onion
2 med potatoes
1 head cauliflower plus one really small stalk of broccoli
2 tsp. garlic powder (or a couple of fresh cloves minced)
1/2 tsp. tony chacheries (this is my favorite all purpose seasoning, use any seasoning you like)
Salt and pepper to taste

I diced all of the veggies pretty small (about 1/4 inch) except the broccoli and cauliflower. I was in a hurry so I messily cut up the florets and then cut the stalk in slices.  Heat olive oil in skillet while chopping.  Mix all veggies together divide in two.  I sautéed in two batches so I could get some good brown on the veggies.  After you dump them into the pan, add garlic and other seasonings.  Honestly, the amounts I wrote above are an estimate, I just sprinkled it on till I thought it looked right.  I sautéed till I got a nice brown color on all of them, adding a little olive oil as needed.  While they sautéed I made the cous cous.


Couscous (I used ingredients I had on hand that were quick, but I used the method that America's Test Kitchen uses in their "couscous with shallots, garlic, and almonds")
1-2 Tbsp. olive oil (they used 3tbsp butter, but I had to make it dairy free)
2 cups of couscous
1 cup water
1 cup stock
2 green onions (I also added some fresh chives)
Garlic powder
salt and pepper

While sautéing the hash, start sautéing the onions in a saucepan.  Sprinkle some garlic powder on them too.   Soften them a little, then pour in the couscous (I added the chives with it).  You need to toast it, but you have to watch it close or it will burn, stir it every minute, make sure you pull the toasty brown ones up from the whole bottom of the pan allowing others to get toasted.  You might have to stir more often depending on how hot your unit is.  I had mine just below medium on a small burner.  Have your liquid and a lid ready.  I warmed my liquid a little first in the microwave, but I don't think you have to, the pan is super hot.    When the couscous is toasted, take it off the heat, pour in the liquid, and put on the lid.  Then let it sit for seven minutes.  Finally, add salt, fluff it with a fork and you are done.
You don't have to use green onion, it's just what I had on hand.  Use anything flavorful you like.  Shallots, garlic, etc...  Couscous takes on the flavor of what you cook it in.  I was out of fresh garlic, or I would have added that too!


I served the veggies over the cous cous.  I hope you like it!  We sure did!