I made this sauteed kale, carrots and couscous one weekend a couple of weeks ago and ate it every day for dinner for a whole week. I do this often, make a big pot of one of my favourite meals and eat it every day for as long as it lasts.

It also allows me time to research and plan my next spectacular meal, or as in the case of this week, stay outside in the sun for as long as possible.

We’ve had a nice stretch of amazingly sunny days, it as if we’ve shot straight for summer.
While I love this gorgeous warm weather, I’m a little leery of what this means for our summer.

Last night we took our dinner down to the beach and had a little picnic in the sun, it was a meal of leftoverspiced chickpeas and vegetables salad from the weekend, and a sweet strawberry icebox pie for after.

Later, we strapped on our cameras and went for a long walk, capturing moments that captivate us, and make us fall in love with the city again,and at that very moment, life felt perfect.

Now on to this couscous, it’s one of those simple and super delicious, and perfectly nourishing meals that you can make ahead of time. It has some of my favourite food… chickpeas, couscous, carrots and kale.

The recipe comes from Chatelaine; originally kale and bell pepper quinoa toss, I made a few modifications mainly based on what I had in the fridge and pantry.

It’s ideal on its on as a main dish, or as a side and hopefully with plenty of leftovers for lunch or dinner the next day.

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Sautéed Kale, Carrots and Couscous

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup couscous
• Pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon olive oil (for making couscous)
• 2 – 3 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small bunch green onions, diced
• 1 small red bell pepper, chopped
• 3 – 4 carrots, sliced
• 4 cups chopped kale (about 2 – 3 bunches with stems and ribs removed)
• 2 cups cooked chickpeas (or 1 16oz can chickpeas)
• 2 tablespoons chopped sundried tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon crushed pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon Herbes de Provence
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Salt to taste
• Handful of pistachios for topping
• Freshly ground pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Bring a cup of water to boil in a saucepan
2. Stir in couscous, salt and olive oil
3. Remove from heat, cover and let sit for 5 minutes
4. Fluff with a fork and set aside
5. In a large saucepan or skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat
6. Add onions and sauté for about a minute
7. Add bell pepper and carrots and cook for another minute
8. Add kale and cook, stirring until kale softens, add a little more olive oil if needed
9. Add the chickpeas, sundried tomatoes, pepper flakes, herbes de Provence, stir and cook for a under a minute
10. Add the lemon zest and lemon juice
11. Add the couscous, toss with the rest of the ingredients and cook for an additional 2 minutes
12. Add salt to taste
13. Serve topped with some pistachio and freshly ground pepper
14. Enjoy!

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