Goal #72 Try 100 new recipes (27-28/100): Couscous with Red Pepper, Chickpea, and Almond Stew + Fresh Berries with Mascarpone Cream

Tonight I made my first vegetarian meal! I've been feeling like eating less meat (maybe because I've been watching documentaries like Get Vegucated and Fat Sick and Nearly Dead), and I realized that I don't really know how to cook dinner without it. So I asked my favorite vegetarian, and he sent me some recipes. This one was a winner! It's filling without being heavy, flavorful, and leaves you feeling really satisfied. 5/5 stars!

Couscous with Red Pepper, Chickpea, and Almond Stew - serves 8

Stew:
4 Tbsp olive oil
2 c sliced shallots (or onions)
4 large garlic cloves, minced
 4 carrots, sliced thin diagonally
4 large bell peppers, cut into 1/2" squares
4 large tomatoes, diced
1 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 c red wine or sherry (I used water)
4 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 c cooked chickpeas (canned or otherwise)
1/2 c slivered almonds, lightly toasted
2 Tbsp lemon juice
6 Tbsp chopped cilantro

CousCous:
4 2/3 c water
2 2/3 c couscous
1 tsp salt

Directions: 

• Heat oil over med-high heat 
• add shallots, cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently
• add garlic, cook 1 minute
• add carrots, red peppers, tomatoes, salt, pepper, wine/sherry/water
• add paprika & cinnamon, stir
• bring to a boil
• turn to low, cover with a lid, simmer for 15 minutes, or until carrots are tender
• stir in chick peas

While that is going, start your couscous:

• Get out your saucepan, boil water
• add couscous and salt to boiling water
• remove immediately from heat, cover with a lid, and let stand for 5 minutes
• fluff lightly with a fork

Now back to the stew:

• Toast almonds
• stir almonds, lemon juice, and cilantro into stew

To serve, make a mound of couscous, then form a depression in the mound and spoon stew into it. Enjoy.

The Fresh Berries with Mascarpone Cream, however, was not a winner. I followed the directions exactly and the whipping cream...let's just say it looked so gross I couldn't even photograph it. I just sprinkled the berries with a little sugar instead.