Curried Cashew Couscous

We all know the appeal of the crockpot. Throw a bunch of stuff in, plug it in in the morning, come home to dinner ready.

But this blog notwithstanding, it's hard to come up with a menu plan full of crockpot meals.

Enter couscous. I got a new cookbook for Christmas: Vegan Express. The first recipe I tried was underwhelming. This one was pretty good. It's about a 3.5 out of 5 for taste, but it's a 6 out of 5 for ease. Seriously, took 15 mins. That's my kind of dinner. Pair it with microwaved veggies, and you're done. This is a keeper for the time, and for the fact that everything in it is in my pantry, except for the green onions. Those are hit or miss.

Curried Cashew Couscous
1 c. whole wheat couscous: 0.75
2 c. water: 0
1 tsp. vegetarian bouillon: 0.10
1 tsp. grated fresh ginger: 0.10
3 scallions, sliced: 0.30
1 c. frozen peas: 0.17
1/2 c. raisins: 0.16
1/2 c. cashews, chopped: 0.73
1/2 tsp. turmeric: 0.05
1 tsp curry powder: 0.10
2 T olive oil: 0.22
Salt and pepper
Total: $2.68 for 6 servings. $0.45 per serving.

Combine couscous, water, and bouillon in a nonstick skillet. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Stir, cover, remove from heat. Let sit 5 to 10 min, or until water is absorbed.

Remove lid. Add remaining ingredients. Cook over low heat for 5 mins or so, until well mixed and warmed through.

This becomes a 15 min meal if you do the couscous first, and chop while it's hydrating.

And finally! A use for curry powder. As much as I like Indian food, real recipes don't actually call for curry powder, they call for the ingredients. Thus, I have curry powder, but never use it.