Dinner at the Oasis

These recipes are from Eating Well's Rush Hour Cookbook, published in 1994. The entire dinner is only 826 calories per serving, with 19% of calories from fat. Serves 4. It's one of my favorite vegetarian dinners.

Vegetable Tagine with Couscous

3 tsp. olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 14-oz can whole tomatoes, drained and chopped
2 cups reduced-sodium chicken or vegetable stock
1/4 cup slivered almonds (original recipe had whole blanched almonds, but I find slivered are easier and just as tasty)
1/3 cup raisins (or currants)
2 tsp. ground ginger
2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp saffron threads
6 oz. green beans, ends trimmed, cut into 2-inch lengths
2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/8" slices
1 15-oz can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into 1" pieces
1 1/2 cups couscous, preferably whole-wheat
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1-2 tsp harissa or Chinese chili paste, to taste
freshly ground pepper to taste
Chopped parsley for garnish

In a soup pot, heat 2 tsp. of the oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook until golden, 3-5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds more. Stir in tomatoes, stock, almonds, raisins, ginger, paprika, cinnamon, and saffron; bring to a boil. Add beans and carrots; return to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes. Mix in chickpeas and peppers; cook, covered, until the vegetables are tender, 7-10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, bring 2 1/4 cups of water to a boil. Stir in couscous, salt, and remaining 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Just before serving, stir lemon juice and harissa or chili paste into the stew. Season with pepper, garnish with parsley, and serve over couscous.

Romaine & Fresh Herb Salad

1 clove garlic, cut in half
6 cups washed, dried, and torn Romaine lettuce (approximately 1 head)
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh chives or scallions
1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh dill
1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh mint
1 1/2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar or lemon juice
1 Tbsp. olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

 In a small bowl or jar, combine vinegar or lemon juice and salt and pepper, shake to dissolve. Add olive oil once salt is dissolved. Rub a large salad bowl with the cut sides of the garlic. Place romaine, parsley, chives or scallions, dill, and mint in the bowl. Drizzle dressing over greens, toss, and serve.

Apricot Whip with Raspberries

1/2 cup firmly packed dried apricots
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. brandy or 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups nonfat plain yogurt
1/2 cup fresh raspberries or frozen raspberries, thawed

In a medium-sized saucepan, combine apricots, orange juice, and sugar. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer gently until the apricots are tender, about 12 minutes. Transfer all saucepan contents to a blender or food processor, add brandy or vanilla, and puree. Transfer to a bowl and stir in yogurt. Chill until serving time. Serve topped with raspberries.

Favorite Recipe: Sicilian Pesto

I used to grow cherry tomatoes on my deck when I had full sun there (neighbors and a red maple have since intervened), and at the end of the summer was so inundated that I researched a lot of recipes for cooking with them. This was my favorite: a pesto that uses almonds instead of pine nuts. Hm. I may just make some tonight.

Sicilian Pesto (as adapted from Cook's Illustrated)

1/4 cup slivered almonds
12 oz cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves
1 garlic clove, peeled and smashed
1/3 cup olive oil
1 oz parmesan cheese, grated
pinch of salt
1 lb cooked pasta (spaghetti is best, I think)

Process almonds, garlic, and oil in a blender until broken down a bit – add salt and the cherry tomatoes a handful at a time and process until smooth. Add basil leaves and process until smooth. The sauce will be a sort of unappetizing murky green color but don't despair. It tastes wonderful tossed with hot pasta and the grated parmesan. You might need to add a little hot water during the tossing process to make sure the sauce coats all the pasta.

Favorite Recipe: Cardamom-Pistachio Thins

I worked a food processing shift at the Park Slope Food Coop yesterday and promised to share some recipes with the people around the table. Here's one of my all-time favorites; it makes only a dozen cookies, and as Corinne my fellow food-processor noted, "it's really nice sometimes to not have huge batches of cookies."

Cardamom Pistachio Thins (from Eating Well)

I alter this recipe slightly by toasting whole cardamom seeds (discard the pod) in a hot skillet for about 30 seconds and then whizzing them through my coffee grinder. The aromatic nature of the cardamom is just so lovely this way. I also add a bit of powdered ginger. These cookies are a wee bit crisp at the edges and soft at the center, and are delicious with a cup of black tea.