What says autumn more than the warm, exotic flavors of Morocco? Okay, okay, I know what you’re thinking. Fall is supposed to be all about UGG boots, pumpkin spice lattes and middle-aged women wandering through Trader Joe’s clutching cinnamon-scented everything. But here in my Hungry Mountaineer kitchen, we’re taking autumn flavors on a little international vacation. Forget the pumpkin spice overload! We’re bringing out the cumin, turmeric, and tahini paste and inviting a little Moroccan magic to the dinner table. Toss in some sweet dates, crunchy chickpeas, fresh mint and fluffy pearl couscous, and suddenly you’ve got a fall-inspired Moroccan couscous salad that tastes like autumn went backpacking through Marrakech and came home with a suitcase full of spices. Now THAT is how you celebrate fall flavors!
What says autumn more than flavors of Morocco? I know, I know you may say
UGG boots and pumpkin spice everything. But here, in this urbanely, ethnic kitchen we say invite all those warm Indian spices! Now that’s fall flavors.
If it’s autumn here in the mountains of southern California that means the Adventure Pup and I are out on the trails hiking each and every morning. Call it hiking. Call it leaf peeping. Call it dreaming up new and improved healthy autumn salads, I don’t care.
What I do know, is that by lunchtime, we are both just ravenous for some fall flavors like a veggie studded couscous bowl with this creamy Smoky Lemon Tahini Dressing
Easy on the Turmeric, People! This Isn’t a $6.99 Indian Buffet from 2001
Turmeric may be the golden child of Indian spices, famous for its anti-inflammatory compound curcumin, but that doesn’t mean you should dump half the spice jar into your Moroccan couscous salad. A little turmeric adds gorgeous golden color and a warm, earthy flavor. Too much, and suddenly your beautiful Moroccan salad tastes like you didn’t know any better and you were having lunch at a $6.99 Indian buffet circa 2001. And trust me, nobody wants to relive that culinary experience. Here’s a little Indian cooking secret: Always add a pinch of freshly ground black pepper when usi
ng turmeric. Black pepper contains piperine, a compound that can help your body absorb curcumin more effectively. That doesn’t mean a sprinkle of turmeric will magically cure your aching joints, letting you trek 18 miles in one lovely fall colors afternoon again, but it’s a smart little pairing that adds flavor and may offer some nutritional benefits. Just remember, we’re making a delicious Moroccan-inspired salad here, not mixing up an Ayurvedic arthritis treatment in the back of an Indian grocery store.
Why Pearl Couscous? Because Size Matters, People!
When it comes to making the perfect Moroccan-inspired couscous salad, I always reach for pearl couscous. Unlike that tiny, grainy traditional couscous that gets absolutely everywhere the second you sneeze in the kitchen, pearl couscous is bigger, rounder and has a delightfully chewy texture. Those little pasta pearls soak up all the delicious Moroccan spices and tangy dressing without turning you
r beautiful salad into a bowl of soggy sadness. Plus, pearl couscous holds its own against chunky chickpeas, roasted vegetables and bright fresh herbs. It’s basically the bodybuilder of the couscous family. Just remember, pearl couscous is actually pasta made from wheat, not some magical gluten-free grain. Sorry, gluten-free friends. Even Moroccan-inspired salads can’t make all your dreams come true.
Chickpeas Without the Cheek Squeaks: Rinse Before You Eat
If you don’t want to spend the entire afternoon farting your way through the forest, for the love of all things Morocca
n, rinse your beans! Yes, even those innocent-looking canned garbanzo beans you just bought at Trader Joe’s. Those little legumes have been lounging in enough salty liquid to de-ice a Minneapolis freeway in February. And while rinsing canned chickpeas won’t magically eliminate every gas-producing carbohydrate, it can wash away some of those troublesome compounds, along with excess sodium and that weird, slimy bean juice. So before tossing those garbanzo beans into your beautiful Moroccan couscous salad, dump them into a colander and give them a thorough rinse under cold running water. Your digestive system, your dinner guests and anyone trapped in a Jeep with you for the next three hours will thank you.
Moroccan Couscous Salad: Cozy Fall Flavors Without the Casserole
1 bag of cauliflower florets
2 teaspoons coconut oil, melted
1 teaspoon paprika
1 tiny quarter-sized knob of ginger, grated
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup pearl couscous
1 can of chickpeas, rinsed unless you want to fart all afternoon
1/4 cup Gochujang Candied Nuts
1/2 cup chopped dates
1 small shallot, peeled and diced
1/4 cup torn fresh mint leaves
1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped
2 red Chinese chilis
The Casbah Called: It Wants This Fall Couscous Salad Back
Preheat your oven to 400. On a baking sheet, spread your cauliflower, red chilis and you garbanzo beans. Drizzle with the coconut oil, paprika, ginger, garlic, pepper, turmeric, cumin, coriander and salt. Roast this for 25 minutes until all are toasty. Cook your couscous in boiling water according to the package directions while your veggies are cooking.
When your veggies are cooked, assemble the salad with your couscous on the bottom of a big bowl, top with the veggies, the chopped shallots, dates, mint and parsley. Sprinkle your dressing over the top and garnish with your Candied Nuts.
Smoky Lemon Tahini Dressing
lemon zest
juice of 1 lemon
1/8 cup of tahini
1 teaspoon of nutritional yeast
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/4 cup olive oil
1 small garlic clove
1/2 teaspoon of paprika
Combine all these dressing ingredients in your NutriBullet until smooth. Like your Moroccan salad extra spicy? Dollop with a hint of Ginger or Garlic Priya Chutney
