Whether or not vegan meals is your lifestyle otherwise you’re seeking to indulge in additional fascinating vegan dishes, Tasting Desk recipe developer Tanika Douglas has a wonderful thought for you: Baked harissa zucchini with feta and couscous is simply as satisfying because it appears. “This dish celebrates the flavors of Moroccan and Tunisian delicacies, though the recipe is generally impressed by components that I really like,” she mentioned.
Zucchini could be a little bland in the event you do not season it nicely, however Douglas has utterly remodeled it along with his salting, frying, and oven-roasting cooking methodology. “What I really like most about this recipe is that the standard zucchini is the star of the present,” she shares. When you’re conversant in the world of movie star cooks, you may notice that “the strategy is sort of based mostly on Thomas Keller’s viral roasted zucchini, which isn’t solely aesthetically pleasing but additionally transforms a easy vegetable into one thing superb,” says Douglas.
Along with zucchini, the daring components and savory style stand out in Douglas’ recipe. “The flavour mixtures are completely incredible—there’s the colourful lemon couscous; the salty and creamy whipped feta; and the caramelized, smoked, and spicy zucchini,” she explains. “I merely cannot get sufficient of this dish!”
Mix the components for the baked harissa with the feta cheese and couscous
For this recipe, you’ll need zucchini, sea salt, harissa, minced garlic cloves, pearl couscous, walnuts, and olive oil. Then, seize some feta cheese and preserve somewhat water readily available. Chop some contemporary parsley and mint leaves into small items, and put aside for garnish. Juice and zest of ½ lemon, and use some sea salt and crushed black pepper as seasoning.
Soak the zucchini and put them within the marinade
Preheat the oven to 360 levels Fahrenheit and line a baking tray with greaseproof paper. Subsequent, slice every zucchini in half lengthwise, and use a paring knife to slice by the flesh in a ½-inch cross-slit. Sprinkle a teaspoon of salt over the fleshy elements of the zucchini, and put aside for half an hour. This method will enable a number of the water to seep out, stopping an undesirable mushy texture.
When the time is up, dry the zucchini with a paper towel to do away with moisture and extra salt. Switch the slices to a plate with the harissa and the minced garlic. Therapeutic massage the marinade components into the zucchini to coat the greens correctly, then set them apart to take in the flavors for Half-hour.
Cook dinner couscous and hummus
Cook dinner the couscous in line with package deal instructions, and set it apart as soon as it is carried out. Place one other skillet on the range over medium warmth and add the walnuts, roasting them for five minutes or so till golden brown and aromatic. Switch them to a reducing board and roughly chop.
Zucchini fry
Now, put a frying pan on medium warmth and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Put the zucchini within the pan, flesh-side down, and fry for 3-5 minutes. You need the highest to be golden brown, barely charred, and properly caramelized. As soon as the zucchini has taken on some coloration, switch the steaks to the lined baking sheet. Cook dinner within the scorching oven for 25-Half-hour till comfortable, tender, and extra caramelized.
Beat the feta combination
Add the feta and water to the meals processor and mix till the combination turns into clean and creamy. Set it apart till you are able to assemble the dish. One time-saving tip: Douglas notes that this a part of the dish can positively be ready prematurely. “You may make them a couple of days prematurely, retailer in an hermetic container, after which use once they’re prepared,” she says.
Assemble and serve this scrumptious dish
Return to the cooked couscous and blend with the chopped walnuts, parsley, mint, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the lemon juice, the lemon zest, and 1/2 teaspoon every of the salt and pepper. Be certain the components are nicely mixed. Put somewhat whipped feta cheese on every plate and unfold it with a spatula. Then put some couscous on high and add zucchini halves on high. End with some contemporary mint and parsley leaves and serve.
“Personally, I really like this dish by itself,” Douglas feedback, “as a result of it is so satisfying and filled with flavour.” Nonetheless, if you would like a protein enhance, she says, “the dish can positively be served with a meat-based protein like grilled hen or slow-cooked lamb, or a plant-based protein like tofu!”
As for leftovers, Douglas suggests dividing them up and “placing the zucchini and couscous in a single storage container, and the whipped feta in one other container.” Reheat the zucchini and couscous within the microwave and luxuriate in your frozen feta cheese. “As an alternative, this dish is splendidly served chilly,” provides Douglas.