I see you, Winter

Winter has finally decided to show up in Chicago, which means chilly days and sub-zero windchill. The pretty blanket of white snow has turned into mountains of black, sharp and dangerous ice. We are still digging/chopping snow to find a place for our car and it's not uncommon to hear tires spinning and people screaming in agony as they try to shove their cars in and out of parking spots. February is usually the month where I find myself questioning why on earth people, like myself, choose to live under such conditions.  Luckily, with a move to a warmer place on the horizon (come on, June!), this winter has been a season of lasts for us and we are oh so excited.  In the meantime, we continue to celebrate the small victories like, "The sun is out!" or "It's still light at 5:30pm!"  

While it might be cold outside, my kitchen this time of year is usually toasty. I use the oven more in the winter to roast, bake or reheat leftovers. My favorite and most simple recipes involve roasting vegetables into oblivion and root vegetables, in particular, are even better the longer you roast them. When it comes to anything vegetable related, I always turn to Yotam Ottolenghi's cookbooks for recipes. I love his writing (he's hilarious) and also the fact that he pairs beautiful vegetables with loud spices and flavors. His cookbook, Plenty, is a staple in my kitchen and I highly recommend adding it to yours, whether you are a vegetarian or not. He moves vegetables from what would normally be considered a side dish to the main course. I first learned about Plenty from my best friend, and we made many a dish together from this cookbook before she moved to Denver a few years ago. One year for Christmas, it arrived on my doorstep from her and I couldn't have been more excited. We both continue to cook from it and send each other pictures of the meals we each have made so we can dog ear recipes to try in the future. One of my personal favorites is the Sweet Potato Cakes.  I'm going to post that recipe sometime very soon. Many of Ottolenghi's recipes involve a long list of ingredients, which can scare people away, but if you look closely a lot of the ingredients are spices and require little effort. For example, before I opened his cookbook, I hadn't heard of harissa, but it is worth the purchase at your local specialty foods store.  

I enjoy making most of his recipes on Sunday afternoons/evenings when I have the time to chop, peel, roast, bake, or what have you. Yesterday was cold and sunny (!!!) so while D was walking Parker, I opened up this cookbook to find inspiration.  I stumbled upon this recipe because of the title, "The Ultimate Winter Couscous," which appeared to be screaming at me when I read it.  For Yotam to be using the word "ultimate" in a recipe, I figured it must be damn good.  After a boozy brunch at Lula Cafe, we stopped at Stanley's Fruit and Vegetables, Chicago's best kept secret for fresh and reasonable produce.  Chicagoans, you must go here if you haven't been yet. But shhhh, you must also keep it a secret before all of Chicago starts to shop there. I usually come home with 3-4 bags of produce each week and it never costs more than $25. One time, I bought 8 lbs of strawberries for $1.99. We had smoothies coming out of our ears. 

When we got home from Stanley's, I proceeded to peel, cut and chop the root veggies and squash, put them into a dutch oven and then watch the Red Carpet at the Oscar's while it roasted and delicious scents started to waft out of the oven. After the vegetables did their thing, I made the couscous and sauteed chicken. You could add any protein you like, or leave it as is. The vegetables are cooked to the point where they still crunch and the spices (paprika, ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, anise, bay leaves, chili flakes) give just enough heat. I bought cilantro and forgot to add it in the end.  It didn't need it, but I would add it just to give the meal even more dimension. This meal is going to become a staple in our house, I can just tell.  We gobbled it up and shortly after watched Lady Gaga's Sound of Music tribute at the Oscar's.  Check out her performance if you missed it, while eating The Ultimate Winter Couscous.  Oh, and buy Plenty! You won't be sorry.

The Ultimate Winter Couscous
From Plenty, by Yotam Ottolenghi
 
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 3/4" chunks
2 medium parsnips, peeled and cut into 3/4" chunks
8 shallots, peeled
2 cinnamon sticks
4 star anise
3 bay leaves
5 Tablespoons olive oil
salt
1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/4 teaspoons ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoons hot paprika
1/4 teaspoons chili flakes
2 1/2 cups cubed butternut squash
1/2 cups dried apricots, roughly chopped
1 can chickpeas
1 1/2 cups chickpea liquid or water
1 cups couscous
large pinch saffron
1 cup boiling vegetable stock
3 Tablespoons butter, broken into pieces
2 Tablespoons harissa paste
1 oz preserved lemon, finely chopped
2 cups cilantro leaves

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place carrots, parsnips, shallots, cinnamon sticks, star anise, bay leaves, 4 T olive oil, 3/4 t salt and all other spices in a large oven proof dish. Mix well and cook for 15 minutes.

Stir in the butternut squash and cook for 35 minutes. Add the apricots, chickpeas and their liquid. Cook for 10 more minutes.

About 15 minutes before the vegetables are done, place the couscous in a heatproof bowl with the remaining 1 T olive oil, saffron and 1/2 t salt. Pour the boiling stock over the couscous and cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Let sit for 10 minutes until all the stock has been absorbed. Fluff and stir in butter with a fork until melted. Cover to keep warm.

Remove the vegetables from the oven and stir in the harissa and preserved lemon. Taste and add more salt if you like.

To serve, spoon couscous into individual bowls, top with vegetables and sprinkle with plenty of cilantro leaves.