Fall Couscous + 11 Weeknight Dinners

Fall Couscous Salad + 11 favorite weeknight dinners!
Juicy pear and roasted delicata squash tossed with Israeli couscous and a maple-apple dressing. 

this Recipe

When people ask me what a typical meal looks like for me —> well, you are looking at it. Grains + whatever veggies we’ve got + dressing + something crunchy & nutty= my weeknight dinners.

Sure, I also make and eat all the recipes that you see here, but when I arrive home from the office and my hangry-ness has started to set in, these are my default meals. They are so simple to put together, you really don’t even need a recipe.

Grab a starch, add in some vegetables (preferably roasted), any anything else you’ve got laying around. Last week I could not get enough of two fall staples: delicata squash & pears. When I wasn’t eating pears in this crisp or enjoying roasted delicata squash, I was making this fall salad.

Besides being a satisfying lunch, this has made the short list of potential holiday side dishes. I can’t get enough of the gorgeous colors from the pistachios, cranberries and squash. Plus anything that has both red + green in the same dish automatically makes my brain say CHRISTMAS. Which is way too rapidly approaching.

Since healthy weeknight dinners tend to be the holy grail of most women I meet, I’ve put together a list of 11 healthy, tested by yours truly recipes that are a must-make tonight type meal, or at the very least, a must-pin for later. The full Pear & Squash Couscous Salad recipe can be found at the bottom.

Top Row, R ->L: Rainbow Veggie Bowls with Jalapeno Ranch, Ginger Coconut Lime Linguini, Quick Chana Masala
Middle Row, R -> L: Sesame Garlic Stir-Fry Noodles, Fall Fattoush Salad, African Peanut Soup, Perfect Fall Gnocchi
Bottom Row, R-> L: Mediterranean Sweet Potatoes, Kale & Mango Salad, Pumpkin Fettuccine, Lentil Tacos

Pear & Squash Couscous Salad

• Author: Alex Caspero
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: 4 -6 servings 1x

Description

Fall Salad! Healthy, vegan. Israeli couscous tossed with roasted delicata squash, cranberries, pistachios, and pear. Maple Apple Dressing! | www.delishknowledge.com

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• Author: Alex Caspero
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: 4 -6 servings 1x

• Author: Alex Caspero
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: 4 -6 servings 1x

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Ingredients

• 1 tbsp. olive oil, divided
• 2 Delicata squash, halved, seeds removed and sliced into 1/2 moons
• 1 1/4 cups israeli couscous
• 2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 1/4 cup parsley
• 1 tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 large pear, chopped
• 1/2 cup pistachios, lightly toasted
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1/8th cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/8th cup olive oil
• 1 tbsp. maple syrup
• pinch salt/pepper

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Toss the squash halves with 1/2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil and pinch salt/pepper
3. Place on a baking sheet and cook for 15 minutes. Flip, and cook an additional 10-15 minutes. Be gentle when turning the squash so they don’t turn to mush! Remove from oven and set aside.
4. While the squash is cooking, heat the remaining 1/2 tbsp. olive oil over medium heat in a medium saucepan.
5. Add the couscous and gently stir for 1-2 minutes until toasted and golden brown.
6. Add the vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 10-12 minutes until liquid is absorbed and couscous is al dente. Remove from heat and let cool.
7. Toss the cooled couscous with chopped parsley and rosemary. Gently stir in the pear, cranberries and pistachios.
8. Whisk together the apple cider vinegar, maple syrup and olive oil. Pour over the couscous salad and toss to combine. Add in the squash and serve.

Notes

If you are making this salad for later, consider swapping in apple slices for the pear. While the pear is perfectly if immediately eaten, it doesn’t save well. For maximum flavor, toss with dressing right before eating. Again, if you are planning on making this for later, wait until you serve this salad to dress it.

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