North African Couscous Paella

My husband enjoys bringing me gifts and of course, I love that about him. These gifts could range from an article of clothing, a gadget for the kitchen, a book, an excellent bottle of olive oil he found on sale, or even a pretty rock he found while on a hike.  These gifts always let me know he was thinking of me. 

Recently, after a trip into a used bookstore, he brought me a cookbook, Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home.  The subtitle is "fast and easy recipes for any day".  He chose well; the book contains recipes which are simple to make and don't resort to cans, boxes, and mixes, but rather rely on fresh foods.

I have already made two recipes from this book and they were both delicious. This is one of them. The only difference between my version and the original is the fact that the recipe called for frozen peas and I used one zucchini and one yellow squash instead because I had them on hand. 

I used tofu in the dish, but you could also use shrimp or chicken. The beautiful golden color of the couscous comes from the addition of turmeric. This is a meal in a pot.

North African Couscous Paella
(adapted from Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home)
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 lb. firm tofu, cubed
2 Tbsp. teriyaki sauce
1 red bell pepper, chopped
4 scallions, sliced
1 medium zucchini, chopped
1 yellow squash, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. ground  coriander
1 cup couscous
2 cups hot water
1 Tbsp. butter
Salt and pepper to taste
Toasted, sliced almonds

In a wok, heat 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil over medium high heat. Add the tofu, stir and fry until golden. Remove from wok and sprinkle with the teriyaki sauce. Set aside and keep warm.

Add another 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil to the wok, and stir fry all the vegetables for 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic, coriander, turmeric and cayenne; stir and cook for another 30 seconds. Add hot water, couscous, and butter. Stir well, cover, and remove from heat; let stand for 5 minutes.

Uncover the pan and using a fork, stir thoroughly to fluff up the couscous and break up any lumps. Gently stir in the tofu. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with toasted, sliced almonds.