Sunday, May 31, 2009

Baked Couscous with Herbed Summer Squash

I'm into baking grains these days. It started a month ago with doing baked rice. The flavor is much more intense.

Ingredients

  • 1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth or water, divided
  • 3/4 cup uncooked couscous
  • Cooking spray or 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 2 cups sliced yellow squash (about 2 small)
  • 1/2 cup sliced green onions - about 2
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or 1 tsp dried basil
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1/2 cup (1 ounce) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
  • 1/4 cup egg substitute or 1 egg beaten
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 - 6 small fresh mozzarella balls (optional)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°.

Bring 1 cup chicken broth/water to a boil in a medium saucepan; gradually stir in uncooked couscous. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff couscous with a fork.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray ot olive oil. Add squash, onions, basil, oregano, and garlic; sauté 3 minutes or until squash is tender. Set aside.

Combine couscous, squash mixture, and half of cheese mixture in a large bowl; stir in remaining chicken broth/water, egg, salt, and pepper. Spoon mixture into an 8 x 8-inch baking dish lightly coated with cooking spray. Top with remaining cheese mixture. Place fresh mozzarella balls randomly on top if you using. Bake at 400° for 35 minutes or until golden. Serve warm.